Virginia Tech opened practice on a balmy Sunday afternoon in Blacksburg with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s. The day began with a walk-through, followed by lifting, meetings and 25 periods of practice. Tech will follow a similar schedule on Monday, while adding a media availability to the schedule.
As the Hokies begin their third season under Justin Fuente, here are a few areas to keep an eye on as the squad prepares to open the season on Sept. 3, as the Hokies square off with Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida.
Running Back Rotation
Deshawn McClease finished the season on a strong note with a career-best 124-yard rushing performance in the Camping World Bowl against Oklahoma State. Combined with a healthy Steven Peoples and several other backs on the roster, Fuente knows Tech needs increased productivity on the ground in 2018.
“(Deshawn McClease) provided a spark at times throughout the year,” Fuente said prior to the start of camp. “I am really excited about his development from a physical, mental, emotional and leadership standpoint. I’ve really been pleased about him, so it excites me about him moving forward. It was nice to have Steven Peoples back. He’s really been effective and efficient when he’s been back there. We just went through a large part of the season without him last year, and I think it’s going to be important that we do a good job of managing him throughout camp because of the type of body type he has and the energy he exerts on every play. We’ll have to do a good job of managing him so that we can have him for a little bit longer. I’m excited about the way that we ran the ball during that game and hopefully it’ll carry into the season.”
The #LPD Needs to Grow Up Quickly
Replacing starters and all-conference performers is nothing new for Bud Foster, who enters his 32nd season at Tech. While players on both sides of the ball have plenty of confidence in their longtime coordinator, with a roster short on upperclassmen, players like DB Reggie Floyd understand the need to step up into leadership roles and uphold the standards established by previous Tech defenses.
Who Will Emerge at Wide Receiver?
A number of young receivers gained valuable experience in 2018. Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen will be leaning on a quartet of guys who all made critical catches at some juncture a year ago.
“The guys that played last year, the guys that come to mind (Eric) Kumah I think took a step last year as a guy that we can trust to get in there and make plays,” Cornelsen commented. “He made some plays down the field on 50/50 balls and was consistent as the season went along he was that guy that was there for us. Hezekiah Grimsley had a really good finish to the year as a freshman, he kind of stepped in at a slot position that we needed and he’s had a great offseason and needed one. He played as a true freshman and physically he probably wasn’t ready to, so hopefully that will make a big difference for him. Sean Savoy got some experience, he’s got to keep coming on and get better but he’s got some game time under his belt. Phil Patterson really finished the year well and has had a good off-season. He’s a guy that I think can take that next step that we can really count on. Then you’ve got a couple more guys that are just kind of unknown and unproven that we’re excited about.”
Although he’s only a redshirt freshman, another player to keep an eye during camp with be Baltimore native, Damon Hazelton, who transferred from Ball State and sat out a year ago.
–VT Athletics
