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Watch list season trudges on, but most college football fans especially look forward to that day in the offseason when Phil Steele's preview is available.
The veteran released his all-conference predictions for the Atlantic Coast Conference today, and Virginia Tech is prominently featured. One Hokie makes his top billing, and eight more litter the remainder of the list.
First team
WR Damon Hazelton
Second team
TE Dalton Keene
LB Rayshard Ashby
LB Dax Hollifield
S Reggie Floyd
Third team
QB Ryan Willis
OL Christian Darrisaw
P Oscar Bradburn
Fourth team
DT Jerrod Hewitt
Analysis
This list seems to be more aligned with what we expect than did the Athlon list. Reggie Floyd is probably the second most-likely Hokie to impress.
I remain surprised to not see receiver Tre Turner on these lists, though. There are only so many receptions to go around, of course, but he was highly productive (535 yards and four touchdowns through the air) as the No. 5 target last year, and the departure of Eric Kumah probably bumps him up to No. 2 or 3 on the list.
Pending the development up front - and perhaps a continued appeal for a waiver out of Costal Carolina transfer Brock Hoffman - I could also see a fourth-teamer on the offensive line, joining Darrisaw in helping make this the best line of the Jusitn Fuente era.
Lastly, Oscar Bradburn was third in the conference in punting average last season, and his net was poor only because Virginia Tech had an uncharacteristically poor coverage team. If the unit bounces back while Bradburn maintains (or even improves, in just his third year of football) his level of performance, he should finish much higher than fourth-team all-league.
- WR
- DT
- RB
- WR
- WR
- ILB
- CB
- WDE
- WR
- S
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