Spring In Review: Defense

After 15 practices this spring, Virginia Tech moved into the off-season on a bad note Tuesday. Cornerback Adonis Alexander, a projected starter, and defensive end Houshun Gaines, who looked like a two-deep defensive end, were suspended indefinitely after being arrested on possession of marijuana charges. It certainly throws a wrench into the post-spring projections, but we’re about to dive in anyway.

Before we go into the position-by-position breakdown, let’s hash out this news.

Alexander and Gaines are suspended indefinitely. What this means…no one really knows. Is this a situation where the school’s student conduct policy will come into play? If so, that could be a problem. Students found with marijuana in their dorm rooms are often suspended for a semester, which brings up the whole “does a summer session count?” discussion. It could mean both are done for the fall semester, which obviously rules them out for the 2016 season.

However, I do think this could just be a (for lack of a better term) ho-hum suspension. Drug charges, while unfortunate, happen all the time across the country. Athletes and normal students get nailed for marijuana possession quite regularly. The term indefinitely is imposing for sure, but it could also be because there simply isn’t anything to suspend him for right now. It’s not like Justin Fuente can announce they are suspended for the next two weeks. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think that these guys will be reinstated in August and suspended for the first half of the Liberty game. Would that be a slap on the wrist? That’s subjective to every individual, but if every player in the country who ever got suspended for weed issues, then there would be a ton of suspended players every year.

Also, there’s a notion that Fuente could come out harsh to set the tone for his program. While true, there are many effective ways for him to come down harshly on these guys. The Hokies have a steep set of West Stands in Lane Stadium that are prime running territory. There are other ways for these guys to basically “feel the wrath” and for Fuente to send a message to the team than for him to kick two really talented, young players who made a mistake out to the curb.

I think they’ll be back in the fall with a suspension during the Liberty game to serve, but again, if Virginia Tech’s student conduct policy comes into play, then who really knows? Now to the position-by-position breakdown.

1) Who starts opposite Ken Ekanem?

2) Is defensive tackle the best position on the team?

Ekanem didn’t have a great season last fall (neither did Dadi Nicolas), but he is locked in as a starter at defensive end and will be counted on to have a big year. The biggest question here is who starts at the other end. Seth Dooley is an experienced backup, but he wasn’t close to competing with either Dooley or Nicolas last year and he missed this spring recovering from shoulder surgery. Can he really make the big leap to solid starter without a spring? I’m not so sure.

His time on the training table this spring did open up a ton of spots for guys, namely Vinny Mihota, who is a solid but unspectacular option. If I had to put money on it, I think Mihota is the guy that gets the nod. He’s not going to Jason Pierre-Paul anyone out there with a wicked pass rush move, but if he can just be stout against the run and pursue the quarterback when the opportunity presents itself, I think defensive coordinator Bud Foster will take that.

Gaines’ suspension is notable here because he’s the kind of raw, pure athletic defensive end that makes you excited about his future. The kid was committed to Florida before switching to the Hokies, and the Gators have been known to pump out some talent. Like I said before, I think he gets back, but probably not enough to claim a starting role.

Trevon Hill is another guy Bud Foster singled out after the spring game, including on the most recent Virginia Tech Football podcast. Just like Gaines, he’s got the kind of pure, athletic ability that gets you excited about a defensive end. He should be able to rush the passer really well later in his Virginia Tech career, but is he ready to contribute this year? That might be a stretch.

To answer the second question from above...yes, defensive tackle is the strongest position on the team. Woody Baron and Nigel Williams have loads of experience from the last two seasons, and Baron really stepped up this spring from all accounts. Ricky Walker redshirted last year simply because there was too much depth.

He’s ready to go in this fall along with redshirt freshman Tim Settle. The latter has a ton of talent but concerns about his weight and stamina. The great thing about the 2016 roster? He doesn’t need to play a ton of snaps right now, so he can be a terrific weapon as a backup defensive tackle (phrase I never thought I’d write).

With Virginia Tech’s lack of true options at defensive end, I think you could see Bud Foster get creative with some 3-man defensive lines. I think Baron in a pinch could slide to defensive end. He bulked up over the offseason to handle big-time reps on the inside, but Tech’s strengths are at defensive tackle.

If they can steal some reps with Baron posing as a defensive end with Ekanem and two defensive tackles, I think that’s something Foster can look at. It’s certainly better than having a green Trevon Hill get lost at North Carolina on October 8.

Projected fall depth chart:

DE: Ken Ekanem, Seth Dooley

DT: Nigel Williams, Tim Settle

DT: Woody Baron, Ricky Walker

DE: Vinny Mihota, Seth Dooley

1) How improved is Andrew Motuapuaka?

2) Is Tremaine Edmunds ready for a starring role?

Motuapuaka played decently in spurts last season and struggled at other times. He was also banged up, which led Virginia Tech to play a walk-on in Sean Huelskamp at mike linebacker. Huelskamp is a nice player and the Hokies have had success with walk-on mike linebackers (see: Tyler, Jack), but if Virginia Tech wants to compete for ACC and national championships, they need a really good mike linebacker.

After this spring, we probably can’t answer the question about Motuapuaka. There wasn’t enough time in enough meaningful situations to tell anything about his development, but he’s definitely being pushed by sophomore Carson Lydon. Competition is good and so is returning experience, so perhaps Motuapuaka does take a few steps forward and excel in year two. We will have to wait and see.

I think Edmunds is one the keys to the 2016 Hokies defense. He is the kind of athlete Bud Foster has rarely had at backer. He played a little bit last year and started the bowl game, so its all about him taking the next step in 2016. If he can be an impact player, I think Virginia Tech has a chance to be a really good defense. The Hokies have gotten pretty subpar linebacker play from both the mike and the backer positions in the last few years, but Edmunds has the tools to be a star.

The other player to note here is Anthony Shegog, who is pretty locked in at WHIP for the Hokies. Virginia Tech doesn’t really use the WHIP much anymore, as they’ve struggled to replicate the talents of Cody Grimm, but maybe Shegog is the guy. The WHIP also doesn’t fit with the spread offenses that proliferate college football now.

Projected fall depth chart:

Backer: Edmunds, Jameion Moss

Mike: Motuapuaka, Lydon, Huelskamp

WHIP: Shegog

1) What does Alexander's potential absence mean?

2) Which young guys will step up and play?

Alexander is potentially a huge loss if the Hokies are going to keep playing defense in the secondary like they traditionally have. As a boundary corner, Alexander seemed poised to be the next guy in the Hall/Flowers/Harris/Fuller/Fuller tradition. Fuente called his play during the spring game “dominant” on the VT Football podcast after the game. He’s a really talented young player and we saw how losing a projected starter in the secondary affected the depth chart last year (see: Reavis, C.J.).

While I suspect Alexander will return (see above if you for some reason skipped to this point), I think it makes sense for Foster to adjust his defense given the personnel if he does not. A guy like Brandon Facyson is super talented, but he’s never been a boundary guy when healthy (and he’s struggling to stay healthy). Terrell Edmunds played there last year, but he’s the rover now. Chuck Clark has played there in the past, but he’s the free safety. Greg Stroman could do it, but East Carolina put him on an island and exposed him last year.

With a new cornerbacks coach in Brian Mitchell and a new safeties coach in Galen Scott (plus a summer to work it out), I don’t think it’s absurd to think Virginia Tech could tweak how they play in the secondary to minimize the loss of a potentially very good boundary guy. If you do that and rely on a strong field corner in Facyson (if healthy), a really good senior free safety (Clark) and two talented young players at rover (Edmunds) and nickel (Reynolds), I think there’s a lot of potential.

As for the young players, Edmunds and Reynolds are the obvious ones, and they are going to play a lot no matter what the Hokies do in the secondary with Alexander. DuWayne Johnson is a redshirt freshman who could see time, but there’s no indication he’s close to being ready for a big role. Khalil Ladler was a highly touted recruit, but he’s coming off a knee injury. Besides Edmunds and Reynolds as starters, backup free safeties Jahque Alleyne and Der’Woun Greene seem like the most likely backups to play a big role at this point.

Projected fall depth chart:

FC: Facyson, Ladler

BC: Alexander, Reynolds

FS: Clark, Alleyne

ROV: Edmunds

Nickel: Reynolds, Greene

1) Who are the returners?

2) Who will be the punter?

One of the big changes we do know about under Justin Fuente is the emphasis on special teams in the spring. For a guy who placed such great emphasis on special teams, Frank Beamer rarely worked the return units in the spring. He waited until the fall to install those, which obviously worked well. After this spring, I don’t think anything will change as far as options in the return game.

Stroman, despite his struggles last year, is still a dynamic guy if he can get going on punt returns. Yeah, he never really did anything until the bowl game on punt returns, but in practice, I don’t there’s anyone close to him in terms of his ability to make people miss and that’s what James Shibest is going to go off of.

Greene is a decent guy on kick returns, but I think someone like DeShawn McClease could be interesting to try out there as well.

Joey Slye is the kicker and will be very good, but the punter question is a big one. It probably should be the number one question for the special teams unit. Mitchell Ludwig is the only punter on the roster, so he’s got to be the favorite, but I suspect you will see some guys worked out over the summer and into the fall who could get into the mix.

Projected fall depth chart:

K: Joey Slye

P: Mitchell Ludwig

PR: Greg Stroman

KR: Der’Woun Greene, DeShawn McClease