Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry met with the media after practice on Wednesday night, and here are the major takeaways.
Alan Tisdale Ready To Return
Linebacker Alan Tisdale was taking reps at Will next to Dax Hollifield on Wednesday during the short open practice session, which is an indicator that he is in line to start this weekend against Miami. Pry announced earlier this week that Tisdale has cleared whatever eligibility issues he had earlier in the season.
Having not played in a game since last season, is rustiness a concern? Not according to Pry, who says that Tisdale has done everything asked of him.
“It's a credit to him because he’s been on the scout team for six weeks, but he’s worked his butt off,” Pry said. “So he doesn’t look rusty to me. He has really done a nice job of staying active, reacting, his reads and all those things. So he’s pretty good. I’m not saying he’s like a well-oiled machine out there right now, but he’s doing a nice job.”
A very experienced player, Tisdale has 195 career tackles along with 17.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Assuming he starts on Saturday, he’ll be the first player who isn’t a redshirt freshman to start a game at the Will spot this season. It’s a similar role to the Backer position that he previously played, so the transition is not expected to be difficult given his experience level.
Virginia Tech Thin At Cornerback Heading Into The Miami Game
Starting cornerback Armani Chatman was in a blue non-contact jersey at practice on Wednesday. He also practiced in a blue jersey last week to make sure he could play against Pitt. He’s expected to play against Miami this weekend. Fellow starting cornerback Dorian Strong was not at practice as he continues to rehab from his injury suffered against West Virginia.
With both starting cornerbacks either out or limited, Miami’s passing attack is a concern. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw for 496 yards and three touchdowns against North Carolina last week. Brion Murray is expected to step into the starting role again, with true freshmen Mansoor Delane, Cam Johnson and Devin Alves getting reps, along with redshirt freshman DJ Harvey. Harvey, who was banged up heading into the Pitt game, is also getting some reps at nickel.
It's not ideal to face a dangerous Miami passing game with injuries at the cornerback position, and Pry is worried about Van Dyke.
“He can make all the throws,” Pry said. “He’s played a lot. He’s a big, strong guy. Just like us, he’s learning a new offense, and there’s some growing pains they're going through. But anytime you throw for 500 yards, to me that’s a pretty good day at the office.”
The Virginia Tech secondary was torched by UNC quarterback Drake Maye two weeks ago, though they weren’t challenged as much against Pitt, who focused on the run. They will be challenged again this weekend.
“Just like with North Carolina, you’d like to have Dorian [Strong] rocking and rolling, and you’d feel good about that. Armani’s practicing, but he’s working through some things. Those freshmen, they’ve got to keep coming. They’re meriting more reps each week, they’re getting more opportunities in practice, and we’re feeling more and more comfortable with them, but they’re still freshmen.”
Braelin Moore’s Redshirt Status Still Undecided
True freshman Braelin Moore has played in two games this season, and he got his most extensive work this past weekend with 34 snaps against Pitt at the left guard position. Is that a sign that more playing time is coming?
Pry says things have yet to be decided.
“Right now we’re still saying ‘ok, let’s get to four games and then we’ll evaluate it and see where he’s at.’ He got 34 snaps and did a nice job. If he continues to build on that over the next three weeks, we’ll see where he’s at. It’s a good competition between him and Jesse [Hanson] right now.”
Moore is the only Virginia Tech backup offensive lineman to see significant snaps in a game this season.