Not much information is being released with regards to football practice, but we’ve managed to pick up on a few odds and ends in the last week. Today we’ll discuss everything from the quarterbacks, to virtual reality, to the weather forecast for the Spring Game.
Lydon Gets Reps with the #1 Defense
I’ve written repeatedly that the Hokies need better production from their mike linebacker this season. Both Andrew Motuapuaka (r-Jr.) and Carson Lydon (So.) need as many reps as possible, and may the best man win.
Motuapuaka missed some time last week with a calf injury, which allowed Lydon to get reps with the #1 defense for the first time in his career. Motu’s injury is not serious, as far as I know, and he could be back practicing with the starters by now. While I wanted Lydon to get reps with the #1 defense, I didn’t want it to happen like that, because Motu needs a lot of work as well.
There’s no word on how either of those guys are performing. Bud Foster has always praised Motuapuaka, even when that praise wasn’t necessarily deserved, because he’s the type of coach who always backs up his players. He did mention last week that Lydon is pretty similar to Tremaine Edmunds … a young guy who will make mistakes, but who will also show flashes of being a good football player.
Hopefully both of those guys are healthy for the Spring Game. We don’t know how the team will be divided up at this point, but you can bet that Lydon and Motuapuaka will be starting on opposite teams.
Coaches Impress Coaches
Virginia Tech held a coaching clinic from April 7-9, and many high school coaches from the region were in attendance. One reached out to us when the staff held a clinic in the 757 to say that he was impressed with the Tech staff, and another did the same after attending the clinic in Blacksburg over the weekend. Clinic attendees also observed practice.
A few notes…
1: Tons of energy from everybody on the staff. He was especially impressed with Holmon Wiggins, Brian Mitchell, and James Shibest.
2: The relationship between the coaches and players seems very strong.
3: He reiterated once again that practice is extremely up-tempo. If the offense doesn’t get the play off quick enough, they are sent running.
4: Lots of focus on special teams (which is something I noticed when the media was allowed to view 20 minutes of the second spring practice). Everybody is involved in special teams. James Shibest was one of the best special teams coaches in the country at his previous stops, so our coverage teams are expected to be very good this season.
5: The new coaches are very engaging. He expects this staff to have good success on the recruiting trail.
That’s just one man’s opinion, but it fits in with everything else I’ve heard, and everything thing I’ve observed personally. The football program seems to be in capable hands right now.
Quarterback Battle Still Ongoing
The battle for the starting quarterback position is still ongoing. We’ve heard from several different sources about the quarterbacks, and some of the information matches up perfectly, while some of it conflicts.
Justin Fuente said last Thursday that the “older guys” seem to be picking things up a little quicker. I assumed he meant Jerod Evans (r-Jr.) and Brenden Motley (r-Sr.) rather than Dwayne Lawson (So.), and everybody who has talked to us about the quarterbacks indicates that Lawson is #3 right now. However, all three players are still getting reps with the #1 offense, so things could change on a daily basis.
At one point it seemed as if Brenden Motley was ahead, but Jerod Evans seems to be coming back strong. Someone who saw a practice recently indicated that it seemed as if Evans is #1 right now, with Motley at #2 and Lawson at #3, though again, all three guys are getting snaps with the #1 offense.
Right now, my advice is to not get caught up into anything you hear about the quarterbacks. The coaching staff is installing different parts of the offense as we go through the spring. One quarterback might have an advantage one week because he might be better at the types of plays that were installed that week. The tables could very well be reversed in the ensuing week.
In the end, Justin Fuente will have to pick the player who shows the ability to best execute the entire playbook. Fuente indicated that the offense will be installed very slowly, so I’ve got to believe that they haven’t installed the entire playbook at this stage. Until that happens, he probably won’t be able to pick a starter. I expect we’ll have to wait this thing out until the end of August, which is what we had to do back in 2014 when Michael Brewer eventually beat out Mark Leal and Brenden Motley for the starting job.
I can’t say I blame the staff for waiting. There’s no reason to make an announcement until you are absolutely sure. In fact, there’s actually no need to make an announcement at all. They could elect to keep everybody guessing right up until the opening snap of the Liberty game.
Virtual Reality Aiding Players
Andrea Adelson of ESPN visited Virginia Tech recently and did a feature on how the new coaching staff is using virtual reality to coach the players this spring, specifically the quarterbacks and linebackers. You can read the story here.
That’s pretty neat. It’s a different way for players to learn, and it’s got to make an impression to recruits. It shows them that if they come to Virginia Tech, they’ll be given every tool imaginable to succeed.
The intro of that story is also interesting. Fuente’s coaches (it doesn’t specifically mention which ones, but I’m guessing Brad Cornelsen and Holmon Wiggins were involved) came to him and said they wanted to incorporate virtual reality into the program. Fuente went to Whit Babcock, who naturally said yes, and then quickly raised the $150,000 through donations.
Why is that significant? Because Babcock already had the reputation of being an athletic director who will do whatever he can to help his coaches succeed. He’s not a guy who pinches pennies. He finds a way to come up with the money, if it’s possible. In this case, he found the money through a few big donors, apparently.
Hopefully Babcock won’t have to replace Justin Fuente, Buzz Williams, or any other successful Virginia Tech coach anytime soon. However, it’s probably safe to say that 29-year coaches like Frank Beamer are going to be few and far between. When Babcock does have to hire a coach, he shouldn’t have much trouble, because the evidence is piling up that he’s a good athletic director to work for. He’ll provide you with what you need, within reason.
How does it help the players? Here’s what Cornelsen said in the article:
“It’s a huge teaching tool for the quarterback position,” offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen said. “You’re seeing almost what you’re seeing in a real-life rep. Once you put those goggles on, you control what you’re looking at, you can move, you can take a drop in a meeting room and make quick decisions. It’s one thing when you have all kinds of time and you’re sitting in a classroom and you’re saying 'hut' and making a split-second decision. That tool bridges that gap a little bit. The guys have taken advantage of that. It’s something that can continue to help us.”
So basically quarterbacks can practice without actually practicing. So in effect, they get extra practice time. That’s huge, especially when they are trying to learn a brand new offense.
In other news, the local beat writers are still waiting for the same demonstration that Adelson received. I’m not going to hold my breath.
Good Weather for the Spring Game?
Last year’s Spring Game was played in a late April monsoon. It was cold, and it was miserable. Fortunately, Will and I got to watch it from a dry suite thanks to a generous TSL subscriber, but that didn’t make the tailgating any more pleasant.
I checked the extended Blacksburg forecast on Accuweather.com yesterday, and it said 76 degrees and sunny for April 23. That forecast has since dropped to 70 degrees and sunny, but either way, the very early forecast is for a pleasant Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg.
This year’s Spring Game should be well-attended. Combine the nice forecast with the new coaching staff, new offense, and the fact that the game isn’t going to be televised online, and the result should be a good crowd in Lane Stadium for what is expected to be a big recruiting weekend.