Virginia Tech released the first depth chart of the Justin Fuente era on Monday morning. Though it’s listed as an “unofficial” depth chart, there are still plenty of things to talk about with regards to some of the names who are on that depth chart, as well as some of the names who aren’t.
Before we get started, here is a screenshot of the depth chart...
More True Freshmen to Play Than Expected?
I asked Bud Foster which true freshmen on defense he expected to contribute this year. I asked him that question because (surprisingly) true freshman Tyree Rodgers (6-1, 173, Fr.) is listed as Brandon Facyson’s primary backup at left cornerback. I figured Foster would name Tavante Beckett (5-10, 214, Fr.) and Reggie Floyd (6-0, 205, Fr.) and he did, but he also threw two other names into the hat: Backer Emmanuel Belmar (6-2, 228, Fr.) and defensive back Jovonn Quillen (6-0, 176, Fr.).Foster didn’t promise that Belmar and Quillen would play, only that they are possibilities. In fact, we still don’t know whether Quillen is working at cornerback or safety at this point.
I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m in favor of redshirting as many guys as possible in an effort to build a stronger program in the future. Playing guys like Quillen and Belmar doesn’t make sense from that standpoint. In fact, Belmar is (I assume) playing the same position as Tavante Beckett. At this point Beckett isn’t listed in the two-deep, which means he is #3, which in turn means that Belmar is #4 at Backer.
However, I also want to point out that with the Tech offense moving at a faster pace these days, the Hokies are running more plays in practice. That means more reps for everybody, so it’s possible to split up those second team reps between two or three guys and still have everybody develop on schedule. That wasn’t necessarily the case in the past.
The other thing I want to point out is that special teams is a huge emphasis for this coaching staff. James Shibest has one of the top special teams units in the country on an annual basis, and if he thinks guys can help him there, then Justin Fuente will give him the guys he needs. I’ll never forget that Alabama game in 2013 where the Tide destroyed the Hokies on special teams. Perhaps Fuente and Shibest would rather use true freshmen on special teams than walk-ons who might not have the raw athletic ability to keep up.
Because of some recruiting issues the past few years, Tech obviously doesn’t quite have the desired depth, otherwise I don’t think you’d see the staff contemplating playing so many true freshman defenders on special teams. From their perspective, they might not have a choice in 2016. Time will tell whether or not it’s the right move, and in fact we don’t know with 100% certainty that Quillen and Belmar will actually get on the field. We’ll find out over the next few weeks.
Now, on to the actual depth chart, about which I’m sure you have a lot of questions. I’ll try to answer each one…
Where Are The Backup Corners?
At cornerback, Tech’s two-deep looks like this…
LC: Brandon Facyson (6-2, 197, r-Jr.), Tyree Rodgers (6-1, 173, Fr.)
RC: Greg Stroman (6-0, 180, Jr.), Curtis Williams (5-9,176, r-Jr.)
Adonis Alexander (6-3, 193, So.) is suspended for the season opener against Liberty. When Tech plays Tennessee on September 10, he’ll be back in the two-deep, which will bump Curtis Williams down to third string. But that begs the question: where are DuWayne Johnson (6-1, 185, r-Fr.) and Shawn Payne (6-3, 192, So.)?
I thought Johnson made progress during the spring, and I’m pretty surprised to see him behind a walk-on. I’ve never been particularly high on Shawn Payne, but I would at least think he could fill out a spot in the two-deep against an FCS team until Adonis Alexander makes his return.
Either those two guys have been simply outplayed, or one or both has some sort of an injury that we don’t know about. I don’t know if Tech will release an injury report this year or not, but if they do it will likely be this Thursday.
Other than the backup cornerback situation, the defensive depth chart looks exactly as I would have predicted. There are no surprises on the defensive line, at linebacker, or at either of the safety positions, so we won’t waste anymore time on time on that side of the ball. Let’s move over to offense, where I’m sure many of you have plenty of questions.
Why Is Sam Rogers Ahead of Travon McMillian?
Try not to think about Tech’s running backs as traditional tailbacks. They are going to be used in a variety of ways, from tailbacks to H-backs to lead blockers and even split out wide in the slot at times. The reason Sam Rogers (5-11, 230, Sr.) is listed first is likely because he’s being used in more personnel packages than Travon McMillian (6-0, 205, r-So.), thus he’ll be on the field for more plays. I don’t see too many scenarios where Sam Rogers isn’t on the field for this offense this season.That doesn’t mean that Rogers will be the primary ball carrier, though in some games he could be. McMillian is still going to get plenty of touches, but his overall role in the offense is going to be somewhat limited compared to Sam Rogers.
Also note that guys like Steven Peoples (5-9, 218, So.) and DeShawn McClease (5-9, 180, r-Fr.) aren’t listed on the depth chart at all despite the fact that they both got work with the #1 offense when the media was allowed to watch 40 minutes of practice last week. They’ll both have a role in the offense this season, but not quite as big a role as Rogers and McMillian.
In short, don’t read too much into what the running back depth chart looks like right now. Wait until you’ve seen the product on the field for a month or so before drawing any conclusions. That’s what I plan to do.
Why Is Bucky Hodges At Wide Receiver With Chris Cunningham As the #1 Tight End?
The answer to the Bucky Hodges (6-7, 245, r-Jr.) question is simple. He’s been a tight end in name only during his career at Tech. In reality he’s played wide receiver probably 90% or more of his snaps at Virginia Tech. Justin Fuente is only listing him how he should have been listed the entire time. Bucky will play a ton of wideout for the Hokies this season, and we’ll also see him line up at H-back and in some cases with his hand in the ground at tight end.Chris Cunningham (6-2, 236, r-Fr.) is a guy I’ve always been high on. Here’s what I wrote about him in his scouting report when he signed with the Hokies…
“On the whole, I believe Chris Cunningham is a heck of a prospect, if he’s used properly. Considering how well Scot Loeffler and Bryan Stinespring have done with Tech’s current roster of tight ends, I have no doubt that Cunningham will be put in a position to succeed at Virginia Tech. I believe he’s one of the most undervalued players of this class.”
I went on to project that Cunningham would redshirt in 2015, though I did note that I thought so highly of him that I could see him working his way onto the field as a true freshman. That didn’t happen, but my original view on him seems pretty accurate. He’s a versatile prospect who can be used in a variety of ways.
For what it’s worth, even though he’s listed as a tight end, don’t expect Cunningham to have his hand in the dirt all the time. I expect him to be lined up in the slot quite a bit.
Why Is Tyrell Smith at Left Tackle Instead of Center or Guard?
Again, let me trot out a quote from my scouting report on Smith when he originally signed…
“Because of his [lack of] upper body size, Smith has to be considered a developmental prospect. That’s okay … that doesn’t make him any different than most other offensive line recruits. He will most likely need a couple of years with Mike Gentry before he’s able to hit the field. I project him at offensive tackle despite his listed height, though guard is a possibility as well. I think he’ll be physically ready by 2016, though Jonathan McLaughlin will be a senior that season, and Wyatt Teller will be a junior at the other tackle spot (I think/hope). Smith might not actually be in contention to earn a starting tackle spot until 2017, if McLaughlin and Teller progress as I hope they will. Nevertheless, I think he’ll be in a position to challenge for playing time in 2016.”