Virginia Tech Football Roster Status: The Offense

Chris Coleman

Lead Analyst and Columnist

January 09, 2024 21

With the first transfer portal window closing, it’s a good time to take a look at the scholarship count and see where Virginia Tech stands heading into the spring from a roster management perspective. Here’s where we’ve got the scholarship numbers right now:

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21 Comments

Bayside Hokie January 10, 2024 at 9:23 PM

Chris. Speaking of the OL is there anything new regarding a move to OL for Givens,,?
Coattail Hokie January 10, 2024 at 6:03 PM

I'm assuming this is common knowledge, so apologies in advance. If we don't get enough players transferring out this spring to get us to 85, what happens then? Go Hokies!
1. OC_Hokie_JC January 11, 2024 at 6:45 PM
  
  As Chris and Will always say, "The numbers will work out." We will get down to 85...we always do. They will push a few guys out. It sucks, but a part of the process.
Bayside Hokie January 10, 2024 at 1:24 PM

Great article! It's always an impossibly wild guess for those of us on the outside looking in to imagine a two deep for the coming year. We don't have the access or knowledge to even imagine which 44 players will likely make up a two deep by Fall of 2024. I know by necessity your list is fluid but it's a very helpful starting point. I have rarely heard as much excitement regarding high school players like I have for Adams and Wiggins. It's off the charts how much Wiggins has impressed the staff even though he isn't enrolled yet. I hope the coaches can find enough playing time for all the elite talent at the position. Thanks
GO_HOKIES_GO January 10, 2024 at 11:46 AM

QB is going to be a problem is Drones gets hurt next year - all these guys are too small to take the pounding that running the ball in VT’s “new” RPO scheme requires (BTW, Watson is 5’11”, 190 just like Bryce Young is 5’10”, 204 in the Panther’s official roster). The Hokies need to find a guy that looks just like Drones and start training him up ASAP. Small QB’s can play for ‘Bama and tOSU where the O-line dominates the LoS, but that is never going to happen at VT.
1. vt_atown January 10, 2024 at 5:21 PM
  
  That's the first thing that jumped out at me too. Hopefully they have all put on weight since these numbers were taken, if not they are all "tiny" by FBS QB standards. I did a quick search online and found someone that ran the numbers of the 2023 season opening starting QBs in FBS and the average was 6'2 1/4' tall and 212lbs. The shortest starter was 5'11" and and the lightest 184lbs. (The ACC average was 6'3" and 215.5lbs). Lack of experience AND small is not a good combo behind a mediocre o-line.
chagerma January 10, 2024 at 10:00 AM

If there's ever a time to get the smaller QB ready for success, it's now, when you have a good corp of WR. You pair a small QB with avg to poor WR like we've had since the Ford/Bucky/Cam days and he'll struggle to be successful.
namibiahoke January 10, 2024 at 1:27 AM

For what it's worth column, YouTube has several shorts on Davi Belfort, but I was impressed with one that is a couple of years old: FIGHTING FOR FAMILY. You get a real sense of who he is. Tech has a winner!
extremehokie January 9, 2024 at 7:25 PM

Anyone else think Thomas could be encouraged to leave? Several younger RBs waiting. Thomas, while ok, never lived up to his promise.
1. uvabasher January 9, 2024 at 8:13 PM
  
  I disagree. Thomas is still by far our second best running back. The reason he’s not the starter in 2024 is because Tuten returned
2. hokiepro January 10, 2024 at 12:21 AM
  
  Absolutely not. He was very good late season this year.
3. vtsquirm January 10, 2024 at 3:35 PM
  
  it may be because of his injuries, but i wasn't impressed this year either. he's always mentioned as a bruising back, but he doesn't look that big to me. He certainly doesn't have the impact near what Tuten has. I'm surprised we didn't offer Brown in December. But perhaps he was all hype out of high school and he's not worth the trouble.
cdogvt January 9, 2024 at 4:33 PM

Random thought - where does the talent on the roster compare to great VT offenses? I would put Drones as a potential top 10 QB in terms of talent throwing and running. Our RBs are good but a notch below the Herbert / Blackshear and well below the KJ / Wilson / Williams period. At WR, this may be the deepest and most diverse I have seen at Tech. At TE, this is also a deep and talented group. There may not be a Jeff King but we have 3 guys that are good. Top 5 TE group IMO. On the OL, this is where it is well behind the good lines we have had. Chaplin is a likely NFLer but that is about it. All in all, it will come down to performance next season, but outside of the OL (a critical area obviously), I think we have a very good talent base compared to Hokie offenses of the past.
1. proudhokie2001 January 9, 2024 at 6:24 PM
  
  Perhaps you are bullish on TE group as they have not produced at a high level yet. WR are streaky and the whole O needs more consistency.
2. vtsquirm January 10, 2024 at 3:40 PM
  
  Tuten is the most impressive of the group. I like him more than Herbert/Blackshear but not as high as Suggs/Jones/Wilson/Williams. He certainly has a shot next year to change my mind. He's got all the tools. Drones is another who is good-- but i'm not ready to crown him yet. We need to win some bigger games before anyone is mentioned in the upper echelon of Tech teams.
Techman77 January 9, 2024 at 4:30 PM

Great article! I would agree that adding Mazzccua could make a big difference, but as you pointed out, they already need to lose 5 to 6 players as it is, so some tough decisions forthcoming. I’m also a little surprised they didn’t offer Brown, as he was highly regarded coming out of high school and might be the best backup to Tuten, if not actually the starter. Again, the roster situation strikes. As for the quarterback, Drones seems pretty durable, but injury is not out of the question, especially given Drones passion for putting a lick on defenders. Pop Watson looks like a playmaker, but his best play might be the slide.
If I was a Hokie January 9, 2024 at 3:14 PM

I enjoyed the article...enough detail without over complication. Thanks.
gemrooty January 9, 2024 at 3:12 PM

Great article. Thanks, Chris. Offensive line duties have changed over the years. Guards were the smaller, quicker linemen who pulled on sweeps. Now it seems they are the big, road graders. Interesting to see how the offensive line shakes out in the off season.
CJRothschild January 9, 2024 at 2:56 PM

At QB we have less depth than we might expect, in that none of the understudies have the size and strength to survive or perform under the rush of Clemson Rutgers, etc. If they cannot put on 20 pounds of muscle between now and August it would be irresponsible to put them on the field.
1. Spartacusjones January 9, 2024 at 6:29 PM
  
  I would add a question as to whether any of the backups could run the offense the same way as Drones. Some play calling adjustments would be necessary if Drones goes down
  1. NMB Hokie January 9, 2024 at 7:41 PM
    
    fewer designed runs

Virginia Tech Football Roster Status: The Offense

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