2013 Virginia Tech Spring Football Analysis

Virginia Tech Hokies 2013 ... Head Coach: Frank Beamer

Virginia Tech Hokies

2013 Schedule
8/31 Alabama (in Atl)
9/7 Western Carolina
9/14 at East Carolina
9/21 Marshall
9/26 at Georgia Tech
10/5 North Carolina
10/12 Pitt
10/19 OPEN DATE
10/26 Duke
11/2 at Boston College
11/9 at Miami
11/16 Maryland
11/23 OPEN DATE
11/30 at Virginia

Why To Get Excited … even with the devastating ACL tear suffered by CB Antone Exum, the defense will have a shot to be the toughest in the league. Eight starters return from a unit that became increasingly tougher as the 2012 season wound down. Five of those starters earned All-ACC recognition, led by DE James Gayle and LB Jack Tyler.

Why To Be Grouchy … the offense is going to be a serious work-in-progress. The Hokies ranked 81st nationally a season ago, a key reason why the program slogged through its worst year in two decades. Playmakers are scarce, a feature back needs to step up and three new O-line starters must be found between now and the opener with two-time defending champion Alabama.

The Number One Thing To Work On Is … the relationship between QB Logan Thomas and new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. Loeffler has had a lot of success with high-profile quarterbacks in the past, but Thomas might be his biggest challenge to date. The senior, with the cathedral ceiling, is coming off a disastrous year. The fate of the 2013 Hokies rests with Loeffler’s ability to maximize the potential of his new pupil.

Team Concerns For 2013: Can the Hokies crank up a downfield pass? It's inexcusable for a team with an NFL-caliber (maybe) bomber in Logan Thomas to be so inefficient, but Tech struggled to open up the field which hurt the ground attack. It doesn't help to lose most of the top targets, and having to replace tackles Nick Becton and Vinston Painter isn't a plus, but more than anything else, the team has to find a way to utilize Thomas to start doing more to make the attack explode.

The 2013 Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive back. The receiving corps needs help right away, so there's a chance for David Price, Deon Newsome or Carlis Parker to be factors right away. Linebacker Holland Fisher is the star of the class and defensive line prospect Wyatt Teller has tremendous upside, but the strength is in the secondary with Kendall Fuller an NFL caliber corner who could see time right away. CeQuan Jefferson and Charles Clark are nice pickups at corner, while Anthony Shegog and Brandon Facyson are good safety options.

2012 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 18. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive skill players. Frank Beamer is always going after the next great running back, and he’s bringing in several options along with plenty of receivers with size and talent. This will be a class to boost up the offense for 2014 and beyond, while the defense will get the most help at linebacker. It’ll take a few years in the weight room, but this year’s class is big on speed and athleticism for the back seven. 

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 33. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. It’s a surprisingly mediocre class considering Virginia swooped up several key local players and Florida State and Clemson dominated the ACC, but there’s good bulk for the defensive line with Corey Marshall showing the potential to be the next great Hokie defensive end and Kris Hailey, a whirling dervish of a defensive tackle prospect. The stars of the class are at corner with Kyshoen Jarrett and James Farrow two big, talented defenders. The star skill prospects aren’t there, but the hope is for Michael Holmes to go from good to special once he gets into the program.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 32. That Class Was Heavy On ... The lines. The stars are in the secondary with Nick Dew, Brian Laiti, and Theron Norman very big and very good safety prospects, and Kyle Fuller and Detrick Bonner are going to be good corners in a few years. The quarterback situation will be interesting with Ricardo Young and Mark Leal each athletic enough to fit the Virginia Tech mold, while WR E.J. Smiling is big and fast. However, the class is all about the lines with Laurence Gibson a ready-made offensive guard with good athleticism and big-time upside. Zack McCray should be the next great Hokie pass rusher, while Derrick Hopkins and De'Antre Rhodes are pluggers for the defensive interior.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 43. That Class Was Heavy On ... backs. Even after watching redshirt freshman Darren Evans emerge as the feature back, the Hokies concentrated on further building depth at the position. Being brought to Blacksburg are three playmakers, which was missing from the offense a year ago. Two of those backs, David Wilson and Tony Gregory, are four-star gems with enough wiggle to make people miss in the open field. Both provide a nice complement to the north-south style of Evans.