By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech head football coach Justin Fuente is in the process of putting a bow on spring practice – a process that consists of meetings with his staff, meetings with players, and a post-spring news conference.
The latter of those took place Wednesday morning, as Fuente met with roughly a dozen media members and answered an array of questions about both players and the program as a whole.
Tech's spring practice ended with a session this past Friday. A late change in the football practice schedule occurred after the initial scheduling of the Spring Game for April 13, and that resulted in the Hokies practicing three times this past week after the playing of the game.
Fuente said he and his staff emphasized three simple things during spring practice: the football – both taking care of the football and taking the ball away; getting as many guys to push through and make it through 15 practices; and doing extra.
"I thought our guys really embraced those things and did a fantastic job," Fuente said. "They took a tremendous amount of pride in being out there every single day. I forget the actual number, but we were well over 1,000 examples of guys doing extra through extra time to help themselves be better players and help this program. We took good strides in that, but we've still got work to do."
With that said, here are some takeaways from Tech's spring football practice:
QB COMPETITION CONTINUES
Fuente has not named a starting quarterback yet, which means the competition among Ryan Willis, Hendon Hooker and Quincy Patterson will continue into summer workouts. The three of them basically split reps throughout spring, and Willis enjoyed a nice Spring Game, throwing three touchdown passes. The other two showed potential as well.
But Fuente wasn't ready to commit to anyone just yet. He answered a question about the position when asked Wednesday.
"I have my spring meetings with them starting this afternoon and tomorrow – they've already met with their position coaches – to continue to talk about what we need to see," he said. "I think those two young guys [Hooker and Patterson] need to take a step forward in their understanding, their reliability and their consistency. Along the same lines for Ryan, he's got to take another step forward. This is his last opportunity. He's approaching graduation. His class load should be a little bit easier. It'll be interesting to see how much progress he can make."
SORTING OUT THE RB SITUATION
On a similar note, the staff – specifically running backs coach Zohn Burden – spent much of the spring looking for a player to emerge at the tailback position, as the Hokies try to replace Steven Peoples, who led the team in rushing a season ago.
Deshawn McClease missed time this spring with an injury – he did not play in the Spring Game – and Terius Wheatley missed the entire spring. The Spring Game basically featured Jalen Holston, Caleb Steward and a couple of walk-ons.
Fuente spoke highly of Holston's spring, and the rising junior may be ready to jump into a more prominent role. He rushed for 94 yards combined in the Hokies' final two games of 2018, and hopefully, that is a sign of things to come.
For the first time since arriving at Tech, Holston participated in the entire offseason program. He missed parts of the past two years with injuries.
"I feel like it [being healthy] helped me a lot," Holston said. "The past two years, it's always been something, constantly. I feel like I got the chance finally to come in healthy and I feel good every day. I'm playing better, so it's been good."
🚨 NEWS ALERT 🚨 @CoachFuente expressed his appreciation for @BrockHoffman76 & his family & pledged Tech's continued support of them. #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/pZsVTjp1aK
— Virginia Tech Football (@VT_Football) April 24, 2019
IMPROVING THE RUSHING ATTACK
Along the same lines, the Hokies want to increase their productivity in the running game, and the staff spent a portion of spring emphasizing that. This past fall, Tech ranked ninth in the ACC at 174.3 yards rushing per game, and its 19 rushing touchdowns ranked 10th in the league.
Getting more production means everyone doing a little more – the running backs, receivers, tight ends and the offensive line. Fans tend to put the onus on the offensive line when it comes to the running game, but more goes into it than the average fan understands.
Still, this year's offensive line – which features just one senior in Tyrell Smith – is ready to get after it.
"You look all over social media, or you hear people talking and saying how much we can't run the ball and we don't have running backs and other things like that," guard Lecitus Smith said. "I definitely don't think that's true. I feel like them talking so bad about our run game and talking down on our run game don't respect us as offensive linemen, so that kind of hits in the heart.
"That's why other guys like me, Silas [Dzansi] and Christian Darrisaw, we try to be aggressive on that front line. Any play that's called, we try to go up there and dominate. That's, like I said, something that hits in the heart."
WEBB LOOKING TO GET BACK INTO THE MIX
Tech displayed more depth at cornerback this spring after suffering through some inconsistent play this past fall. The Hokies basically played with three cornerbacks in 2018 – Bryce Watts, Caleb Farley and Jovonn Quillen. But the emergence of Jermaine Waller and Armani Chatman, both of whom enjoyed excellent springs – certainly make the position stronger.
Also, Jeremy Webb, who is recovering from a second Achilles tendon tear since arriving in Blacksburg, hopes to be able to enter into the mix. Webb, a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder, missed last season while recovering from the first Achilles tear and then tore the same tendon in his other foot in December.
But he insists he'll be ready August 1 for the start of fall practices.
"No," Webb said when asked if he would be thinking about the tendon when he returned to the field. When I was rehabbing the first one, everything felt great. I was going on a steady pace. Once I actually get out there and get going … I'm so eager to get out there on the field and start camp. I can't even think about it. I just have to go."
SLIMMER DAX = HOPEFULLY MORE PRODUCTION
Dax Hollifield started the final six games of 2018, and he finished his freshman campaign with 62 tackles, including eight for a loss, and two sacks – strong numbers for a player making his collegiate debut.
But Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster wants even more, and to make himself a faster, more athletic and better player, Hollifield slimmed down nearly 20 pounds during the offseason. When he enrolled, he weighed nearly 245 pounds, but he checked in recently at 228, and it showed on the field.
"I'm so much faster than I was last year," Hollifield said. "To be honest, it felt like I was wearing a weight vest. I can run with running backs now. When they run routes, it's not hard for me to do that anymore. I already know my position really well, and adding speed and my feet and just overall strength has really helped me a lot."
Hollifield might have put on a few pounds this week after participating in the Benny's Challenge – a contest in which an amateur eater has an hour to eat a 28-inch pizza – on Monday at the Blacksburg Benny's. He gave it a great effort, but ultimately took the loss.
"I got into my fifth slice," he said. "I was about halfway through … and the next thing I know, it just starts coming up.
"I have a lot of respect for that challenge. I'm definitely going to try it again, so I can get it – which I will. I promise you that. I'm going to train harder next time."
UPDATE ON HOFFMAN'S STATUS
Brock Hoffman, a 6-3, 310-pound offensive lineman from Statesville, North Carolina who is transferring from Coastal Carolina to Virginia Tech, saw his attempt for immediate eligibility hit a snag when the NCAA denied his waiver request Tuesday. Non-graduate transfer players must sit out a year if they go to another FBS school unless they receive a waiver from the NCAA.
Hoffman wanted to transfer to Tech to be closer to his mother, who recently underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. Tech's compliance office filed the waiver on behalf of Hoffman, but the NCAA ultimately denied it.
Tech plans on filing an appeal on Hoffman's behalf and expects a decision next week.
"We understand that there is a process that goes with this," Fuente said. "We respect that process. We're trying to do everything we can to support Brock and his family through this time.
"I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that I was disappointed for a lot of reasons … It was about him wanting to get closer to his family as they dealt with some very serious issues. When you see a kid that goes about it with what you perceive to be the right way for very real reasons and it doesn't work out, it's very disappointing. He tried to do this the right way.
"Hopefully, what we can hold on to is that he has an appeal … We can hope through the appeal process that what many view as a wrong can be righted and we can move forward."