By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – In making a decision that really came as no surprise, Virginia Tech head football coach Justin Fuente announced Thursday that Ryan Willis would be the starting quarterback for the Hokies' season opener against Boston College on Aug. 31.
Fuente revealed the decision at a news conference Thursday afternoon, saying that Willis would be the starter and Hendon Hooker would be the No. 2 quarterback.
"Ryan [Willis] will start at quarterback Hendon [Hooker] will be the backup," Fuente said. "I'm really happy with both of those guys. I think Hendon has put a tremendous amount of work in and improved greatly. I feel really comfortable with him, but Ryan is a little more consistent right now and has some experience as well. I feel good about both of them. Quincy [Patterson] will be the third guy. He continues to work hard and develop. We'll see how all of those roles play out."
Willis stepped into the quarterback role during the Hokies' third game last season – a loss at Old Dominion – after Josh Jackson went down with a season-ending broken leg injury. He started the final 10 games of last fall, and he played well overall, finishing the 2018 campaign with 2,716 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. His 24 touchdown passes were tied for the second-most ever by a Tech quarterback in a single season.
Willis ranked in the top five in the ACC in virtually every passing category. His 226.3 yards passing per game placed him third in the league, while he finished fourth in both passer rating (138.0) and touchdown passes. The experienced gained last year could propel him to a big 2019 season.
2019 VIRGINIA TECH FOOTBALL TICKETS
(The Virginia Tech Athletics Department put individual football game tickets on sale Monday morning. Fans interested in purchasing a ticket to any of the Hokies' seven home games may do so by clicking here.)
"He can make plays. He's a really talented thrower. He's got good instincts – the game is not too fast for him," Tech offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen said, listing the reasons why Willis was selected. "When he's doing what he's supposed to be doing and he's on point and concentrating and things are right, he can make every single play every single time. He's accurate with the ball. He's got a quick release. Instinctively, in the passing game and anticipating windows and throwing with touch, he's got that talent. He played for us last year and did a good job of taking care of the ball, and that's what he's got to continue to do."
Even with the big season, Willis wasn't assured of being the starter. Fuente and his staff keep the competition open at every position over the course of an offseason, and Willis embraced that philosophy during the past eight months.
"You should assume that nothing is going to be handed to you," Willis said. "You've got to come out and practice every day like you're trying to earn the spot. That's the way you get better. You've got to compete. You've got to push others around you, and they've got to push you. We want our quarterback room to be as competitive as possible. That's the only way we're going to get better as a team, as a group. Nothing's given. Nothing has ever been given. It's only been earned."
Here are some other notes from Thursday's news conference:
RETURNER SITUATION STARTING TO CLEAR UP
Tech special teams coordinator James Shibest re-affirmed what Fuente said last week when he told media members that the punt returner job is basically down to Hezekiah Grimsley and freshman Tayvion Robinson. He definitely wants to see more production from the returner positions, particularly after the Hokies ranked 13th in the ACC in punt return average (6.3 ypr).
"Obviously, we struggled punt return-wise," Shibest said. "No. 1, we've got to field the ball. Ball security is the No. 1 issue, and we went through about three or four guys and never felt totally great last year. We feel better at this time. We've got Hezekiah Grimsley back there and Tayvion Robinson. They've been the two top guys right now. Of course, Tay is a freshman, and that always concerns you a little bit there, but he does have natural ball skills and is pretty confident because you're going to have to make good decisions back there. So they're the two leading guys."
Shibest added that Terius Wheatley and Keshawn King are the top options at kick returner, with Caleb Farley and Deshawn McClease in the mix, too.
"I think we'll have some guys to choose from," Shibest said. "Now, it's going to be the guy that goes and makes plays and great decisions on game day that will be getting most of the reps."
MITCHELL STILL DRAWING RAVE REVIEWS
Shibest serves as the tight ends coach, and he also fielded several questions about his tight ends. The position appears to be in great shape, with Dalton Keene serving as the leader and young players like James Mitchell, Drake Deluliis and Nick Gallo coming on strong.
In particular, Mitchell continues to impress. The 6-foot-3, 252-pounder played extremely well during spring practice, and he has transferred those performances to these August practices, making him a favorite among the staff.
"He's athletic, No. 1," Shibest said. "He's like a big wideout out there. But what makes this thing unique is he'll block. He'll get in there and mix it up in the run game. That's when things become more valuable – when you can move them outside, and they can still do all the things inside that you need to be able to run the ball.
"At that position, you've got to be smart. We move them guys around everywhere, from knowing all the receiver stuff to knowing all the pass protections to knowing all the run game stuff. They're almost like the quarterback … so all of them guys are very smart, and that's what's helped us be able to do more things with them guys."
RB DEPTH CHART A WORK IN PROGRESS
For the past couple of seasons, the Tech staff has used a running-back-by-committee approach, and the situation at tailback appears to be trending in the same direction heading into the opener against BC. The group of Jalen Holston, Deshawn McClease, Caleb Steward and King all bring something to the table, though none quite comprise the total package, at least here in August.
But that's fine with running backs coach Zohn Burden, who plans to use each in a variety of situations.
"They all have different skillsets, so it all depends on what we're trying to accomplish in the game plan and that determines who is going to carry the most," Burden said. "Or if we get in there, and one guy is carrying it better than the other guy, then you just roll with him. It just depends on what our actual game plan is and the weaknesses we see on the defense and who is having the best week in practice."
Burden hopes to see one of his group emerge as the primary runner, preferably early in the season.
"Absolutely, we're always hoping someone gets hot, and you've leave him in there and let him roll and keep carrying the ball and moving the ball," he said. "That's the goal. Besides that, we're going to put our guys in position to be successful and take it from there."
REDSHIRT SEASON PAYING OFF FOR TISDALE
Like Mitchell, King, Robinson and a couple of others, Alan Tisdale continues to be one of the Hokies' younger players garnering high praise from the Tech coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster recently compared the backer to former All-American Xavier Adibi and called him his fastest linebacker.
Tisdale, who met with media members Thursday for the first time, enrolled at Tech in January of 2018, but a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery forced him into a redshirt season. The extra time allowed him to get stronger and learn the system, and now at 6-3, 220, he looks like a future star.
"I look at it as I knew personally that I wasn't ready," Tisdale said. "My body wasn't ready. That's why I'm glad I had the surgery. My body is feeling right, and I'd like to thank the strength and conditioning coaches and the trainers."
Traditionally, Foster plays his starters at the two linebacker spots the overwhelming majority of the snaps, but with a core group of Rayshard Ashby, Dax Hollifield, Dylan Rivers, Keshon Artis and Tisdale, he could rotate players a little more than in the past.
"Hopefully, it's a rotation because we have tons of guys," Tisdale said. "We have a lot of talent in the room."
