By Jimmy Robertson
BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech football team held its third practice of the preseason on Sunday, and the Hokies were dressed in shoulder pads for the first time.
The Hokies will practice in full pads for the next three days before receiving a scheduled day off on Thursday. Here are a few notes gleaned from their weekend work:
Young OL getting acclimated
The Tech staff brought in an acclaimed group of offensive line prospects in last year's recruiting haul, and offensive line coach Vance Vice has slotted them into spots to get an initial look at their skills. Bryan Hudson and Doug Nester have been working at right tackle and right guard, respectively, with Jesse Hanson at left guard and Will Pritchard at center.
"It's pretty fluid," head coach Justin Fuente said. "I don't know where they'll end up. Will is probably more of a center body. That was our vision for him as we went through recruiting. The other guys, we'll see … We're just trying to get them pointed in the right direction."
No news on Hoffman, Burmeister
Brock Hoffman, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, and Braxton Burmeister, a transfer from Oregon, both appealed to the NCAA for immediate eligibility this season, but Virginia Tech has not heard from the NCAA on either case. In particular, Hoffman enrolled in January and expected to compete for a starting position along Tech's offensive line and has been getting a share of repetitions, but certainly would need more to contribute for the Hokies' opener against Boston College on Aug. 31. Fuente hopes a decision comes soon.
"Sooner rather than later would be good," Fuente said. "I haven't projected forward my own thoughts toward a drop-dead date. We're all anxious to hear some good news. We'll continue to manage it and try to get him reps, but also play both sides of the coin. It's early enough that it's not a huge issue. I'm optimistic. I'm not sure why, but I'm optimistic we'll eventually hear something."
Webb finally on the practice field
After year of injuries to both Achilles tendons, defensive back Jeremy Webb participated in his first practice on Friday and his first full practice Sunday. The staff hopes to get him in shape enough to compete for a starting cornerback position, and so far, he looks good.
"It's great to have him out there," Fuente said. "He's been here over a year now, and that was his first practice. We'll continue to monitor him. He's a perfect example of our GPS system helping us with our return-to-play people. We have specific goals and things we want to reach with him. We're still holding him out of some stuff, trying to take it slowly. We'll evaluate where he's at, but it's just good to have him out there."
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Turner adds muscle in offseason
Tré Turner arrived at Virginia Tech last fall weighing around 180 pounds and battling a shoulder injury that limited his ability to lift weights. He spent the summer really focusing on getting stronger, and he now weighs 190 pounds. Hopefully, the added muscle allows him to improve on a huge freshman season.
"He'll never be a huge person, but he's made a concerted effort … This summer was a good long for him in terms of training," Fuente said. "You can see it in his body. I've told him that, "In all seriousness, Tré, you do look a lot better." We still have a long way to go with that, but it's a part of his focus.
"He knows, for whatever reason, he had large strides to make. Basketball and all that – and I think that's good. I'm not banging on playing other sports. He was a pretty serious basketball player and wasn't in the weight room as much as some other guys. Guys either run from that and try to hide from that, or they embrace that, and Tré has embraced that and tried to get better."
Griffin now at DE
Shortly before the start of august practices, Tech's coaching staff convinced Jaylen Griffin to move from linebacker to defensive end. Griffin struggled to keep his weight in the 235-245 range just because of his natural size, and the staff thinks this move will help both him and the defensive line.
"Jaylen had been fighting his own growth," Fuente said. "He's a big person. It's almost like he was working so hard to stay at linebacker weight and mobility, and it was almost hurting him.
"But Bud [Foster] talked to him and Charley [Wiles] talked to him and I talked to him about that possibility [moving to defensive end]. He's embraced it. I think he feels a lot better, honestly. He went up to 260 or 265 without even trying. I think it's a more comfortable spot for him. He's learning what to do technique all that sort of stuff, but from a physical standpoint, I think it was a more natural move for him."
Gallery: (8/4/2019) 2019 FOOTBALL PRACTICE 3
Gallery: (8/7/2019) 2019 FOOTBALL FALL SCRIMMAGE 1