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Football

Fuente, Hokies ready to begin spring practices

Head coach Justin Fuente addressed the media on Monday with Tech's 15 spring practices set to begin on Tuesday morning. After losing all of spring work due to COVID-19 last season, Coach Fuente and the staff are eager to take advantage of this developmental opportunity, in addition to getting players acclimated with new members the staff. 
 
Now entering his sixth season at the helm of the Hokies in 2021, Fuente owns a a 38-26 record at Tech, giving him the sixth-highest victory total in school history. He needs six more wins to surpass Henry Redd (43-37 from 1932-40) for the fifth spot. Under Fuente, Tech owns a combined 12-3 record vs. ACC Coastal Division rivals Virginia (4-1), North Carolina (4-1) and Duke (4-1).  
 
Fuente, who has often referenced spring football as the "best time of the year" because of the opportunity for coaches to teach and try players in new situations, is eager for practice one of spring on Tuesday morning. 
"We need these chances to improve and coach and experiment a little bit and really just get out on the field and practice," he said. "Last year was obviously missing spring ball and fall camp being what it was, we didn't have a lot of time to bring people along, young players or inexperienced players.
 


 
ROSTER TIDBITS HEADING INTO SPRING

  • While a number of players are coming off of injuries and may be limited during spring, Fuente indicated on Monday that LB Matt Johnson and DL Nigel Simmons were likely the only players who wouldn't be able to practice at some point this spring. 
  • With the departures of P Oscar Bradburn and K Brian Johnson, Tech will see new specialists in those roles this fall. Fuente indicated that kickoff specialist John Parker Romo will get the first opportunity to handle placements this spring, while Peter Moore will get first crack at the punting position. Certainly competition for those two spots will be one to keep an eye on. 

 
WHO'S BACK FOR 2021
Here's a look at who is returning for the Hokies in 2021. 
 
TECH'S RETURNING LETTERWINNERS (46)
OFFENSE (18)     DEFENSE (26)    SPECIALISTS (2)
 
RETURNING STARTERS (21)
OFFENSE (11) - G Lecitus Smith (11), WR Tayvion Robinson (11), C Brock Hoffman (10), WR Tre' Turner (10), TE James Mitchell (9), T Luke Tenuta (8), RB Raheem Blackshear (5), WR Braxton Burmeister (4), WR Kaleb Smith (4), OL Silas Dzansi (4), TE Nick Gallo (4). 
 
DEFENSE (10) - CB Chamarri Conner (11), DT Norell Pollard (10), CB Brion Murray (8), DB Devin Taylor (8), LB Dax Hollifield (6), DB Armani Chatman (6), DE Amare' Barno (6), DE Emmanuel Belmar (5), CB Dorian Strong (5) and LB Alan Tisdale (5).    
*2020 starts in parentheses - min. four starts 
 
RETURNING SPECIALISTS (2) - LS Oscar Shadley, KO John Parker Romo. 
 
BRAXTON BURMEISTER RETURNS AT QUARTERBACK 
• QB Braxton Burmeister returns for the 2021 campaign after leading Tech to a 3-1 record as Virginia Tech's starting QB in 2020. 
• Burmeister transferred from Oregon in 2019 and was denied an appeal for immediate eligibility. 
• Guided Tech to a 45-24 victory vs. NC State (9/26/20) in his initial start in a Hokies' uniform. 
• Started in a 38-31 win at Duke (10/3/20), accounting for three total TDs. Completed nine passes for 163 yards and rushed 14 times for 43 yards with two TDs. Also threw a 12-yard TD to TE James Mitchell.
• Threw for a career-high 212 yards, leading Tech to a 33-15 win vs. Virginia (12/12/20) after returning to the starting role. Completed 15 of 22 passes, including a 60-yard TD pass to WR Tayvion Robinson. He also rushed for 36 yards.
• Burmeister indicated that thanks to the help of Tech strength guru Ben Hilgart and the team's nutrition staff he's added 12-15 pounds of good bulk to his frame to hopefully make him more durable in 2021. 
 





DAX HOLLIFIELD READY FOR MIKE LB
After playing multiple linebacker positions out of necessity for Tech in 2020, LB Dax Hollifield is anxious to concentrate at the middle linebacker post this spring, a spot that both Tech's coaches and Hollifield feel is his most natural position. 
 
"That position is what I was recruited to play here," Hollifield said. "Rook (Rayshard Ashby) was probably one of the best Mikes (MLB) in the country, so I got to learn behind him. I also learned to play in space a lot more which helped me out at WILL (weakside LB). I feel like MIKE suits me better and I'm excited about it." 
 
Hollifield is also enthused that his younger brother, Jack, is on Tech's roster as a tight end. 
 
"I see a lot of myself in him, but he's a lot different than me," Hollifield said being teammates with Jack. "I'm just trying to let him know what I wish I would have known when I first came in."   
 


 
NUGGETS ON OTHER KEY RETURNEES
• Tech returns 10 defensive players who started at least five games in 2020, including three of VT's top four tacklers from 2020 – CB Chamarri Conner (81 tackles), LB Alan Tisdale (59) and DB Devin Taylor (55). 
• CB Jermaine Waller who was an All-ACC Honorable Mention pick in 2019 and is slated to return after missing the majority of the 2020 campaign.
• All five of Tech's top receivers from 2020 return: WR Tayvion Robinson (38 recs.), WR Tre' Turner (34), TE James Mitchell (26), RB Raheem Blackshear (28) and TE Nick Gallo (11). Mitchell earned All-ACC Second-Team honors from PFF College in 2020 after leading Tech with four TD catches.  He ranked third on the squad with 26 catches for 435 yards and also scored on a one-yard TD run. 
• RB Khalil Herbert may be heading to the NFL, but four players who registered two rushing scores return: RBs Raheem Blackshear and Jalen Holston, along with QB Braxton Burmeister and WR Tre' Turner.  
• S Divine Deablo is also NFL-bound, but Tech's returning secondary accounted for 75 percent (8 of 12) of the squad's INTs in 2020. Brion Murray, Chamarri Conner and Devin Taylor all posted two INTs for Tech, while Dorian Strong and Tyler Matheny each had one.  
• Tech returns four offensive linemen who own a combined 90 collegiate starts - Brock Hoffman (34), Lecitus Smith (27), Silas Dzansi (16) and Luke Tenuta (13). 
 
EDMUNDS BROTHERS AUTHOR CHILDREN'S BOOK 
The Edmunds brothers – Trey, Tremaine and Terrell – have made plenty of history during their time at Tech and in the NFL. The trio of siblings from Danville, Virginia recently added another first to their list of accomplishments by penning a children's book, 'My Brother's Keeper – What This Means to Me' by the EBOYZ.
 


 
"When we go back and look at the year that we had in 2020, a lot of things going on in our world that tried to divide us as a nation," Trey Edmunds told Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. "It was something to bring us back together. At the end of the day, we are all facing trials and tribulations, going through things our own way, and my brothers and I wanted to show you that the only way to solve this problem is to come together as one. I think it was important and self-explanatory, but I appreciate the visual in the book that shows people of all different types, all different colors, all different genders, different nationalities. That was important and something we live by each and every day."
 
Check out the full story on Steelers.com: