BLACKSBURG – With fall camp for Virginia Tech football well underway, let's take a look at the defensive backs under the direction of cornerbacks coach Derek Jones and safeties coach Pierson Prioleau.
Gallery: (8-7-2022) FB: Defensive backs (fall camp)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chamarri Conner has proven to be a must-watch player during his time at Virginia Tech. A hard-hitting machine? Yes. A physical tackler? Absolutely. A dynamic athlete who can fly around the field? You bet. The fifth-year senior returns to the field in Blacksburg fresh off a season in which he finished third on the team with 85.0 tackles, securing 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one interception. He earned an All-ACC Honorable Mention nod and was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week following his game-sealing interception that capped the Hokies' 17-10 upset of No. 10 North Carolina at Lane Stadium.
Cornerbacks Dorian Strong and Armani Chatman also return in search of another big year in 2022. Strong, an Upper Marlboro, Maryland product, totaled 23.0 tackles (20.0 solo), an interception and six pass breakups a year ago, while Chatman, a redshirt junior out of Virginia Beach, is looking for a big breakthrough season after showing some flashes back in 2021. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder tallied 13.0 tackles (8.0 solo), an interception and a team-high, seven pass breakups.
RELATED LINKS
- Hokies enjoy ACC Network on campus
- Soundbites: Practice No. 4 press conference
- Single-game tickets with locations now available for 2022 Virginia Tech Football season
OTHERS IN THE MIX
It would not be a preview without mentioning Brion Murray as someone who can heavily contribute at corner as we inch closer to opening kickoff. Murray, a junior college product out of Milford, Delaware, has been around for some big moments during his time at Virginia Tech. The sixth-year senior totaled 8.0 tackles (5.0 solo) with four pass breakups back in 2021. Nasir Peoples will do the same at safety for Virginia Tech. Another fifth-year junior, Peoples earned All-ACC Honorable Mention a season ago after starting all 13 games. He finished second on the team in 88.0 total tackles (51.0 solo), while also recording an interception and three pass breakups.
NOTES
- Chamarri Conner has started each of the last 37 games for Virginia Tech.
- The Hokies retain 78.6 percent of their total pass breakup production from 2021.
POSITION OUTLOOK
The Hokies will have a talented returning group at the top of the depth chart, as they did a season ago. Though Tech will lose the likes of Jermaine Waller and Tae Daley, plenty of experience still resides in the secondary room for the Hokies.