The kids are all right at Virginia Tech

By Nate Crossman  |   Monday, April 24, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Virginia Tech Hokies
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Here are two facts of life for the Virginia Tech Hokies coming out of the spring:

1) The Hokies' coaching staff has no idea who its starting quarterback is going to be come August. It appears to be a matter of who they want vs. who is going to earn it.

2) The 2006 season might be a slight drop-off from what Hokies fans have come to expect in recent years, but the not-so-distant future looks bright thanks to the performance of several underclassmen.

Although spools and spools of newsprint have been spent dissecting and analyzing the first fact, not too much attention has been given to the second.

There were a few obvious stand-outs, such as Victor “Macho" Harris, who played on defense and special teams last season as a true freshman. Harris won a starting cornerback job this spring and also made a cameo appearance at tailback, something he could be forced to do more of in the fall if the Hokies' running backs don't get healthy. On the offensive side, redshirt freshman quarterback Ike Whitaker appears to be as good as advertised, showing great athleticism in a limited time.

Aside from the obvious, however, there were several surprises. Freshman offensive guard Sergio Render's standout spring not only earned him the award for top offensive newcomer, but more importantly, earned him a spot on the two-deep roster. On the other side, redshirt freshman defensive lineman William Wall lived up to his name, concluding his spring with two tackles, including 1 ½ for losses, and a sack in the maroon-and-white game.

With running backs Branden Ore and Elan Lewis out with injuries, freshman Kenny Lewis was able to show off the speed that made him a top recruit two years ago. Lewis originally signed in 2003 out of George Washington-Danville, but opted to sign a Major League Baseball contract instead. He left baseball after last season to join the Hokies and should be a factor, either on offense or special teams. Even a player who didn't have the most successful spring showed stuff that has the coaching staff excited. Redshirt freshman quarterback Greg Boone is fourth in the four-quarterback race, but his performance in the maroon-and-white game, combined with his size (he weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 285 pounds), prompted head coach Frank Beamer to say that he has to find somewhere to play Boone.

If Beamer can find a place for all his young talent, 2006 will be successful, but the couple years after that could be even better.
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