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Halfway through week three of Virginia Tech Spring Football and we are seeing a lot of injures and a lot of shuffling going on. Obviously, with spring ball nothing is set in stone, so don't get your hammer and chisel out too quickly. Players will recuperate from their injuries and get back in the groove. But some young players will emerge in the midst of upcoming opportunities. Coaches will notice talent that needs to be on the field in order to win and the best players will play. With all of this said, lets take a look at the depth chart as of 4/16/2014:
http://www.hokiesports.com/football/depth/
Whole lotta Shakin' Going on:
The big news here is the movement of Brenden Motley to the number one quarterback spot on the depth chart and Mark Leal dropping down to number two. I honestly didn't see this coming. I saw Motley as a back-up at best and really knew nothing about him. He came flying under the radar and took the opportunity when it presented itself with Leal sitting out with the leg injury during the scrimmage this past Saturday. He balled out and impressed the coaches enough to earn the distinction as the number one guy. Here's some great analysis by our very own rickythedragon316 on the quarterback situation:
Meanwhile, the running back battle is holding my attention. J.C. Coleman still sits at the number one spot while Joel Caleb has stealthily moved up to the number two. Remember though that Trey Edmunds (last years starter) is out this spring as he is healing from surgery. I like Caleb's athleticism and shiftiness, but does he really stack up to "The Predator" Marshawn "Juice" Williams who still sits as the third running back listed? No one can deny that Williams runs with purpose and will run over anyone in his way. He's a bulldozer that can cut on a dime and is a natural in the zone running scheme. It's said that offensive line coach Stacy Searels was bugging running backs coach Shane Beamer to give Williams more carries in the scrimmage this past Saturday. He has been the most impressive of the backs thus far, though it isn't reflected on the depth chart. Perhaps they just want him to be polished before they hand over the reigns, and declare the true freshman to be our best option.
As was covered this past weekend, two freshmen linemen Wyatt Teller and Augie Conte will have the opportunity to become starters this season for Virginia Tech and are listed as the starting guards this spring. The experimenting Stacy Searels is conducting within his group is great and I respect his choices. If Teller and Conte give the team the best chance to win then by all means let them play. Much like the quarterback race, the offensive linemen lineup will not be set in stone until fall arrives and don't be surprised if it shakes up during the regular season as well.
Defensively, Donovan Riley took over one of the top two corner spots from Der'Woun Greene. Here's a nice write up about Riley by Andy Bitter:
Riley Movin' on up:
Riley is performing well this Spring and showcasing all the hard work he's put in this off season. He had a great scrimmage this past Saturday, highlighted with an interception off of quarterback Andrew Ford. He's learning and proving that he deserves quality playing time. Ultimately, both Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson will be starters barring any mishaps, but what Riley is doing proves that the back-ups want to get in on the action and play well also. Lord knows the secondary needs players to step up and form some competitive depth for the Hokies. Hopefully, the fact that other players are becoming seasoned this spring will help out on the field and reflect how hard work during the off season pays off.
