Virginia Tech football: Hendon Hooker reportedly will start at quarterback on Saturday

It’s been a tough season thus far for the Virginia Tech Hokies. And there isn’t one specific reason why, however, the quarterback position has received plenty of scrutiny and head coach Justin Fuente is finally set to make a change, per wide receiver Tre Turner’s Instagram.

Turner essentially congratulates his fellow North Carolinian, Hendon Hooker, who will be making his first career start on Saturday. Senior Ryan Willis has struggled mightily this season and this team could use a spark.

In the season opener, Willis turned the ball over four times at Boston College, two times in the red zone and the other two turnovers deep in Virginia Tech territory. He hasn’t been much better since that time outside of cutting down on the turnovers. He can’t run the style of offense, presumably, that Fuente and beleaguered offensive coordinator Brad Cornelson want to run. Willis also struggles to see the field and he is playing with little confidence now. Fuente rotated Hooker and Quincy Patterson in last week’s embarrassment against Duke. Well, it’s tough to win rotating quarterbacks and Fuente has apparently realized he needs to see what he has in Hooker.

Hooker is a fantastic athlete and showed how dangerous he could be in a game last season with a long touchdown run. In the time he has played this season, he’s attempted very few passes. That will obviously change with him now the starting quarterback. Now, it’s up to the brain trust of Cornelson and Fuente to give Hooker a chance with a solid game plan. We should all hold our collective breath on that one.

The Hokie need a game plan heavy on the short passing game that features Dalton Keene, James Mitchell, Hezekiah Grimsleyand Tayvion Robinson to set up the intermediate and deep passing game with Tre Turner and Damon Hazelton. The weapons are there and now Hooker has a huge opportunity in front of him. Let’s all hope he knocks this one out of the park and gets this offense back on the right track.