Virginia Tech football: 57 days til kickoff with a look back at Wyatt Teller

Today is July 5, 2019, which means we are officially just 57 days from the Virginia Tech Hokies opening the college football season at Boston College. Yesterday, we took a look back at one of the best and most influential players in Virginia Tech history in Cornell Brown. Brown’s on-field exploits were numerous, but his impact in helping turn around the program will always be remembered.

For today, we look back at No. 57 and we don’t have to go back too far. Wyatt Teller came to Virginia Tech in 2013 as a four-star defensive lineman from Liberty High School in Bealeton, Va., and was the nation’s No. 160th-ranked prospect that year, per 247Sports.

In the summer of 2013, coaches asked Teller to try the offensive line. Part of that was due to injury and also a lack of proven talent. He took to the move so well that it became his permanent destination. Considering how highly he was regarded as a defensive tackle at the collegiate level, some were surprised Bud Foster would allow Teller to switch sides. But Foster approved the move and Teller was excited about the possibility of early playing time.

After a redshirt season and one as a backup, Teller would enter the lineup at left guard in 2015 and it was his position for the next three seasons. While Teller didn’t start every game, he started most games during this time and his impact was immediate. Teller was a standout pass blocker on the interior in part due to his athleticism and he knew how to use his hands. Even with his relative inexperience at the position, Teller took to it well and became a standout performer. Teller’s mauler attitude on the field also made him a good run-blocker, too.

Teller would be honored as an honorable mention All-ACC performer on the offensive line in 2016 and in 2017 he would be named first-team All-ACC. He was also the runner-up for the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as a senior. He did not allow a sack during his entire senior season and was rarely beaten.

When Teller went to the Senior Bowl in 2018, he opened eyes with his combination of size, arm length, raw power and athleticism. The Buffalo Bills would select Teller in the fifth round of that draft. While he would start the season as a backup, Teller would move into the starting lineup in Week 10 and never looked back. Teller looks to be one of the better guards in the NFL in the next several seasons.

In addition to his outstanding playing career, Teller was one of the more fun Hokies to watch in recent seasons. He was hard-working, fun-loving, and his mullet made him an immediate fan favorite.

Teller was a joy to watch with the Hokies and here’s hoping he continues developing into a future Pro-Bowler in the NFL.

Tomorrow is No, 56, Hokies. Any guesses?