Burmeister a go for Pittsburgh, Blumrick out indefinitely

Going into the season, quarterback depth was concern number one for Hokie fans. After Hendon Hooker and Quincy Patterson transferred to Tennessee and North Dakota State, respectively, the depth behind Braxton Burmeister was precarious at best. Knox Kadum had a few good plays last year, but profiles as a career backup at the power five level and has yet to prove himself capable of more. Tahj Bullock has a lot of promise, but he still needs serious seasoning before he’s ready for primetime.

Connor Blumrick was a bit of a wild card coming into the season. The Texas A&M transfer brought a lot of physical tools and a lot of unknowns. The combination of size, athleticism and SEC pedigree was definitely intriguing coming in, and he has flashed physicality in the running game we haven’t seen since Jerod Evans (outside of the few times we saw QP on a football field).

When Burmeister injured his shoulder against Notre Dame, Blumrick was the first guy off the bench, and we got out first look at a Blumrick-led offense. The results were… interesting to say the least, but he did bring a dynamic element to the offense that a backup like Kadum probably couldn’t. But after just a few pass plays, Blumrick injured his leg and is now out indefinitely. Thankfully, Burmeister was able to re-enter and finish the game but was visibly in pain on the sideline. The durability concerns with Burmeister’s running and difficulty sliding are under an even closer microscope, with only two more healthy quarterbacks on scholarship.

According to Justin Fuente, Burmeister should be good to go for Pittsburgh this weekend, but it’s fair to wonder how close to 100 percent he’ll be and whether he’ll still be able to rip off the same big runs that have kept the offense afloat this season. With the depth behind him as suspect as ever going into ACC play, keeping Burmeister upright is paramount to keeping Tech’s Coastal Division hopes alive.