Spring Forward

With several spring practices and the first full scrimmage already in the bag, the Virginia Tech football team is starting to take shape. We're getting a better idea of who is going to get playing time this year, although several positions are still up for grabs. There's not a lot of room for competition on the offensive side of the ball... in fact, the competition is basically for back-up positions. But on the defensive side of the ball, there's battles at defensive tackle, whip, free safety, and field corner for starting spots. Here's a breakdown of some of the battles going on right now:

• Field Corner - Cris Hill v. Jayron Hosley. Right now it's not much of a battle since Hosley has an injured groin and hasn't been able to show what he can do, but it's his play from last season that has defensive backs coach Torrian Gray excited. Both are extremely talented and athletic players. Both were 4-star recruits coming out of high school. Hosley is a more instinctive corner AND more of a playmaker, which makes me think that if he can get back and get healthy then he will get the spot on the first team. Cris Hill is not without his charm, and is proving to be more capable than in years past. He has been slow to learn the position and isn't as assertive as Hosley, but he has good experience and ability. Prediction to win the job: Hosley.
• Free Safety - Eddie Whitley v. Antone Exum. I think by the end of fall practice, this will be more of a battle, but right now the edge is for Whitley. He has a better understanding of where to position the defensive players, and that's an important role for the free safety. Athletically, Exum is the stud. He's bigger, stronger, faster, and can definitely be a playmaker. However, since the free safety is the captain of the defensive secondary, you need someone with a great football IQ at that position, and Whitley is good enough athletically that he can make the whole defense better. Prediction to win the job: Whitley.
• Whip - Jeron Gouveia-Winslow v. Alonzo Tweedy. There are actually 3 players competing for this job, but these two seem to be ahead of Lorenzo Williams, who might be the most athletically gifted of the three. At 210, Jeron has about 15 pounds on Alonzo, but they are both 6'2". Overall, G-W has the size you want in a whip, although Tweedy might be the better playmaker. On special teams last year, Tweedy was always in the mix and seems to be following well in Cody Grimm's footsteps. Coach Cavanaugh talked a lot about G-W's football IQ, and didn't mention that aspect for Tweedy or Williams, so I am inclined to think G-W has the edge right now, but for later? Who knows. Prediction to win the job: Toss-Up, but I'll take G-W.
• Defensive Tackle - Kwamaine Battle v. Antoine Hopkins. Right now, Battle seems to be in the lead because he makes fewer mental errors, but Hopkins is the guy that we should want to win the job. Hopkins has an NFL defensive tackle body and the speed to go with it. He makes some fantastic plays, but for every great play he makes, he also makes one bone-headed error. Coach Wiley wants more consistency before giving the starting job to Hopkins, so at this point the two are neck and neck. Make no mistake, Kwamaine Battle is an excellent player and it's a luxury to have both guys capable of starting... the fans can't lose when the dust settles. Prediction to win the job: Antoine Hopkins.
• Backup QB - Logan Thomas v. Ju-Ju Clayton. Clayton is showing real consistency this spring. He's cut back on the number of throws that sail away by changing the way that he grips the ball, and it's showing up in the scrimmages with high completion percentages. Clayton is the more accurate quarterback at this point. However, Thomas is an athletic freak. He's huge at 6'6" and 230 lbs, and he can throw the ball with the force of a young Brett Favre. He can run it... he's actually the better runner between himself and Clayton. He can stretch the defense vertically in a way that Clayton cannot, and because of those athletic gifts, he will almost certainly win the backup job if he continues to work on reading defenses, improving accuracy, and understanding the playbook. Prediction to win the job: Logan Thomas.