Three Freshmen Who Stood Out At Virginia Tech's Spring Game

On Saturday, fans saw what will be their only glimpse of Virginia Tech Football until Sept. 5 against the VMI Keydets. The Hokies took on, well, the Hokies in Virginia Tech’s annual spring game.

Team White took down Team Maroon in a 30-21 contest that saw its fair share of impressive performances from many expected stars in the program. Here were three of the freshmen (redshirt freshmen included) who shone in Saturday’s highly anticipated game.

Jeffery Overton-Running Back

Overton broke out last season, quickly becoming one of the biggest retentions that James Franklin ensured.

Last fall, Overton notched 146 yards on 25 carries with one touchdown to follow suit, averaging a stellar 5.8 yards per carry.

Overton tallied an efficient 32 yards on just five carries for the maroon squad, accounting for 19 yards through the air.

Kelden Ryan, Quarterback

The former three-star redshirt backed up UNC transfer Bryce Baker Saturday afternoon. The Texas native stepped up for a solid 88 passing yards on 9-of-14 passing, and a 20-yard touchdown to wideout Chanz Wiggins.

With so much talk around whether Baker or Ethan Grunkemeyer will take the starting role next season, Ryan asserted himself well as a strong third-choice option from the limited reps fans got to see this weekend.

Amauri Polydor, Cornerback

Polydor was a big get for Franklin as the former Penn State commit decommitted from the Nittany Lions in early December, before following Franklin to Blacksburg.

Polydor was touted as one of the best prospects in Maryland out of high school and during Saturday’s game looked composed, adding seven tackles and .5 of a tackle for loss.

As the entire secondary has been revamped under Franklin, Polydor may struggle to get a ton of minutes ahead of some of the more experienced members. However, he demonstrated a smooth skill set on Saturday that Tech fans should take note of, even if he isn’t a game one starter.

It is always difficult to gauge the meaning of a spring game; it sits in the dead zone between regular practice and a full-on game. It is also far too easy to be swayed by specific performances. Moreover, the quarterbacks were not live, removing an added degree through which to view the contest.

The likes of Caleb Farley and Hendon Hooker had their breakout moments in said games, but it is vital to remember all players are still whole summer away from next season, meaning being level-headed is likely the best premise.

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