Virginia Tech Football: Three Things To Watch For In Saturday's Spring Game
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The Hokies are now officially heading into year four of the Brent Pry era, and with that comes the annual Virginia Tech spring game. In recent years, Hokie fans have been able to get their first look at some of the transfers added to the team, and this year will be similar. While Virginia Tech was saw 22 players hit the portal over the past couple of months, those have been replaced with 19 incoming transfers, to fill out gaps amongst the squad.
Some of the best transfers include defensive lineman Ben Bell, wideout Donavon Greene, running back Cameron Seldon, and linebacker turned edge James Djonkam.
However, as Saturday edges closer there are still tons of questions that are without answering.
Schemes
Virginia Tech has recently acquired two new coordinators on either side of the ball in Sam Siefkes (defensive coordinator) and Phillip Montgomery (offensive coordinator). Both Siefkes and Montgomery are experienced in their own ways.
Siefkes has spent time in the NFL as a linebacker and quality control coach, time in college football as a graduate assistant, quality control coach, linebacker coach, and as a defensive coordinator across a number of programs throughout the country.
On the other side of the ball, the Hokies have opted for Phillip Montgomery. Montgomery is most known for his stint at Baylor, where he produced one of the nation's best offenses year after year. Per the Virginia Tech Athletics website.
For four straight seasons with the Bears, Montgomery called plays for an offense ranked among the nation’s best. In 12 games in 2014, Baylor's 581.3 yards per game and 48.8 points led the nation. The Bears also led the nation in total offense in 2013 (618.8 ypg) and ranked second in both 2012 (572.2) and 2011 (587.1)
Baylor’s passing attack ranked among the top five in the country each of those years. Montgomery was a 2013 finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top college football assistant coach.
How will the players adapt to the new systems presented in front of them is a big question.
Who will start where?
One thing that has been made clear by a number of Virginia Tech coaches, is their flexibility within the team. Offensive line coach Matt Moore and Siefkes have each demonstrated this thus far. Moore himself said the line is in constant rotation with players having to be able to do it all to make the NFL.
On the defense. you can see the same thing with former linebacker James Djonkam. Djonkam spoke with the media last week about the changes already made by Siefkes.
"I started off at outside linebacker, and then they moved me in the defensive end, and I was probably the best change that without a doubt I made since playing college football, like playing defensive end is so freeing I get it just hit, don't got a think, just go."
"I love how simple and see ball get ball it is, like, as soon as the ball snaps, look at the running back's alignment and base my stance off of that, and then boom, just go."
Development of Pop Watson
William "Pop" Watson emerged last season as a quarterback for the future for Virginia Tech. Watson was thrown into the fire last season as he was forced to play in the Hokies' last three games, along with fellow quarterback Collin Schlee.
Watson tallied a 1-2 record that included 481 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions to go with a bleak 58.6% completion rate. Yet, it is key to remember the team in with which Watson was playing was at its best, "makeshift," therefore limiting his ability, especially in Tech's 24-10 Mayo Bowl loss to Minnesota. Below are Watson's comments on his time as No.1 last season
"It's helped my confidence in me and I think it's helped the confidence in the coaches around me I'm not gonna say they didn't know if I could play or not, but, you know, they probably weren't too sure you know young guys, sometimes they won't be ready for spotlight and that was a big game, to say the least, but I feel like I was out there, I was confident and I feel like my confidence rubbed off on them."
Related Links:
Virginia Tech Official Spring Game Details Announced
Virginia Tech Football: Notes and Quotes from Tuesday’s practice (4/8)
Connor is a recent graduate from the esteemed Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech. He first found himself writing for recruiting database Rivals.com for just about two years before moving to Virginia Tech On SI. Connor has interviewed some of the highest-ranking members of Virginia Tech Athletics and looks to one day be a full-time writer covering Manchester United, his favorite soccer team.