Virginia Tech Football: Hokies' Most Important Players at Each Position
Summer workouts are underway for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and fall camp is right around the corner. The Hokies are looking to get back to the top of the ACC after three middling seasons.
To overtake Florida State and have a shot at the College Football Playoff, Tech needs some of its better—and most important—players to stay on the field and produce at a high level.
Who are VT's most important players? Specifically, who is Virginia Tech's most important player at each positional unit? Keep in mind, an important player does not necessarily mean the best player, but generally those two things do go hand in hand.
Here's a look at the Hokies' most important players by position.
Quarterback: Michael Brewer
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To put it mildly, the 2015 Virginia Tech Hokies will sink or swim with senior Michael Brewer at quarterback. Depending on how you view that, it could be good or bad.
Brewer had his moments in 2014. He did help engineer a win over eventual national champion Ohio State on the road. He was also under center when the Hokies lost at Wake Forest by a score of 6-3 in double overtime.
So, which Brewer will show up in 2015?
The Hokies are counting on the Brewer who defeated the Buckeyes. There's reason for optimism, too. He spent the offseason working with offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler instead of coming in late and just learning the offense right before the season starts.
"I just feel so much more comfortable," Brewer said, per Will Grooms of The Key Play. "I feel so much better out there, being able to get a signal from the sideline and visualize it in my head—okay, if the defense does this then I do that. If the defense does that then I do this."
If Brewer starts every game and cuts down on his turnovers this fall, it could be a special season for him and the Hokies.
Running Back: J.C. Coleman
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J.C. Coleman's contributions in the first two-and-a-half seasons of his Virginia Tech career were kind of marginal. He had his moments but could never find the consistency needed to seize the starting job.
Midway through the 2014 season, with VT losing its top three rushers due to injury, the Hokies once again turned to Coleman and he did not disappoint.
Coleman rushed for 468 yards in Tech's final four games and was named the Military Bowl MVP when he ran for 157 yards and a touchdown in the win over Cincinnati.
The Hokies should have their full complement of running backs on the field this fall, but don't look for any of the returnees or newcomers to take Coleman's job. His production was a big reason why the Hokies won three of their final four games last season.
For the first time since David Wilson left for the NFL after the 2011 season, Virginia Tech found a consistent running game with Coleman toting the rock. Look for Loeffler to continue that trend in 2015.
Wide Receiver: Isaiah Ford
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Isaiah Ford essentially rewrote the Virginia Tech record book for freshman receivers in 2014. Ford caught 56 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman. Not only did he set the school record for receptions and yardage by a freshman, he also led the team in both categories.
And Ford accomplished all of that while still learning Tech's playbook and adjusting to running routes at the college level.
If Brewer remains consistent, the sky is the limit for Ford and fellow sophomore Cam Phillips this fall. The Hokies don't have a lot of experienced depth behind Ford and Phillips, so if one or the other is injured, it could put a damper on VT's offense.
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Tight End: Bucky Hodges
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In the pass-happy era that both college football and the NFL are now in, athletic, pass-catching tight ends are all the rage. The Virginia Tech Hokies have their own in rising sophomore Bucky Hodges.
At 6'6", 249 pounds, Hodges has unmatched size. Unfortunately for defenders, Hodges also runs like a wide receiver. A former high school quarterback, Hodges transitioned to tight end during his redshirt season and became a star in 2014.
Hodges caught 45 passes for 526 yards and six touchdowns. He made several highlight-reel catches down the field and was a favorite target of Brewer's in the red zone. Hodges is a matchup nightmare on any given play.
The Hokies have another proven tight end in Ryan Malleck. However, Malleck lacks Hodges' overall ability. If Tech lost Hodges for any amount of time, it would limit what the Hokies could do offensively—specifically in the red zone.
Hodges is a surefire All-ACC pick and could become an All-American, too—if he stays on the field.
Offensive Line: Wyatt Teller
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Sophomore guard Wyatt Teller has perhaps the biggest personality on Virginia Tech's roster. His mullet is epic. What's lost on many, though, is how good Teller is on the field.
Teller came to the Hokies as a defensive end. However, due to a shortage of depth on the offensive line, Teller switched sides and spent his true freshman season getting stronger and learning the position. Midway through 2014, Teller entered the lineup at left guard and the rest was history.
Not only did VT's running game become significantly better, the overall play of Virginia Tech's offensive line improved.
At 6'6", 295 pounds, Teller has terrific size and could eventually move outside to tackle. But for now, he's a road grader at guard, and that's where he'll stay for the foreseeable future.
An injury to Teller would not just weaken the Hokies at guard, but it would cost Tech its best offensive lineman. Teller is a big reason for some of the optimism surrounding the Hokies in 2015.
Defensive Line: Dadi Nicolas
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Dadi Nicolas was terrific in his first full season as a starter last year. He had 18.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2014. He hit the quarterback early, often and was consistently in the opposition's backfield.
Expect Nicolas to be even better in 2015.
He needs to be. The Hokies are replacing two starters in the secondary, and there is very little experienced depth behind Nicolas at defensive end. Nicolas is one of the better pass-rushers in all of college football, and an absence of any kind would be detrimental to the Hokies.
Linebacker: Andrew Motuapuaka
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Sophomore Andrew Motuapuaka started three games for the Hokies at middle linebacker in 2014. An injury to Chase Williams forced Motuapuaka into the lineup and he played well.
In each of those three games, Motuapuaka tallied double digits in tackles.
At times, though, Motuapuaka played too fast. He was often too aggressive and struggled in coverage. Those issues weren't because he lacked talent or desire— they were simply a result of a young player seeing live action for the first time.
Much more is expected from Motuapuaka now that he's the starter at middle linebacker for Bud Foster's defense. "Mike" linebacker is an important part of Foster's defense, as he relies heavily on the position to call plays on the field and adjust to audibles from the offense.
Motuapuaka is the only returning player to ever play a meaningful snap at the position. He'll still be learning on the go, but it could be much worse. The Hokies will rely heavily on the first-year starter in 2015.
Defensive Back: Kendall Fuller
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Not only is cornerback Kendall Fuller Virginia Tech's best player, he's arguably one of the better players in all of college football. He also plays an important position.
The Hokies return most of their secondary from last season with two exceptions: starting safeties Kyshoen Jarrett and Detrick Bonner. Both were three-year starters and leave big holes to fill.
While breaking in two new starters at safety, Tech needs everything it can get from Fuller. Not just a great player, Fuller is also a student of the game, and Foster will rely heavily on him to get everyone lined up correctly.
An All-American of some type in each of his first two seasons, Fuller not only creates turnovers, but he completely shuts down the opposition's top receiver.
He's a valuable player and one Virginia Tech cannot do without.
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