Virginia Tech Football: New Year's Resolutions for the Hokies

The 2015 football season is over for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Tech finished this season with a thrilling 55-52 Independence Bowl victory over Tulsa on December 26 to send legendary head coach Frank Beamer into retirement a winner. 

Now, it's time to start looking ahead to the 2016 season. 

New head coach Justin Fuente is now officially the big man on campus. Since being named coach in late November, Fuente has mostly worked in the background staying busy on the recruiting trail and filling out his staff.

With a new coach in place just as a new year begins, it's time for a few New Year's resolutions for the Hokies.

Finish Strong in Recruiting

For the most part, Tech's 2016 recruiting class is almost set. There will possibly be a few more additions. The Hokies hope that there will be no more defections. Since Beamer announced his retirement in early November, Virginia Tech lost a pair of defensive backs to other schools. Fortunately, though, that's been it.

Wide receiver Phillip Patterson backed out of his pledge, but once he spoke to Fuente he quickly jumped back on board, per Alex Koma of the Key Play.  

"When I talked to him, he was sitting there, telling me exact plays on my highlight tape," Patterson said. "It just made me feel special that he actually took the time out being as big time as he is, and he actually evaluated me, and we had a real good conversation."

For Hokie fans, Patterson's words couldn't sound better. A head coach closing the deal is something Virginia Tech hasn't been used to in recent years. While Patterson is only a 3-star recruit, per 247Sports, he possesses a nice combination of size (6'2") and sizzling speed. 

Credit: 247Sports

Tech has already signed a promising group of players set to enroll later this month, led by a pair of quarterbacks: junior-college transfer Jerod Evans and early enrollee Joshua Jackson. 

Evans is the only 4-star prospect currently committed to the Hokies.

The Hokies would love to land prized offensive tackle Landon Dickerson of Hudson, North Carolina, but those hopes appear to be fleeting. 

Dickerson is expected to choose between Florida State, Tennessee and Auburn at this point. 

It's tough to expect Virginia Tech to field a top-20 recruiting class in Fuente's first year, but fans will still be watching with anticipation to see if the new coach can convince a few more players to commit once official visits pick back up in late January just before national signing day. 

Keep Bucky Hodges Around One More Year

The redshirt sophomore tight end submitted his paperwork to the NFL draft advisory board at the end of the season, and Bucky Hodges was told to stay in school, according to Norm Wood of the Daily Press.

However, Hodges is still planning on sitting down with his family before making a decision.

At 6'7", 241 pounds with 4.4 speed, Hodges is exactly the type of player NFL teams covet in this new pass-happy era. He can line up in a number of positions to exploit mismatches with the defense. 

So why would the NFL advise Hodges to return to school one more year?

Likely because of his struggles blocking and the occasional lapse in concentration. Hodges can make spectacular catches with ease but has also dropped some catchable balls. 

Fuente wants Hodges back for another year in his offense, and you can't blame him, according to Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times. 

"For me, it was about getting to know him and talking to him and kind of building the foundation of our relationship," Fuente said.

A return to school would presumably work out well for all parties.

A Clear Winner in the Quarterback Competition

Fuente is a former quarterback—and a good one, too. He's also molded some pretty good ones in current NFL star Andy Dalton and expected first-round pick Paxton Lynch.

So, in his first year in Blacksburg, Virginia, he wanted several quarterbacks on the roster competing for the job. 

Brenden Motley, a rising senior, should be back next fall. The 6'3" Motley started six games in 2015 after Michael Brewer went down and produced mixed results. His athleticism shined, but he made several critical mistakes in the passing game. Some of that was largely due to his inexperience. He has a big arm and is not afraid to take chances.

Fuente's presence should help him.

Dwayne Lawson returns, too. The 6'6", 207-pounder played sparingly as a true freshman in 2015. Coaches had hoped to utilize Lawson more, instead he attempted just nine passes and none in Tech's final seven games.

Lawson has Tech fans excited and will have every opportunity to win the job.

Jackson is an athletic dual-threat and could be ticketed for a redshirt season. Fortunately for him, though, he is enrolling this month and will be on the field for spring practice. That will allow coaches the time to see if he could play in 2016 or redshirt. 

Evans is probably the odds-on favorite to win the job. After all, he didn't sign with the Hokies just to sit with other opportunities available. 

At 6'4", 225 pounds, Evans is a big, strong-armed passer that can thrive in any style of offense. He just happens to be an impressive runner, too. 

Fuente is excited about the potential of Evans, but he's specifically thrilled about the competition he's added at the game's most important position, per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

"

He’s a big, athletic kid that’s really enamored with the position. I think he really wants to be good and wants to do whatever he’s asked to do in order to improve at the position. A big, strong-armed, good athlete who has been promised a chance to compete with the other guys we’ve got here. I think competition makes everyone better and we’ll provide everybody that opportunity and see if that works out.

"

Starting this season, the quarterback position should be in good hands at Virginia Tech for a long time.