Virginia Tech Football: Analyzing Hokies 2010 Depth Chart

The start of the 2010 college football season is less than a week away.  Teams are gearing up for their final meeting and practices, and even more anticipation is setting in.

Rosters are finally taking shape, and even though the starting lineups haven't officially been announced, here's an early look at who will be taking the field first in Virginia Tech's opener against Boise State.

Also, the rumor is Virginia Tech is going to wear a special Nike combat jersey, like they did towards the end of last year.  However, the Hokies will be sporting all black.  Here's a picture that leaked on twitter of Virginia Tech linebacker Bruce Taylor sporting the jersey. 

The full uniform will be showcased on Wednesday September 1, in Blacksburg.

Quarterbacks

No surprise here.  Tyrod Taylor is now a senior, and expectation are higher than ever for the QB. 

Taylor completed 16-of-17 passes in the latest scrimmage for 319 yards and three touchdowns.  The coaching staff has been glowing over Taylor's progress the entire offseason, and Hokie fans can't wait to see him take the field.

Logan Thomas will back him up, and Ju-Ju Clayton is the third option.  What will be interesting to watch here is how Thomas will be utilized this season.  The coaching staff has said they want to see him on the field, so expect a few formations with Thomas lining up under center, in the backfield or as a receiver.

2010 QB Bold Prediction

Taylor has the best season of any ACC QB, and leads the Hokies to an ACC title and national championship appearance.

Running Backs

Virginia Tech has arguabley the best backfield in the nation, only Alabama can give them a run for their money with talent in the backfield.

The Hokies added even more talent when Hokies Head Coach Frank Beamer announced David Wilson will play in 2010, giving the Hokies a three-headed monster at running back.

Wilson will likely see more time on special teams, at least to start the season.  However, I'm sure there are a few offensive packages to get the speedy sophomore on the field.

Ryan Williams and Darren Evans will split the majority of the carries, but I think Williams will separate himself from the other backs as the season wares on.  Nothing against Evans or Wilson, but Williams is just a different breed.

He's elusive, has power, finesse and runs with a chip on his shoulder.  Williams wants to be the best and it shows when he's on the field.  That being said, Evans and Wilson will get their carries and it's always great two have a second and third option in the backfield.

2010 RB Bold Prediction

Williams will be the lone 1,000 yard rusher for the Hokies, but Evans and Wilson will rush for at least 500 yards a piece, and Wilson will be one of the best return men in the ACC.

Receivers/Tight Ends

Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale will be the two starting wideouts, along with Andre Smith who has been named the starting tight end.  Dyrell Roberts will be a strong slot receiver, and Roberts has a chance to really have a breakout season.

Roberts showed flashes of greatness last year, but it would be followed by a dropped pass.  Boykin will likely the lead the receiving corps in receptions and yards, and he and Taylor seem to have really good chemistry.

Smith has the ability to have a really good year as well.  The senior has spent the majority of his career backing up Greg Boone, but this is his time to shine.  He had increased playing time at the end of last season and responded well.

Look for Marcus David to have a breakout season.  Davis is the most experienced of the reserve receivers.  He came to Blacksburg as a QB, but he's a really good athlete with big play ability.

D.J. Coles also has the ability to contribute on offense.  The sophomore wideout stands 6'3 and weighs 215 pounds.  He's a big guy with good speed, and when he's on the field he will see single coverage which should help his production.

2010 WR Bold Prediction

Boykin has a 1,000 yard receiving season and leads the team in receptions.  Dyrell Roberts finishes second in receiving, and shows the most improvement over the course of the season.

Offensive Line

The Hokies have three returning starters on their offensive line (Blake DeChristopher, Beau Warren and Jaymes Brooks) and have to replace Sergio Render and Ed Wang.

Tech's O-line was solid last year, but it wasn't great.  They did pave the way for a 1,000 yard rusher and gave Taylor a decent amount of time to throw the ball, but they were inconsistent when going up against strong defenses.

The production should be similar this year.  The offensive line will be led by the right tackle DeChristopher, but the Hokies have to get production from the left tackle position.

Nick Becton will be the starter throughout the season, but a turf toe injury has forced him out of the starting lineup for Boise State.  However, Becton is expected to play.

Replacing two starters isn't a big worry, and as long as they play well as a unit everything will be fine.  It would be very surprising to see the offensive line be bad.  Expect to see some penalties and missed blocks, but this year's offense has enough playmakers on the field to overcome an occasional miscue.

2010 O-Line Bold Prediction

Blake DeChristopher will be on the First Team All-ACC roster.

Defensive Line

The defensive line has a few question marks.  The one solid will be senior defensive tackle John Graves.  Graves has only one career sack, but he takes up space in the middle and sometimes forces teams to double team him.

The senior stands 6'3 and weighs 275 pounds.  That 275 pounds is pure muscle by the way.  This guy is a physical specimen, and the one knock on him is he doesn't weight enough.

Expect Graves to have a very good year, and if he can open up the middle of the offensive line against Boise State and everyone else in 2010 it could be a long season for the Hokies opponents.

Kwamaine Battle and Antonie Hopkins will split time at the other tackle position, and Chris Drager and Stephen Friday will be the starting defensive ends.

Drager and James Gayle have been battling for one of the defensive end position slots, but an injury has hampered Gayle.  Look for Gayle to take over the starting position if he can get healthy as the season grows old.

The wild card could be Friday.  The senior has been a career backup, mainly because Jason Worilds was in front of him.  However, Friday got a lot of time last year because of injuries to Worilds and he made the most of it.  He recorded 3.5 sacks in limited time last year, so expect that number to rise in 2010.

2010 D-Line Bold Prediction

Friday leads the team in sacks, and this unit will surprise a lot of people with their size and athleticism.  It's up to the defensive line to make the rest of the defense more successful.

Linebackers

The linebackers technically return two starters, but will only return one for the season opener.  Lyndell Gibson and Barquell Rivers should lead this unit for most of the season, but there are a lot of younger guys pushing for playing time.

Bud Foster has been raving about sophomore linebacker Bruce Taylor.  Taylor has had a great offseason, and he will start in place of the injured Rivers against Boise State.  Foster doesn't seem the least bit concerned that Taylor will be in the starting role for this one.

Gibson started five games last season after replacing, now transferred linebacker, Jake Johnson.  Gibson showed signs of greatness, and recorded 53 total tackles.

Jon Gouveia-Wilson is replacing Cody Grimm at the whip linebacker position.  It was thought Alonzo Tweedy would be the one to replace Grimm, but the coaching staff feels more comfortable with Gouveia-Wilson's ability.

Tweedy is more physically intimidating, but Gouveia-Wilson has more of a grasp on the defense.  Both should see an extensive amount of action.

2010 Bold LB Prediction

Barquell Rivers will lead this unit when he returns from injury, and Taylor will somehow find his way into a permanent starting position before the season ends.  This unit is very athletic, and expect to see a lot of guys rotated in and out of games all year.

Defensive Back Fields

The Hokies have a lot of talent in their defensive backfield.  They will be led by the Rock, Rashad Carmichael.  Carmichael had a very good last season, and should build upon that in 2010.

Jayron Hosley will start on the other side, and everyone's excited to see what he's going to bring to the field.  Hosley is very athletic, and brings a lot of excitement to the special teams. The big question will be if Hosley can hold up on defense all year, and excel in pass coverage.

Hosley will likely be picked on early in the year with Carmichael on the other side.  Cris Hill will back up Hosley and will likely see a lot of playing time as well.

Davon Morgan and Eddie Whitley will be the starting safeties.  Morgan has the most experience of the two, but look for Whitley to have more of an impact in the defensive backfield.  Whitley has a chance to be the best player on this defense by seasons end.

2010 DB Bold Prediction

This unit will carry the Hokies defense in 2010.  Look for Carmichael and Whitley to lead the way, and look for freshman redshirt Antone Exum to have a big impact towards the end of the season.

Kickers

Virginia Tech will have to replace both their kicker and punter in 2010.  Chris Hazley has been named the starting kicker and has performed well in spring and summer workouts.

The Hokies are used to having to replace a kicker on an annual basis, but they have had stability at punter for a few years with Brent Bowden.

Brian Saunders will be the starting punter, and the senior recently earned a scholarship.

These two players are the biggest wild cards for the Hokies in 2010, and they have to play well for the Hokies to succeed.

Especially Hazley.  The senior will likely be called upon in key situations to send the Hokies ahead, or to maybe even win the game.  Until we see him in a real game situation, the jury remains out.

2010 Bold Kicking Prediction

Hazley will have a very good year, but the coaching staff will be more agressive on offense where field goal attempts may be over 47 yards or more.