College Football 2011: Virginia Tech Is More Experienced Than People Realized

Many people cite Virginia Tech’s lack of experience and easy schedule when talking about the Hokies.

The schedule is, at least in the preseason, very easy but the thing that people get wrong is the lack of experience.

Virginia Tech returns four of its offensive linemen, every receiver who made a significant contribution in 2010 and running back David Wilson who has been hidden on a national scale behind Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. Wilson won’t be hidden for long.

Tyrod Taylor has graduated and moved onto the NFL but his replacement Logan Thomas has been one of the most hyped new starting quarterbacks in the country.

But defensively is where many of the questions lie and where many of the rumors need to be dispelled, starting on the defensive line.

James Gayle and J.R. Collins move into the starting roles this season replacing Stephen Friday and Chris Drager who moved back to his original position of tight end.

But both Gayle and Collins got more sacks than Drager did all of last season in limited playing time and Gayle has been nothing short of amazing this offseason.

Defensive tackle Antoine Hopkins will now play with his brother Derrick Hopkins. If any two people can play cohesively, it's guys who have been with each other their entire lives.

The linebackers were the biggest problem facing the Hokies last season as they gave up big run after big run against their best opponents. It was so bad that defensive coordinator Bud Foster had to switch from his traditional 4-3 defense to more of a nickel package which they did not practice as much.

The much maligned Lyndell Gibson opted to transfer at the end of this season and all of Hokie nation views this as a positive thing. Tariq Edwards and Telvion Clark have both continued to impress and Clark has come on strong as of late.

But perhaps the biggest change came from within the all-important whip linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow. Foster publicly criticized the linebackers throughout the year but none more so than “G.W.”

He’s turned a corner this spring and is beating Alonzo Tweedy for the starting job and Tweedy runs a 4.33 40 yard dash.

Rashad Carmichael and Davon Morgan have both graduated, giving way to Kyle Fuller who had 32 tackles last season and is the next in line of great cornerbacks out of Virginia Tech and Antone Exum who as a true freshman played the nickelback position and tied for sixth on the team in total tackles.

The low teens is exactly where Virginia Tech should be with a new, completely unproven under pressure quarterback but the rest of the team has the experience and talent to take an easy schedule and run with it.