If the Offensive line looks a bit thin and inexperienced, the Defensive Line squad is exactly the opposite. J.C. Price has, again, quietly and efficiently built a unit worthy of the status of a Virginia Tech Defense.
It’s a Virginia Crew, That’s for Sure
If you are looking for the return of regional recruiting, it’s looking a whole lot like Virginia Tech might just be making a comeback in popularity – at least from the defensive line perspective anyway. Of the 21 players listed on the D-Line (6 more than the O-Line) 11 are from somewhere
in Virginia, and that is not necessarily all 757 players, either. What’s really interesting is that the representation is pretty balanced between regions. There are players from Richmond/Chesterfield (Petersburg), NOVA, and Crozet (Waynesboro/Charlottesville) of all places.
That’s a healthy change in the recruiting footprint because Tech’s old recruiting territories often skipped over NOVA for many years. Of course, many players in those districts tend to look to programs north and west of NOVA, like Penn State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh… etc. There have been successful Hokies from the counties forming the base of the DC Metro area, but it’s been a struggle to get them interested and participating.
This is Line is a Portal Plus
The big news is that over the past two or three seasons, the quality of the transfer participation in the Hokies football program has been pure gold for the defensive line. The worries about experience leaving after last season have pretty much evaporated. It’s really interesting to note that of the 9 players at the end of their eligibility Grad Student down to true Senior, only Defensive End Keyshawn Burgos is a 4-year Virginia Tech player. Everyone else is a transfer from somewhere and those origins are often pretty impressive.
Any way you slice it, the Hokies -if you count the base formation of 2 Tackles and 2 Defensive Ends/Edge Rushers, the Hokies have managed to glue together a starting roster that is 5 deep plus 1. Of course, unless they are dominant monsters on the practice field the three true Freshmen are likely to redshirt. There are a few redshirt sophomores that might see the field, especially the faster players who could get down the field on special teams.
The good news is that the #1s, #2s and at least some of the #3s will be capable of taking the field as subs, or defensive package players and there won’t be an appreciable falloff in capability.
| Number | Name | Position | Class | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | James Djonkam | Defensive End | Graduate Student | 6-2 | 258 lbs | Springfield VA | West Springfield | Eastern Michigan |
| 97 | Immanuel Hickman Sr. | Defensive Tackle | Graduate Student | 6-3 | 307 lbs | Chesterfield VA | Matoaca | South Florida |
| 22 | Kelvin Gilliam Jr. | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Senior | 6-3 | 295 lbs | Richmond VA | Highland Springs | Oklahoma |
| 33 | Ben Bell | Defensive End | Redshirt Senior | 6-1 | 235 lbs | Cedar Park TX | Cedar Park | Texas State |
| 57 | James Jennette | Defensive End | Redshirt Senior | 6-4 | 228 lbs | Durham NC | Jordan | William & Mary |
| 94 | Elhadj Fall | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Senior | 6-3 | 288 lbs | Marietta GA | Osborne | Georgia Southern |
| 2 | Keyshawn Burgos | Defensive End | Senior | 6-5 | 260 lbs | Chesterfield VA | Matoaca | |
| 92 | Arias Nash | Defensive End | Senior | 6-0 | 278 lbs | Charlotte NC | Stuart Cramer | Mercer |
| 98 | Kody Huisman | Defensive Tackle | Senior | 6-4 | 297 lbs | Pella IA | Pella | North Dakota State |
| 13 | Kemari Copeland | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Junior | 6-3 | 283 lbs | Virginia Beach VA | Floyd E. Kellam | Iowa Western C.C. |
| 31 | Jason Abbey | Defensive End | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-3 | 248 lbs | Richmond VA | Douglas S. Freeman | |
| 42 | Aycen Stevens | Defensive End | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-5 | 251 lbs | Indianapolis IN | Decatur Central | |
| 54 | Grant Karczewski | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-8 | 288 lbs | Crozet VA | Western Albemarle | |
| 72 | Jahzari Priester | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-5 | 312 lbs | Chesapeake VA | Western Branch | Hampton |
| 32 | Deric Dandy | Defensive End | Redshirt Freshman | 6-4 | 256 lbs | Mount Airy NC | Mount Airy | |
| 55 | Gerard Johnson | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Freshman | 6-4 | 282 lbs | Virginia Beach VA | Frank W. Cox | |
| 90 | Andrew Hanchuk | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Freshman | 6-5 | 285 lbs | Berea OH | Berea-Midpark | |
| 99 | Emmett Laws | Defensive Tackle | Redshirt Freshman | 6-0 | 293 lbs | Elkton MD | DeMatha Catholic | |
| 58 | Zeke Chinwike | Defensive End | Freshman | 6-5 | 246 lbs | Virginia Beach VA | Green Run | |
| 88 | Christian Evans | Defensive Tackle | Freshman | 6-2 | 290 lbs | Leesburg VA | Stone Bridge | |
| 52 | Sherrod Henderson | Defensive End | Freshman | 6-2 | 226 lbs | Rocky Point NC | Heide Trask |
There Should be Lots of ‘Or’s in the Depth Chart
If you break down the possible starters for this particular roster squad, there are a whole lot of #1’s to sprinkle around. It’s presumed that many of the Graduate and Senior transfers will be the starters, and if J.C. Price continues his methodology from the last several seasons, any number of DT’s and DE’s could be starting a game. It’s all going to be dependent on the base package that is being fielded by Price and the new DC Sam Siefkes. With Siefkes running the Defense without being a position coach in parallel, it’s going to be interesting to see how he leverages the depth of starting talent that he has.
We know that Kelvin Gilliam Jr is attracting attention at Tackle and, as well as Kemari Copeland. Defensive ends underclassman Aycen Stevens and Senior Arias Nash are going to compete for starts and snaps with Keyshawn Burgos. In all though, Price and Siefkes are going to have a really complete 2-deep, and perhaps even a complete 3-deep roster to pick and choose from.
There have been little flashes of light on the information front as to who might be favored when, but we all know that the coaching staff, though more open than prior regimes, is still prone to giving coach-talk answers right up until the depth chart is published before the first game.
This roster list means that we could also be seeing quite a few ‘or’s listed in the chart. That’s actually a very good thing to have this Defensive Line is arguably the best and most complete unit on the team with the best quality starters, backups, and potential secondary backups.
Getting Stops
Depth is a really nice thing to have, but there will need to be 12 (and hopefully 13) games of total kickoff to final whistle effectiveness for this defense, and the line is going to be a critical part of that. Last season the Defensive Line was impressive, but it had its issues. Every game there was at least one, if not two critical drives where the unit could not close out a good series and get a stop. Either pressure let up on the quarterback, or someone would blow rush lane discipline and lose contain on a QB to give up a critical 1st down on 3rd and long.
The Tackles will need to concentrate on getting consistent a positive 2-yard pressure zone into the opponents’ backfields. Often times last season, the Line was getting run stops but allowing for a consistent 2 or 3 yards, and on 3rd or 4th and very short that was always a first down.
Getting the offensive line rocked back, and the holes stuffed up, consistently without breakdowns on runs will be primary needs, but the pass rush will need to be much more disciplined. There will need to be some sort of A-gap stopper in place to keep mobile QBs from squirting through that gap for drive extending yardage. There will also need to be something that Tech hasn’t really had for a few seasons, and that’s consistent A-Gap control. Stopping the Read/Option means not allowing the zone scheme to create air space in that gap for either a QB or HB blast to make it through to the second level with no opposition.
With a very unknown offensive capability from personnel to play calling, it’s going to be critical for the defense to hold the scoring to a minimum. This isn’t the Big XII or the old PAC 12. This defense will have to start from the defensive line getting natural pressure on the quarterback and snuffing the run.
If that sounds familiar, so be it. It’s always true. The line also must really keep control over the situation and themselves. Mistakes, both penalties and blown assignments will always kill the potential of a critical stop.
The good thing is that this line looks like it just might rise to that challenge.
