Virginia Tech
Hokies

Virginia Tech Team Report

Updated: February 03, 2012 03:16 EST

With the school's all-time single-season rushing leader departing a year early for the National Football League and no proven depth behind him, the Hokies went looking for tailbacks in this year's recruiting class.

Operating on the philosophy of former running backs coach Billy Hite, who believed you could never have enough tailbacks, they signed five out of the 28 players they enticed to Blacksburg, setting up what could be quite a duel in preseason practice for David Wilson's successor.

Wilson rushed for 1,709 yards last year, while backup Josh Oglesby exhausted his eligibility and third-stringer Tony Gregory is a question mark after injuring his knee in the Sugar Bowl.

"It's been a while since we recruited that many," coach Frank Beamer said. "That (position) had to be a key for us. I think all these guys are competitive and they want a chance to play. They are looking forward to the challenge."

Virginia Tech also stocked up at defensive back, signing four, and in the defensive line, bringing in a half-dozen prospects. They also landed five wide receivers, including in-state product Joel Caleb, who new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer tried to flip his way at the last minute.

The class was ranked as high as 20th by rivals.com, making it one of the better recruiting hauls in the Beamer era. Given the coaching staff's history of coaching players up and above their purported talent levels, there's reason to believe the Hokies' run of 10-win seasons should continue.

"We took another step towards reaching our goals at Virginia Tech," Beamer said.

TOP OF THE CLASS

WR Joel Caleb (Clover Hill High, Midlothian, Va.) -- A high school quarterback, Caleb wants to be a wide receiver in college. At 6 feet 2 and 201 pounds, he could be similar to Jarrett Boykin, the leading receiver in Hokie history who finished with 184 receptions.

RB Trey Edmunds (Dan River High, Ringgold, Va.) -- The son of former NFL tight end Ferrell Edmunds, he rushed for 2,596 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior. He's also so good on defense that the coaching staff is talking about using him on both sides of the ball to take full advantage of his skills.

DE Ken Ekanem (Centreville High, Clifton, Va.) -- Although his stock dropped slightly after an ACL tear in December, Ekanem is a potential game-changer with his ability to get after the quarterback. Should he rehabilitate from his injury quickly enough, he could see the field this year, although the Hokies are deep on the D-line.

--CB Jayron Hosley surprised no one when he declared for the NFL draft following Tech's Sugar Bowl loss to Michigan. While he was hampered by a hamstring injury over the season's second half, Hosley was outstanding in the bowl game, defending four passes and almost intercepting two. One was overturned via a replay review, and the other was nullified for a shaky pass interference call which led to a Wolverines' touchdown. Hosley should go no later than the draft's second day.

--RB David Wilson opted to bypass his last year of eligibility and head for the NFL draft, where he's likely to be a late first-round pick. Wilson rushed for a school-record 1,709 yards in 2011, passing the 100-yard mark 10 times in 14 games. With his breakaway speed and other measurables, Wilson is sure to impress NFL scouts in their standardized testing and could fit into someone's backfield in 2012.

SPRING SNAPSHOT:

Practice begins/ends: March 28/April 21

Practice priorities: The offensive line will get plenty of attention after the graduation of four starters, including Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner Blake DeChristopher. Finding enough tailbacks to make it through the spring may be a problem as last year's top three are gone or won't be available, meaning freshman J.C. Coleman will have all the reps he can take. Other points of emphasis will be the defensive backfield, which loses Hosley and FS Eddie Whitley, and a kicking game which didn't live up to the Beamerball reputation in 2011.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think he's very detailed and he works at it." -- coach Frank Beamer on the recruiting success of his son, running backs coach Shane Beamer, who landed eight of the Hokies' 28 signees.

KEY LOSSES: Replacing David Wilson and his school-record 1,709 yards will be left to a group of freshman tailbacks, with J.C. Coleman, Trey Edmunds and Drew Harris the most likely candidates. Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale leave the program as its top two receivers of all time, although Marcus Davis, D.J. Coles and Dyrell Roberts are more than capable of replicating their production. The Hokies must also replace four offensive linemen and a pair of starters from one of the nation's top secondaries.

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2012:

QB Logan Thomas -- He'll enter the year as the ACC's second-best quarterback, behind only Clemson's Tajh Boyd, and could be a Heisman Trophy candidate if he and Tech can start strong. The question is: How will playing behind a mostly new O-line affect him? He doesn't have great lateral mobility, and pass protection could be a problem for the team.

C Andrew Miller -- As the only returning starter on the O-line, Miller must be a leader. He was mostly solid last year, although he had trouble with Clemson's interior line during two losses, and should be one of the conference's top linemen in 2012. He'll be responsible for changing blocking assignments at the scrimmage line when plays are audibled and must be able to communicate to a new group of linemen.

DE James Gayle -- He teamed with J.R. Collins to give the Hokies two ends who could apply heat to any QB. Although an ankle injury at midseason slowed him for four games, Gayle still had a good season and should be one of the ACC's top pass rushers in 2012. With experienced players throughout the front seven, he could help this be another dominant defense.

CB Kyle Fuller -- While the departed Jayron Hosley had the reputation at season's start, Fuller actually was the better player most of the year. Relying more on instincts and quickness instead of raw speed, Fuller made play after play. He also showed his versatility by switching to whip linebacker at times when a rash of injuries denuded Tech's depth at that spot and showed he could be physical against the running game.

PLAYER NOTES

--WR Dyrell Roberts (arm) will return for a fifth season after suffering a season-ending injury on Sept. 17 against Arkansas State. Roberts, one of the fastest players in program history, is expected to start and give Thomas an experienced target to go along with Davis and Coles.

--DT Kwamaine Battle (knee) probably would have won an appeal for a sixth season of eligibility after losing consecutive seasons to ACL tears, but he has opted to end his career. He became a solid rotation player in the line and could have made an NFL roster had his knees cooperated, but he got to play just two games in his last two seasons.