A
few moves have been made on the latest Virginia Tech depth chart. Some are very
subtle, and others are not. The most noticeable is that Ike Whitaker has beaten
out Cory Holt for the backup quarterback position. The r-freshman is listed as
Sean Glennon’s primary backup on the latest depth chart. Holt, a r-sophomore
who suffered a bruised hand about a week ago that set him back, is currently
third string. In addition, Richard Graham has made a surprise move up the depth
chart at left tackle.
Graham has beaten out Aaron Brown in the job to back up Brandon Frye at left
tackle. Graham, the lowest rated offensive line recruit of the 2005 recruiting
class, is the only offensive lineman of that class to break into the two deep so
far. Because of Graham’s improvement, true freshman Aaron Brown will be able
to take a much needed redshirt year to gain strength.
R-freshman William Wall and true freshman Jason Adjepong are in a dead heat
in a battle to backup Noland Burchette at defensive end. Adjepong has been held
back slightly by shoulder injuries, but he has impressed the coaching staff
enough that he may not be redshirted.
R-freshman Robert Norris has been moved from guard to right tackle. However,
he is currently listed next to true freshman Clark Crum on the depth chart. Crum
is taking a redshirt this season.
On defense, true freshman Nekos Brown has moved up the depth chart, and he is
currently third at the mike linebacker position. He has passed r-freshman
Demetrius Taylor and r-sophomore Andrew Bowman.
TSL has now added a depth chart as a new feature. Click
here to see it. The depth chart is also linked from the "Football"
pull-down menu and left-side navigation on the Football pages.
True Freshmen Set to See Action
Five true freshmen are scheduled to dress for the season opener against
Northeastern on Saturday. Besides the aforementioned Jason Adjepong and Nekos
Brown, Kam Chancellor, Sergio Render and Stephan Virgil will also run out of the
tunnel for the first time in their careers.
Sergio Render has won the starting job at right guard. He had a leg up on the
other true freshmen. He originally enrolled last August, but he was forced to
return home to Georgia halfway through August to retake the Georgia exit exam.
He came back for the spring semester and went through spring practice, and has
established himself as a starter this August.
Cornerback Stephan Virgil also enrolled last January, giving him an
advantage. He has shown tremendous improvement in the weight room since his
arrival and appears ready to play from a physical standpoint.
Kam Chancellor came to Virginia Tech as a quarterback but was moved to
cornerback shortly after practice began. At 6-4, 217, he is a very physical
player who has been very impressive since practice began. He will serve as
Virginia Tech’s third cornerback at the beginning of the season.
Injury Update
The two biggest injuries are to backup cornerbacks Roland Minor and Jahre
Cheeseman. Minor, who was a starter last season, lost his starting job to Macho
Harris during the spring, but was still expected to be a major part of the team.
He was injured in an automobile accident at the end of July and was forced to
have wrist surgery. He is still in a cast and it could be another month before
he returns to action.
Cheeseman, a r-freshman, suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee
during the preseason. He had his knee scoped earlier in the month, and he will
miss the Northeastern game. He could return to action as early as the North
Carolina game on September 9.
The only other significant injury is r-freshman free safety Cam Martin, who
is suffering through another hernia. He missed most of spring practice because
of a hernia. He will miss the Northeastern game. Cary Wade has moved from backup
rover to backup free safety to replace him.
New Gate in Lane Stadium
Besides finishing off the West Side construction, a new gate has been added
to the East Side of Lane Stadium. The gate is located directly behind the East
Stands and will be called Gate 8. The fence in that area has been taken down,
and a pathway through the woods has been paved.
Tickets will be honored at any gate, and that includes student tickets. New
security measures will be in place for fans entering the stadium, so everyone is
being encouraged to go to the game early.
Tech Sideline is Presented By: