New graduate transfer Justus Reed (DE, #4) is listed at 6-3, 270, which puts him in that James Gayle/Vinny Mihota range, which has been the exception lately for Hokie defensive ends. Unusually for a coveted defensive end, Reed lined up exclusively on the left side last year, away from the blindside of most quarterbacks. Left-side DEs generally lean towards the side of run-stuffer, but Reed banked 12.5 sacks (twelve solo and one assist) last year, good for fourth in the FCS.

Also unusual for current players in general, he graduated from high school way back in 2014. A spate of injuries over the years, including an Achilles tear in 2018, granted him two hardship years to go along with a redshirt year. This past season was the first full season he’s played in all those years.

Reed comes to Tech from Youngstown State, where he was coached by the Pelini brothers. Fans might not care for their antics, but Bo and Carl have a reputation for demanding that their players understand the game and play with discipline. Though the Pelinis’ 4-3 base is different from what Tech will run and has almost entirely different verbiage, it’s still a single-gap scheme predicated on defenders precisely spilling and filling against runs. Before YSU, Reed played for the Gators, first in Will Muschamp’s take on the Belichick/Saban 3-4, and then in Geoff Collins’ scheme (also a 4-3 scheme) in the short-lived McElwain era.

Figuring out how good an FCS defender is can be tricky. Offensive players can make great throws, and catches are self-evaluating, but just about every good play made by a defender can be questioned because of the quality of opponent across from him. Youngstown State didn’t play any FBS squads last year, which doubles-down on the issue. The good news out of this is that he played in one of the best FCS conferences in the country.

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