Virginia Tech Football Notes: Spring Game And The Linebacker Room

Virginia Tech football’s 2022 Spring Game is set for Saturday, April 16, meaning spring ball is coming to a close.

Today we’ll discuss how head coach Brent Pry is planning to utilize the scrimmage on Saturday and how the linebacker room is shaping up, with comments from Wednesday morning’s press conference.

Virginia Tech Spring Game Format

Pry has previously mentioned what he envisioned the Spring Game looking like, but he gave specific details on Wednesday.

The Hokies will split the roster into two teams, Maroon and White, and play four 12-minute quarters in Lane Stadium on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ACC Network). The first half will feature a normal clock, while the second will see a running clock.

Because it’s a televised event on the ACC Network, Pry said Tech isn’t going to show any of its cards; everything will be pretty vanilla in all three phases of the game.

“Sometimes that’s good for the players,” Pry said of not showing much on Saturday. “They can go out there and play fast and don’t have to think too much and they know ahead of time what the calls will be. Sometimes I think the fans gets frustrated. They want to see more. But in this situation, what we do do, we want to do well.”

Pry didn’t specify how the Hokies will split the roster up, but defensive coordinator Chris Marve said it’s all about balance and making the scrimmage competitive.

“You want numbers from a player’s safety standpoint to make sure it’s equitable,” Marve said. “Ultimately, whoever’s out there, whatever group, whatever jersey you have on, you want to see a team that will be absolutely competitive and in attack mode. We’ve sat down and talked about who we want where, but ultimately, when you’re on the field, you’re part of the starting 11, so it’s about getting the job done to the best of your ability.”

Sam linebackers and nickelbacks coach Shawn Quinn gave a good perspective on what the fans and coaches will see in the Spring Game. It’s a good culmination of the work that Tech has put in all winter and spring, and it’s a chance for everyone to see how all of the pieces to the puzzle mesh together in a simulated game.

“You get a chance to see, (a) How do guys interact and react in a game-like setting?” Quinn said. “And then, how do we coach them and just all the different intricacies that go along with coaching and playing in a game.  I think it’s important at some point, because you do play games. … It’s like being in a band. At some point, you’ve got to have a concert.

“When I was a head coach, I always looked at that as kind of a gauge as to where we’re going to be next year and where we’re going to be in the summer as far as how far along we are. For us, it will be a good gauge.”

Like the players, the coaching staff will also be split up. Pry and Marve will handle playcalling duties defensively for the two sides. Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen will call plays for one group, while Pry said quarterbacks coach Brad Glenn, a former offensive coordinator, will likely do the same for the other team.

The Outlook At Sam Linebacker

As Chris Coleman outlined in his preview on Tuesday, Sam linebacker is the one position that’s really up for grabs this spring in the middle of the 4-3 defense. Pry, Marve and Quinn have all described the role in a variety of ways, but Quinn put it in a unique perspective on Wednesday:

“We joked that they have to dress in a telephone booth because they have to be part Superman, part superhero,” Quinn said of the Sam linebacker spot. “They’ve got to be a DB in some regards, a linebacker in other regards. It’s a very easy position to learn from the Xs and Os in the playbook, but it’s a hard position to execute because you gotta be able to defend in space, you gotta be able to tackle in space, you gotta be able to cover.

“You gotta make a lot of plays in a lot of wide open areas, and then that guy also ends up in the box sometimes.”

J.R. Walker, Keonta Jenkins and Keli Lawson are all working at that position currently. The first two transitioned from safety, so they bring solid coverage skills with them. Lawson is a former wide receiver whom Pry said is a more natural fit defensively.

There have been position changes left and right over the past few weeks, which has made things a little more unique for Quinn. “Challenging, but in a good way,” as he said on Wednesday morning. He compared his current task to that of making a pot of gumbo – you have to make sure you have the right ingredients.

While players have moved around, it’s also a new system that they are in the middle of learning. Quinn said learning Sam linebacker isn’t difficult at all, but executing it is a different story.

“That guy’s going to blitz probably 50% of the time and then he’s going to be in coverage and then he’s going to be in the box,” Quinn said. “He’s got to kind of wear a lot of different hats. But just learning the basic angles and execution, but the guys have been great. I think they’ve picked it up really quickly.”

Pry, Marve and Quinn each had plenty of praise for Jenkins, whom Marve called “a really gifted athlete.” Marve said he’s been able to tell that Jenkins has become more confident as a football player, and Quinn noted that he has “some innate abilities that are hard to coach.”

“The more comfortable you can become as a player, in terms of what your coaches are asking you to do, the more you can play with anticipation and more of an attack mindset,” Marve said, “as opposed to reacting to everything. So he [Jenkins] is becoming more comfortable, and it’s noticeable from a coaching standpoint.”

Nickelback and Will Linebacker

The nickelback role is a more specialized position in Brent Pry’s scheme at Virginia Tech. As Chris Coleman pointed out on Wednesday, one player used to have the duties of both the Whip and Nickel in Bud Foster’s defense.

This spring, Brion Murray and D.J. Harvey are battling for the spot, and Quinn mentioned Elijah Howard is there, too. All are former cornerbacks who could slot out there if needed, and Murray (Sr.) has a few years up on Harvey (r-Fr).

Both were named Spring Ball-ERs by Marve over the last few weeks, but Harvey’s received some compliments publicly from the coaching staff.

“He’s got good man coverage skills, is a good blitzer,” Quinn said of Harvey. “You want a guy that’s not only talented but also wants to put the work in and also has the ability to say, ‘Hey, these are the things I need to improve on, how can I get better?’ So he always comes to you with a, ‘Hey, what are the things I’ve got to get better at, coach?’ He’s always looking to get an edge and get better, and you always want to coach those kind of guys, so it’s been a lot of fun.”

Harvey spoke to the media on Wednesday and said cornerbacks coach Derek Jones gave him the option of playing corner or nickel. He saw time at nickel in the Pinstripe Bowl in December, and for him, he felt like nickel was easier.

“You have more space to cover and you have a lot of routes as a DB you like to see,” Harvey said of his new role. “I feel like my skill set can take over on the inside and I can make a big impact on the defense. … Learning the nickelback role isn’t a difficult thing, it’s just moving from the outside back in. You got to just embrace it, that’s all I can really tell you.”

While that competition continues on this spring, Alan Tisdale is the veteran at Will linebacker. And though Tisdale has over 1,400 career snaps, Jaden Keller, a redshirt freshman behind him, has impressed many coaches throughout the spring. Marve referred to him as an “instinctive” player with plenty of room to grow.

“I think Jaden, one of his best qualities is he plays aggressive,” Pry said of Keller. “He plays fast. Has no regard for his body. He’s pretty reckless out there. He’s just got to learn the position. Unlike Sam, Will is the most complicated position in our scheme, with the most adjustments, so there’s a learning curve there.”