This week we take a closer look at TyJuan Garbutt’s return, DaShawn Crawford’s good play at defensive tackle, the Backer position, and more.

DaShawn Crawford Continues His Good Play; Garbutt Returns

Nobody wanted DaShawn Crawford out of high school, because he was a 250-pound defensive tackle.  Not many wanted him after two years at Jones County Community College, either.  After being committed to Troy for awhile, he flipped to Virginia Tech after the Hokies came in with an offer.

This was a guy who was the Defensive Player of the Year in high school in Mississippi…he was just a little bit too small to get a scholarship offer out of high school, sort of like Jack Tyler in the state of Virginia back in the day.  Some of these JUCO guys don’t need the glitz and the glamour of highly-touted high school recruits.  Some of those junior colleges probably don’t even have air conditioning in their locker rooms, and they ride buses to games like in high school.  They are just glad for the opportunity to play football.

DaShawn Crawford graded out at an 84.6 against Duke, which is his highest grade as a Hokie.  He’s at a 77.7 for the season, which is the exact number that Ricky Walker produced last season.  He’s helped make the interior of Virginia Tech’s defense a lot better.  With halfway decent depth at defensive tackle, and the always solid Rayshard Ashby at mike, Virginia Tech’s defense is a tough nut to crack up the middle.  I wish it were half as tough on the outside, particularly on the boundary, but that’s another story.

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