Today we’ll roll on with our positional looks at Virginia Tech football in the spring of 2021.  The Hokies are approximately two-thirds of the way through spring ball, and today we’ll take a look at some topics covering the defensive line.

Special Situation Lineups

I think Virginia Tech has enough quality defensive linemen with enough unique skillsets that we could see some specialty roles created.  Specialty roles could be dependent on down and distance, or they could vary based on the strengths and weaknesses of each opponent.

This applies more at defensive tackle than defensive end.  I think Tech has a bit more variety of talent at tackle than end.

Let me give a couple of different examples.  First, let’s say it’s third and two, you need to get a stop, and you are facing a power running team (such as Pitt in most years).  Small, quick defensive tackles may not be the best option in those situations.  In that scenario, a guy like Norell Pollard would come off the field, and he would be replaced by a bigger player such as Josh Fuga, or perhaps even Jaden Cunningham.

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