Layth Ghannam’s college debut came in the final quarter against Syracuse last year. The game was well in hand with Virginia Tech taking the Orange behind the woodshed, though that didn’t dampen the freshman offensive lineman’s spirit. 

Ghannam pulled from the left tackle spot on his first snap, cleared a path for running back Bryce Duke and drove a Syracuse defender into the ground for a pancake, through the echo of the whistle and with a little extra sauce on the ground before he got up and skipped back to the huddle.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I can definitely do this. I can play with these guys,’” Ghannam said Thursday. “That really eliminated that doubt in my head.”

That’s showing up this spring. Ghannam’s still a redshirt freshman who’s only had 40 snaps in four games under his belt in college, but he’s a year older, going through his second spring and more ready to contribute than when he first enrolled last year.

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