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Virginia Tech sophomore Jake Johnson began the 2009 season as a starting linebacker, but struggled to read offenses and blew several assignments that eventually led to diminished playing time in favor of redshirt freshman Lyndell Gibson. Gibson started five games last season including the last four. In lieu of Gibson’s performance, defensive coordinator Bud Foster recently met with Johnson to talk about moving to defensive end beginning with the spring 2010 practice schedule, which begins March 31.

“I told Coach Foster that I’ll do whatever’s best for the team,” Johnson told BeamerBall.com.

Johnson is 6-1 and 231 pounds, which is the perfect size for a Virginia Tech defensive end (see Corey Moore, Darryl Tapp and Jason Worilds). The rising junior Fredericksburg, Va., is a very physical player that loves contact and plays with a great deal of intensity, though he needs to learn to reign in that intensity and focus it a little better. We love Jake here at VTHF and think that if he can make the transition from backer to end, he could do some serious damage against opposing offenses next season.

Tech’s defense is going to look very different next season compare to last. The Hokies lost several defensive players who started at some point in 2009: Jason Worilds, Nekos Brown, Stephan Virgil, Dorian Porch, Cordarrow Thompson, Kam Chancellor and perhaps the biggest loss, Cody Grimm, who was the heart and soul of that defense.

Johnson’s move to defensive end could mean that Foster is comfortable with Gibson as the unquestioned starter going into next season; or it could mean that losing both starting defensive ends, Brown and Worilds, has left the Hokies with a serious experience issue at that position. Our guess is that it’s a combination of both, but more the latter than the former.

Defensive end is a huge concern for Foster right now. His starters are gone and the guys replacing them have a total of ZERO starts at the position. Rising redshirt junior Chris Drager, who switched from tight end to defensive end after last spring, and rising redshirt senior Steven Friday are the only returning ends with any experience. So moving Jake Johnson was almost a necessity.

On the current roster, there are only three defensive ends that have a jersey number. Now, the Hokies have three defensive ends coming in with the 2010 recruiting class, but only one of them, in our opinion, has a legitimate shot at seeing significant playing time next season: Zack McCray. The 6-5, 235-pound end from Forest, Va., has the size and strength to make an impact, but how quickly can he adjust to the speed of the college game and pick up on a more complex defensive scheme will determine whether he sees the field in any significant capacity.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Spring Practice Schedule

• Wed. 3/31/10 – Session 1
• Fri. 4/2/10 – Session 2
• Sat. 4/3/10 – Session 3
• Mon 4/5/10 – Session 4
• Wed. 4/7/10 – Session 5
• Fri. 4/9/10 – Session 6
• Sat. 4/10/10 – Session 7
• Mon. 4/12/10 – Session 8
• Wed. 4/14/10 – Session 9
• Fri. 4/16/10 – Session 10
• Sat. 4/17/10 – Session 11
• Mon. 4/19/10 – Session 12
• Wed. 4/21/10 – Session 13
• Fri. 4/23/10 – Session 14
• Sat. 4/24/10 – Session 15, Spring Game, 2 pm, Lane Stadium, Free Admission

Popularity: 7% [?]

From BeamerBall.com:

Super Iron Hokies (10)
Josh Call, Josh Oglesby, Joey Phillips, Kenny Younger, Marcus Davis, Tyrod Taylor, Jake Johnson, Barquell Rivers, Mark Carter, Davon Morgan

Iron Hokies (21)
Darren Evans, Zac Evans, Kenny Lewis, Ryan Williams, David Wilson, Vinston Painter, Ben Barber, Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale, DJ Coles, Nubian Peak, Patrick Terry, Logan Thomas, Andrew Hutchings, Jeff Wardach, Telvion Clark, Wiley Brown, Antone Exum, Chris Hill, James Hopper, Jacob Sykes

Hokies (17)
Jaymes Brooks, Blake Dechristopher, David Wang, Xavier Boyce, Joseph Clayton, Kwamaine Battle, John Graves, Dwight Tucker, Chris Drager, Steven Friday, James Gayle, Alonzo Tweedy, Jerome Williams, Lorenzo Williams, Rock Carmichael, Eddie Whitley, Justin Myer

Orange (16)
Matt Baldwin, Tyler Barfield, Greg Nosal, George George, Adam Dyer, Austin Fuller, Brandon Keith, Dyrell Roberts, Will Cole, Antoine Hopkins, Lyndell Gibson, Bruce Taylor, Germond Oatneal, Nick Sheehan, Jerrodd Williams, John Conlon

Maroon (2)
Lawrence Gibson
Jayron Hosely

What do all these designations mean? Check out the descriptions and requirements.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Rising redshirt junior mike linebacker Barquell Rivers earlier this week tore his quadriceps muscle. He had surgery yesterday to repair the damage. Head trainer Mike Goforth initially expected Rivers to miss 3-4 months, but the surgery revealed the injury was more severe than they first thought. Goforth now says Rivers will miss 5-6 months, which means he could return to the team as early as August.

Expect the coaching staff to push the young linebackers deeper on the depth chart a little harder this spring. While Rivers should be back in time for the start of the season, the Hokies will need some of these guys to be ready to step up if Rivers can’t go.

Popularity: 5% [?]

BeamerBall.com reported that Virginia Tech linebacker, Barquell Rivers, suffered a torn quadriceps tendon during Wedneday’s max-testing. Head Trainer Mike Goforth said the injury will require surgery and that Rivers could have that surgery as early as today (March 4). Goforth added that he expects the injury to keep Rivers sidelined for 3-4 months.

Rivers started all 13 games in 2009 as a redshirt sophomore. He is expected to hold down the starting mike linebacker spot next season, too, though he will miss spring practice, which will allow some younger LBs to try and make a name for themselves.

With the loss of Cody Grimm to graduation, Rivers was the top returning tackler for the Hokies with 96 – Grimm led the team last season with 106. You may remember Rivers’ from the Orange Bowl win over Cincinnati when he stuffed the Bearcats on a key 4th and goal late in the game that helped secure the Hokies’ Orange Bowl win. Rivers, then a redshirt freshman, only played because starting linebacker Brett Warren missed the game with an injury.

Before suffering the injury, Rivers set a new position record in the “push jerk” with 380 pounds. If all goes well, Rivers will be back over the the summer in plenty of time to get back in playing shape for the 2010 season.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Well, the 2010 football schedule is finally out and it is, in a word, meh. The Hokies play five out of conference games and the toughest game is their season opener against Boise State. Other than the Broncos, the Hokies play JMU, East Carolina and Central Michigan, all at home. And the JMU game is five days after the season opener. Overall, it’s a pretty weak schedule and if the Hokies are going to work their way into the national championship talk, they’ll need to run the table and do so in dominating fashion.

In conference, the Hokies are on the road against Boston College, N.C. State, North Carolina and Miami. Tech has Wake Forest, Duke, Georgia Tech and Virginia at home. Enough babbling, here’s the schedule:

9/6 |  vs. Boise State (8 p.m., ESPN, FedEx Field)

9/11 | vs. James Madison

9/18 | vs. East Carolina

9/25 | @ Boston College

10/2 | @ N.C. State

10/9 | vs. Central Michigan

10/16 | vs. Wake Forest

10/23 | vs. Duke

11/4 | vs. Georgia Tech

11/13 | @ North Carolina

11/20 | @ Miami

11/27 | vs. Virginia

What are your thoughts on the 2010 schedule? Any concerns? Predictions? Click here for more information about the ACC 2010 Football Schedules.

Popularity: 33% [?]

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Jim Weaver announced Tuesday that Virginia Tech added James Madison University to its 2010 football schedule. The addition of the Dukes comes after the Hokies had to reschedule a 2010 game with Western Michigan so that the Broncos could accept an offer to play at Notre Dame next fall. The Hokies has pushed the Western Michigan game back to 2016.

The Hokies and Dukes are scheduled to meet at Lane Stadium/Worsham Field on Sept. 11, 2010. It will mark the seventh football meeting between the two schools, dating back to 1980.

The last time the two teams met, the Hokies won 43-0 in Blacksburg, on Sept. 6, 2003. As you would expect, this has been a lopsided series, however, one season after their last meeting, the Dukes won the Division I-AA national championship.

In the six games since 1980, the Hokies have won all six by an average score of 40-7. The last two games have resulted in shutouts by Tech’s defense: 47-0 in 1999 and 43-0 in 2003.

Popularity: 28% [?]