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I was wading through the gazillion blogs and articles about the Hokies today and of course, I stopped on Kyle Tucker’s blog, because, well, Kyle gets paid to know stuff that the rest of us don’t. And here’s the mini-shocker of the day … highly recruiting 4-star freshman runningback Ryan Williams will likely redshirt this season if he hasn’t seen any action by the UNC game in two weeks.

For those that don’t recall, Williams decided to come here in part because the coaches told him that he’d play as a true freshman. But, according to Hite, Williams has come around to the realization that he’s not quite ready for the college game. This is really the best thing for Williams and the program. The Hokies are just loaded in the backfield this season with redshirt junior Kenny Lewis, Jr. and redshirt freshman Darren Evans having emerged as the top two RBs, followed by Josh Oglesby, another redshirt freshman, Dustin Pickle, a fifth-year senior and Jahre Cheeseman, a redshirt junior. That’s five tailbacks and we only lose one for next season, assuming the other four return. So the backfield will still be crowded in ’09. Playing Williams this year would just be a waste of eligibility.

Here’s the quick Q&A with runningbacks coach Billy Hite regarding Williams:

ON WHAT THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN LIKE LATELY BETWEEN HIM AND FRESHMAN RYAN WILLIAMS: “He and I have had quite a few talks. And Ryan understands right now … I told him if I haven’t played him by the Carolina game, and it’s going to be his decision … right now he knows he’s not ready to play. But he’s made more and more improvement. Every pass route today, he knew exactly what he was supposed to do. The protections, he’s gotten so much better at that. But again, I told him I don’t want to waste him. I could be a selfish coach and play you and not worry about wasting you for 200 plays in a season. He understands that part of it. I told him, ‘Think about it tonight.’ He came back and talked to me the next day and said, ‘I know I’m not ready to play right now.’ What he would like to do is keep working at it and see if something doesn’t happen here in the next week. If something doesn’t happen, then I think he’s set on redshirting.”

ON WILLIAMS REALIZING IT’S HARDER TO PLAY THAN HE THOUGHT: “Yeah. And I told him, I would never want you to be in a situation where something embarrassing could happen to you as a young player. I don’t want you to lose your confidence by putting you in a situation where maybe we lose the game because of something you did wrong. He understands that, and he’s really been very good about it.”

ON THERE STILL BEING A CHANCE WILLIAMS PLAYS, THOUGH: “Still a chance. After Carolina, that’s it. I won’t go after that – unless something happened and there was an explosion in the backfield. If a grenade went off, then obviously he would have to take the shirt off.”

Read more good stuff like this over at Kyle Tucker’s blog.

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From our Partner Site, VT.Fanfoc.us:

This Week on Bleeping Idiots we have a special treat for everyone as we sit down with Virginia Tech Hokies Redshirt Junior Running Back Jahre Cheeseman.

1. BleepingIdiots.com: First off tell us a bit about your injury, and the rehab process behind it. Do you feel you will be able to be back 100% and compete for the bulk of the carries this season?

Jahre Cheeseman: I broke my left fibula during a scrimmage in the spring. I been doin a lot of balance and flexibility exercise along with lifting. the agility came later this summer but are also going well. I think I will be ready for the season but i expect that we will have a two-back system once again at VT. kenny lewis is now clear to go and we are workin together to compliment each other.

Click here to read the rest of the interview.

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According to Branden Ore‘s high school football coach, the Virginia Tech runningback will file paperwork for entry into the NFL draft – though he will not hire an agent in case he decides to return to the Hokies for the 2008 season. The deadline to withdraw his name from the draft, however, is Friday, Jan. 18, so he does not have much time to make a decision.

Ore’s time at Virginia Tech has been tumultuous to say the least. He did not see much playing time during his freshman year behind Cedric Humes and he also competed with highly touted, but injury-prone George Bell. His attitude and commitment to the team was questioned by runningbacks coach Billy Hite who told Ore to get right or don’t come back.

What followed was a well-publicized, feel-good story of Ore taking the Spring 2006 semester off and working in a 7-Eleven freezer before returning to Blacksburg with a new and improved attitude. An attitude that carried him to an All ACC first team selection in 2006 behind 1,351 total yards and 16 TDs. But, when Ore returned to the team for the 2008 season, he was out of shape and his attitude apparently regressed.

Ore had one great season in which he did everything right. But, his relapse into his selfish ways is the last thing the Virginia Tech football team needs. He was given a second chance and he did not take full advantage of it. It is time to cut our losses and move on. We have about eight solid RBs coming in next season, plus Kenny Lewis Jr., and Jahre Cheeseman, so it isn’t like we will be hurting for talent in the backfield – especially considering that Ore struggled for most of the 2007 season.

Talentwise, this reminds me of Shyrone Stith back in the late 90s. His hand was forced because of his family’s financial situation, so he left Tech after his junior season to enter the 2000 NFL draft. He was a seventh-round pick by the Jaguars and played just 15 games in his short NFL career.

Obviously Ore’s hand is being forced by much different circumstances, but I believe the outcome will likely be the same in terms of his NFL career. I’m not even sure Ore would get drafted at this point based on one good season and three good games in the 2007 season. His attitude, if anything, will scare teams away, or at least it should.

Don’t get me wrong, I hope he can turn things around, but the path he’s on is clearly the wrong one.

What do you think?

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One we get past all of the obligatory I-AA upset warnings, let’s get take a look at what we can truly expect at tomorrow’s game. With no disrespect intended toward William and Mary, and assuming this game plays out as expected (a Hokie romp), what can the Hokies do in this game to get better heading into their first ACC game the following week?

Obviously you want Tyrod Taylor in the game long enough to develop a rhythm with the offense, especially the receivers, all of whom must be salivating at the possibilities now evident with a more mobile and exciting quarterback under center. At the same time, you don’t want to keep him in too long and run the risk of him getting hurt.

I fully expect the Hokie offense to come firing on all cylinders and just pound the Tribe defense (which is pretty bad statistically) into an early submission. Tyrod will probably run wild at times, picking up 20 yard gains. I think when it’s over, T-Mobile will have more than 100 yards rushing, not to mention the big numbers he’ll put up in the passing game. If he threw for 287 against Ohio, imagine what he can do against a I-AA team that went 3-8 last year. Scary.

Don’t forget Tech’s defense, which smothered the Bobcast last weekend. They might pitch a shutout in this game. And I certainly expect they will probably put up some points off turnovers.

This game should allow the coaches to get some young players some quality playing time. And I would even argue that Frank Beamer should keep Sean Glennon on the sideline. Not as punishment, but because he is graduating in December and probably won’t be back next season, so why not let Cory Holt, who will likely be back, get some quality snaps so we have another “mobile” quarterback in case … well, I’m not even going to say it. Suffice it to say that Holt is more like Tyrod in terms of the ability to escape pressure than Glennon, who, by the way, didn’t beat Holt out by much last season. Plus, from all accounts, Holt has never put himself before the team.

It makes sense to me that if the offensive line gets comfortable with how Tyrod is playing and moving around and the o-line is adjusting to his style of play, why not go with the backup QB who has a similar style, that way the o-line doesn’t have to make as many adjustments.

We’ll probably see more of Jahre Cheeseman as the backup tailback behind Ore and Kenny Lewis, Jr. Ore, who is nursing some sore ribs, probably won’t see much time in this game. What’s the point? Give him enough carries to keep him active, but don’t risk further injury right before you enter the ACC schedule. And Lewis, Jr., has been tearing it up lately! He ran wild over Ohio and showed some explosiveness and speed that I don’t think many expected to see.

This will be a good opportunity for Tyrod to mature a little more and develop some timing with the offense, but the quality of the opponent won’t do much to prepare him for the likes of Miami, Florida State, Clemson and Boston College. Then again, T-Mobile didn’t look too flustered by the LSU defense and if he doesn’t get flustered by a defense with eight legitimate NFL draft picks, then I don’t imagine there are many teams that will intimidate him.

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