Exploring the Measurables: The Hokie Defense

When looking at any major football program, size, speed and strength all matter. At Virginia Tech, Mike Gentry’s strength and conditioning program is probably the most underrated ingredient in the ongoing success of the football program. Tech consistently molds two and three star recruits into elite pro prospects, and more importantly, players that allow them to compete with the best teams in the country. Based on that, I thought it would be interesting to look at the size of each projected starter for Tech in 2009 and how they compare to the 2008 edition. What will the numbers mean for Tech’s success? Today, I’ll take a look at the defense. (Note: because I couldn’t find all the summer testing results, I had to limit it to height and weight)

2008 Defensive Line Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Orion Martin	End	6’2”	255 lbs
Cordarrow Thompson	DT	6’2”	303 lbs
John Graves	DT	6’3”	282 lbs
Jason Worilds	Stud	6’2”	254 lbs

2009 Defensive Line Projected Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Nekos Brown	End	6’2	248 lbs
Cordarrow Thompson	DT	6’2”	301 lbs
John Graves	DT	6’3”	277 lbs
Jason Worilds	Stud	6’2”	262 lbs

Defensive Line was the most stable position with regards to offseason transition. The only new starter is Nekos Brown, who has extensive playing experience (considering he’s a senior). Nekos comes in lighter than Orion Martin, but is a little more physical at the point of attack. Cordarrow Thompson and John Graves both check in lighter than their 2008 selves, which is probably a good thing, considering Cordarrow’s nickname ‘Taco’ didn’t come from his love of leafy green vegetables. Both should play a little quicker, which will help them contribute a little more on the pass rush. However, neither lost enough bulk to hurt their effectiveness against the run. Worilds has added to his frame, especially when you consider that the coaches say he was playing at about 240 due to his shoulder injury at the end of last season. That should allow him to hold up a little better at the point of attack and increase his value as a pro prospect. He’s playing at a heavier weight than Darryl Tapp, and should be more disruptive as well because he’s a little quicker.

2008 Linebacker Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Brett Warren	Mike	6’1”	237 lbs
Purnell Sturdivant	Backer	5’10”	225 lbs

2009 Linebacker Projected Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Barquell Rivers	Mike	6’0”	230 lbs
Jake Johnson	Backer	6’1”	229 lbs

Linebacker will be an interesting spot to keep an eye on in 2009 for Bud Foster’s defense. We’re looking at two guys with one and two years in the strength program replacing guys with a full four years of development under their belts. With regards to size, Sturdivant was called P-Stump for a reason. He probably wasn’t the ideal size to fill the backer position, but his tenacity and strength made up for anything he lacked in height. I’d say Johnson’s measurable are a little more favorable here, and he’s proven to be a workout warrior. However, though he holds up well against the run with his size and should match up better against bigger tight ends and backs, he lacks a bit in pass coverage. I’m projecting Cody Grimm as the starter at whip, but look for Cam Martin (6’1”, 214 lbs) to step in on passing downs quite a bit for Johnson. Martin has extensive starting experience and is really a co-no. 1 with Grimm, so his coverage skills will be valuable on passing downs. Another option here is Davon Morgan, who lost his starting job to Dorian Porch in the offseason. Rivers started the Orange Bowl in place of an injured Warren, and he’s even grown a little since. With his big goal line stop against the Bearcats, he proved that he can hold up well against the run, and he performed relatively well against the pass as well. He’s got Warren’s size with two more years to develop.

2008 Whip and Rover Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Cam Martin	Whip	6’1”	214 lbs
Davon Morgan	Rover	6’0”	196 lbs

2009 Whip and Rover Projected Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Cody Grimm	Whip	5’11”	207 lbs
Dorian Porch	Rover	5’11”	212 lbs

Grimm (son of Redskins All-Pro Russ Grimm) isn’t necessarily physically gifted, but outworks just about everyone on the team. He’s a tenacious hitter and always manages to make up for his size by being in the right place at the right time (part of that comes from his deceptive quickness). Cam Martin has the better measurable, but “lost” the starting spot simply due to injury and Grimm’s vast improvement over the last year. Porch won the starting job from Morgan this spring after starting most of 2008 in the same spot (Morgan went down with an ACL against Nebraska). Porch has a little more bulk, but Morgan has a little rangier size. Look for Morgan to get plenty of playing time with his athleticism, either spelling Porch or replacing Jake Johnson on passing downs.

2008 Corner and Safety Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Victor “Macho” Harris	Boundary Corner	6’0”	194 lbs
Stephan Virgil	Field Corner	5’11”	186 lbs
Kam Chancellor	Free Safety	6’4”	224 lbs

2009 Corner and Safety Projected Starters

Player	Position	Height	Weight
Stephan Virgil	Boundary Corner	5’11”	189 lbs
Rashad Carmichael	Field Corner	5’10”	192 lbs
Kam Chancellor	Free Safety	6’4”	226 lbs

In 2009, Virgil will shift into Macho’s Boundary role as the “shutdown” corner of the defense. He’s a little smaller than Harris but offers better speed. Carmichael is the big question mark in the group, and he’s shorter than anyone that’s played field corner since Brandon Flowers. He hasn’t lined up against elite receivers much in the past, and will be tested often. His height is a bigger concern, but his weight should allow him to play well against the run when necessary (although it’s more important in the boundary position). Chancellor is easily the most physically gifted member of the Hokie defense and projects as an NFL safety right now. His ranginess, paired with a year of starting experience at rover should be a deadly combination for quarterbacks in 2009. His height allows him to win most jump ball battles and his strength allows him to punish anyone coming across the middle. He honestly reminds me of Sean Taylor when he was at Miami.

When looking at the group overall, they fit into the typical Tech mold of defense in 2009. Both 2008 and 2009 had one 300+ pound player, but 2009 only features two guys under 200 (as opposed to three in ’08). That tells me that Gentry has developed a group of guys that are strong, but athletic, keeping most of his back seven between 210-240 and his front four between 255-280. The defense is big enough to hold up late into games, but also athletic enough to be disruptive throughout as well. What do you guys think? How does the ’08 version stack up against ’09?