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?

Why Florida State and Miami Fans are Garbage

This is how empty Doak could be against Miami on Labor Day (just kidding...but seriously).

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the big grudge match between the Canes and Seminoles is not selling out, and isn’t even close to doing so in the near future. How is it that one of the country’s “best” rivalries can’t even manage to draw 80,000 plus people to Doak Campbell Stadium for a primetime matchup on national television? Because their fans collectively suck…that’s how. For two programs that have succeeded more than most others nationally over the last 25 years, their fans don’t do very much to support their teams. Andrew Carter offered a few reasons (read: excuses) why the game is not sold out to this point, and I felt it necessary to offer my opinion (argument against) each of them.

Reason No. 5: Florida State-Miami is more of a national rivalry than a local rivalry.

The rivalry might be impassioned on the field because there are a lot of Florida guys playing on each team and there is some bad blood between the two. However, fans have to make a rivalry as well. This is college football folks, and fans make it more fun than anything else. By saying that FSU-Miami is a national rivalry is to say that they both have bandwagon fans that latched onto their success in the ‘80s and ‘90s, without any loyalty of affiliation with the universities whatsoever. It’s like my friends that like the Patriots or the Lakers and always have some sort of BS excuse why they’re justified in being fans of those teams. The reason those guys have fans is because they win, not because there is any sort of loyalty there…we’ll see that arise again further down the list. People also argue that this still draws huge ratings no matter when it’s played, but I believe that’s at least partially due to schadenfreude. People tune in nationally to see what kind of train wreck kicker Bowden will send out to lose the game or to see whether or not Miami players will start a brawl…not because they care at all about either team or even who wins.

Reason No. 4: The economy is still bad.

You’ve got to be freaking kidding me with this one. If football fans care about their teams, they tend to find enough dough to go and check them out live, and if not, your 40,000 students should at least help the problem a little. You have teams in poorer areas of the country packing stadiums for lesser rivalries, and it’s a non-issue. Florida State-Miami should sell out regardless of the economic climate if the rivalry is such a big deal.

Reason No. 3: Tallahassee is remote enough – but seems more so for a weekday night game.

Yes, Monday isn’t ideal for fans, especially with work on Tuesday morning. Thursday is much better because people are more likely to take a Friday off…however, either way, I don’t believe it’s asking too much for a rivalry that’s supposed to be fierce. I would argue that over 70% of the Hokie alumni base resides in either the DC area or Richmond/Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach, which puts them at least three hours away (but usually 4+). Most of those people cannot just leave work on Thursday afternoon and get to the night game on time, so they have to deal with taking two days off, and somehow Lane is always wilder on Thursdays. Also, if you want to compare boring I-10 and eighteen-wheeler-filled I-81 at night, I don’t think either is a picnic for fans to navigate. There are plenty of schools in the “middle of nowhere” that don’t have trouble putting butts in seats.

Reason No. 2: Doak Campbell Stadium is too big.

Bull. For a team that spent the ‘90s and early ‘00s in the top 5 (and winning conference championships EVERY season), 80,000 seats should be no trouble to fill up. Their alumni base is large (considering their enrollment) and less-storied programs fill up bigger stadiums for lesser games.

Reason No. 1: Florida State isn’t back. Not yet.

So you don’t show up because your team wins at least eight games a season with the second-winningest coach in college football? For a program that has supposedly elite talent and great tradition. If you don’t come to games because your team isn’t in the national championship every season, go burn your Seminole/Cane gear right now. It’s not called having high standards; it’s called being a bandwagon fan. No team in the history of anything has won a championship (or played for one) every year of its existence, and to think that they should is not only extremely arrogant, but ignorant. At the very least, show up to boo what you consider to be poor effort/performance out on the field. Show your disapproval as a fan to get some change into the program. If that was the philosophy of the other 118 schools in the country, college football never make any money and wouldn’t exist in the state it does today.

FSU and Miami fans try to throw out the “there’s nothing to do in Blacksburg” argument in Hokie fans’ faces on this one, and that’s also complete bullshit. If you put the same fans and same program in Miami, the stadium would still be packed, because we have a legitimate alumni/fanbase that cares about the school and the program. I’ll give FSU fans a little more credit in not being ignorant when it comes to arguments with other programs (and FSU has owned the Hokies for the last 40 years), but to say that either FSU or Miami is a better program that Virginia Tech RIGHT NOW is a joke, and their fans indicate that with their poor attendance. Show up to some games and then come talk to me guys. Until then, your schools, your programs and your “rivalry” are all jokes.