5 things to watch as Virginia Tech opens training camp
Twenty-nine days. That's how long Virginia Tech fans must wait until James Franklin's debut against VMI. While it may seem like a short period of time, Franklin and his coaching staff have plenty to do before the matchup against the Keydets.
Training camp opened Wednesday. It's expected that most every starting role is up for grabs during the practices that will lead up to the Sept. 5 opener at Lane Stadium. There are several key battles, especially in the trenches, that could shape the Hokies' season.
Here are five battles to watch as Virginia Tech opens its first training camp under Franklin.
Who's QB1?
How long is the battle for the starting quarterback role expected to last? If it were up to quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien, he'd let Ethan Grunkemeyer and Bryce Baker battle for the role up until the week of the season opener.
The expectation, though, is Grunkemeyer will claim the starting quarterback job during camp, and there's one contributing factor that outweighs everything else.
Experience.
Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer looks to pass the ball during the second quarter of the spring game at Lane Stadium.
Grunkemeyer is the only quarterback on the roster with game experience. He appeared in 11 games over his two seasons at Penn State. More importantly, his seven starts last season came against three of the Big Ten's best teams (Ohio State, Iowa and Indiana) and in a bowl game against one of the ACC's top squads (Clemson).
Plus, Grunkemeyer ended last season by throwing seven touchdown passes after his fourth and final interception. He nearly led the Nittany Lions to an upset win over Indiana, and wins followed against Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers and Clemson.
Replicating game experience is difficult to do in a practice setting. That's why Grunkemeyer is expected to have the upper hand in the battle with Baker. Baker didn't get on the field last season at North Carolina as the fourth-string quarterback, and he spent the entirety of spring as the No. 2 quarterback behind Grunkemeyer.
Baker should get his first game reps against VMI and Old Dominion (as long as the Hokies are comfortably ahead in the second half), and those reps will come in handy in case he's needed to fill in throughout the campaign.
In the trenches
It's possible center Kyle Altuner's starting spot is safe entering training camp. That might be the only position on the offensive line that is locked up as offensive line coach Matt Moore has plenty of options to consider when identifying the starting unit, primary backups and development unit.
Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland, who missed the spring practices, is projected to start at left tackle thanks to his 18 appearances (eight starts at left tackle and one start at right tackle) over his three seasons with the Sooners.
Montavious Cunningham and Johnny Garrett both have starting experience. Camp will determine whether they line up at tackle or guard. If they join the guard rotation, that adds to the returning experience of Layth Ghannam and Brody Meadows. And the Hokies are excited about redshirt freshmen Michael Troutman III and Gavin Crawford at guard. Franklin even mentioned Troutman could factor into the two-deep at guard, and that depth could allow Cunningham to continue working at tackle after he spent the spring getting reps at right tackle.
The depth at tackle is considerably better entering this season. If Howland and Cunningham open camp as the starting tackles, Moore will have Aidan Lynch, Justin Terry (Ohio State) and Justin Bell (Michigan State) as the backups.
Defensive tackle rotation
Kemari Copeland received plenty of offseason fanfare after being named to the All-ACC preseason team and setting the program's bench press record at 510 pounds. He also was named to the watch lists for the Outland Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Tuesday. Not bad standards for the Hokies' top returning defensive tackle.
Virginia Tech defensive lineman Kemari Copeland was the Hokies' only representative on the All-ACC preseason football team that was released July 29.
There are question marks behind Copeland.
For starters, how will Elhadj Fall perform after playing at defensive end last season? The 6-foot-3 Fall has bulked up from 288 pounds to 301 pounds to play inside, and the hope is his quickness can create problems for opposing guards to block.
Emmett Laws was expected to factor into the rotation. Defensive coordinator Brent Pry told reporters over the summer that his injury is a "more challenging situation," which means the Hokies could be without one of their top interior defensive linemen.
Eric Mensah and Randy Adirika have the chance to solidify their spots in the rotation during camp. Same for Andrew Hanchuk, Gerard Johnson and Christian Evans. Injuries have prevented Hanchuk from getting onto the field, while Johnson and Evans have limited experience.
Third receiver
Ayden Greene and Que'Sean Brown are the Hokies' top two receivers. Both are solid outside options, and Brown has the skill set to line up in the slot.
Who is the third option? That will be determined in camp. Franklin told reporters at ACC football media days that the goal is to identify whether that third option is an outside receiver or slot receiver. Brown's versatility allows the coaching staff to be deliberate in finding that third option.
Louisiana Tech transfer Marlion Jackson has the experience to be the option on the outside. Same with Takye Heath in the slot. Youngsters Tyseer Denmark and Shamarius Peterkin can make an impact this season. And wide receivers coach Fontel Mines expects Chanz Wiggins and Keylen Adams to return from injuries.
There are options for the third receiver. It'll be up to one of the many on the roster to step up and seize the opportunity in camp.
Who's at nickel?
The nickelback is expected to play a big role in Pry's defensive scheme, especially when the Hokies face teams that go to three- and four-wide receiver looks and an extra defensive back is needed on the field.
Isaiah Brown-Murray figures to be the leading candidate to play at nickel. He has experience guarding slot receivers during his time at East Carolina, and he's physical enough to jam those receivers and win one-on-one battles.
If Brown-Murray slides into the nickel role, the Hokies are in a good spot at outside corner.
Troy transfer Jaquez White and Joshua Clarke are projected as the top cornerback options. Both shined in the spring, and Pry told reporters that White should be close to 100% when the season begins.
UConn transfer Cam Chadwick and Thomas Williams are the other options at outside receiver.
Kenny Woseley and Jojo Crim could factor in at nickelback.
Damien Sordelett (540) 981-3124
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