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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Virginia Tech
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Changa Hodge went eight straight games to start his Virginia Tech career without a catch. That wasn't an experience Hodge was very used to. The Villanova transfer had at least one reception in 30 of the 32 games he played at the FCS level. He had more ya rds in his second career game as a true freshman in 2016 than he did all last season. Hodge's three catches for 25 yards was a far cry from the breakout year he had in 2019 when he tied for No. 14 in the FCS with 1,118 yards, but Tech's coaching staff di dn't give his lack of production much consideration when making roster decisions in December.Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen and wide receivers Jafar Williams asked Hodge to come back as a super senior and take advantage of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted. They were impressed with the way he handled himself in the face of some significant adversity and had the talent to play a significant role in the offense this fall. "He got here late, to camp, about halfway through camp, th en had a hamstring and then had COVID, and it was like one thing after the next," Williams said, in March. "So he never really got a chance to catch his breath." By the time Hodge was cleared to fully practice, the team was so focused on game prep that h e didn't get much to learn the offense and different techniques specific to Tech's offensive scheme. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022  WR Changa Hodge, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Tech still plans to rely on a deep rotation on the defensive line, so the Hokies will really be three deep at both defensive end and tackle. Barno had a breakout season last year, and the coaching staff doesn't believe he's reached anywhere near his ceil ing. He would make for a strong first team pairing with Belmar, one of Tech's super seniors who opted to take advantage of the free year of eligibility. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022 OLB Amare Barno, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Virginia Tech receiver Jaden Payoute's spring camp was short-lived. Tech coach Justin Fuente announced Payoute would miss the rest of the spring after he underwent an additional surgical procedure on the season-ending leg injury he suffered in fall camp. The training staff recommended the receiver go through with the surgery after he participated in Tech's first spring practice on March 16. The Hokies are scheduled to practice three times a week for five weeks this spring. "I have an update on Jaden Pay oute, he practiced in the first practice and we really felt it was best that he get the remaining plate from his foot or leg," Fuente said. "He will be out the rest of the spring recovering and be ready to go, full go, come fall camp." The 6-foot-1, 210 pounder was a four-star signee in Tech's 2019 signing class. He redshirted that year after playing in four games. Fuente had high expectations for Payoute going into last fall before he suffered the leg injury. - Roanoke Times
rJr/2024 WR Jaden Payoute, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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There have been some awkward moments at the NFL Draft when players invited to the event had extended stays in the green room waiting for their name to be called. Former Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley is confident he won't join that list. Farley ac cepted an invite to this year's draft earlier in the week within days of having back surgery. The defender's latest injury setback prevented him from working out in front of scouts in Blacksburg at Tech's pro day. It was supposed to be a big moment for F arley since he opted out last fall. He anticipated wowing scouts with his testing numbers (particularly in the 40-yard dash) and lessening doubts about his football readiness in the position drills. He was a spectator on Friday instead, but that didn't i mpact the cornerback's confidence. "If a team wants the best corner in the draft they will come and find me," Farley said. - Roanoke Times
rJr/2021  CB *Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Perhaps there is no Marshall football player who can take advantage of the "fresh start" philosophy of first-year Thundering Herd coach Charles Huff more than quarterback Grant Wells. For Wells, his first season as the Herd's starting quarterback could n ot have featured a higher peak or a lower valley. Wells ended the 2020 season as the All-Conference USA first-team selection at quarterback, but from a team standpoint it was a disappointing finish after one of the best starts to a season in program hist ory. With a new coach on board, Wells has to again prove himself as the team's starting quarterback during the important spring practice sessions."There's a lot of guys in that boat," Marshall offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said. "This is their first true spring ball where they are able to compete and prove to Coach Huff what they can do on the football field." Wells was thrust into the Herd's starting role just six weeks before the 2020 season was set to begin after the exit of Isaiah Green, and Wells took the opportunity and ran with it, leading Marshall to a 7-0 record and No. 15 national ranking. At the time, there was even dark horse Heisman Trophy talk, and comparisons to other Marshall greats started raining down on the Charleston nati ve. Almost as quickly as those statements were made, they vanished. Wells struggled mightily over the last three weeks of the season, which led to the Herd ending the year on a three-game skid. - Charleston Gazette
rSr/2024 QB Grant Wells, Virginia Tech
News Source: Charleston Gazette
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Projected first-round pick Christian Darrisaw won't be running the 40-yard dash on Friday. Darrisaw told The Roanoke Times on Tuesday he won't be participating in the majority of tests draft prospects are asked to do at NFL combine, and will stick to pos ition drills later this week when scouts and other league personnel travel to Blacksburg. "Looking like position work only right now, still playing it by ear on the bench," Darrisaw said. "[40-yard dash] That's out the window." Top draft prospects normal ly are put through a series of tests including the 40, shuttle run, three-cone drill, vertical jump, broad jump and bench press at the annual combine in Indianapolis.The NFL canceled the traditional combine this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pa ndemic and shifted testing and skill evaluations to the player's pro day. The timing didn't work out for Darrisaw, who had surgery on a core muscle injury in early January. "It was close," Darrisaw said on Tuesday. Darrisaw spent the last nine weeks trai ning at the EXOS facility in Pensacola, Florida, and spent the majority of his time rehabbing an injury that was discovered by a precautionary MRI in December. - Roanoke Times
rJr/2021 OT *Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Virginia Tech running backs coach Adam Lechtenberg had simple advice for Raheem Blackshear when they reviewed film of the 2020 season before the start of spring practice. "Slow down," Lechtenberg said. That might seem counterintuitive considering Blacksh ear relied on his athleticism and 4.4 speed to become an immediate contributor for Rutgers in 2017 as a true freshman, but Lechtenberg made his point during those film sessions. "I was missing a lot of open gaps," Blackshear said. "I was like hitting a l ot of stuff too fast. So as a player I was really not afraid of making my reads correctly. So by me slowing down, now I've got a chance to make my reads and make my right cuts."Blackshear built his offseason training program around Lechtenberg's r ecommendation, and believes it's already paid off through four spring practices. The 5-foot-9, 194-pounder has shown improved (and slower) footwork amidst a crowded competition for playing time in Tech's backfield. The Hokies opened spring with eight sch olarship running backs on the roster competing to replace Khalil Herbert, the program's first 1,000-yard rusher in a decade, and even more on the way (four freshman backs are enrolling this summer). "I feel like it's going to be big and I'm going to take advantage of it," Blackshear said, of spring camp. "I finally get a chance to learn the program and learn like everything, so I feel like this is going to be a big 15 practices for me." - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022 RB Raheem Blackshear, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Virginia Tech co-defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck is excited to see what Amare Barno does for an encore. Barno was an immediate playmaker for the Hokies last fall at defensive end, a position that Teerlinck joked he had been at "for all of 10 minutes. " The junior college transfer came to Blacksburg as an outside linebacker and redshirted in 2019. He wowed coaches with the plays he made in practice and in a few brief appearances late in the season on special teams.Tech coach Justin Fuente and d efensive coordinator Justin Hamilton thought the fastest way to get Barno on the field last season would be to shift him over to defensive end, and that was very much the case. Barno moved into the starting lineup midway through the season, and ended up leading the ACC with 16 tackles for loss (the most for a Tech defensive lineman since Woody Baron in 2016). "I knew the kid had a chance, I knew he was going to make plays," Teerlinck said on Wednesday. "How fast he made them? Might have surprised me a l ittle bit." Teerlinck had good reason to be surprised. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022 OLB Amare Barno, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Dax Hollifield is likely the next man up in the middle of Tech's defense. He has 182 career tackles (70 solo) with 14.5 for a loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions. He's a proven playmaker and now gets the chance to play the positio n he was recruited at. That opens up the full-time job on the outside for Alan Tisdale, who has come off the bench for much of his career. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2023 ILB Dax Hollifield, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Villanova grad transfer Changa Hodge was one of six super seniors who took advantage of the extra year of eligibility from the NCAA. Hodge arrived in Blacksburg coming off a spectacular junior season with 65 receptions for 1,118 yards and 13 touchdowns. Hodge never really got an opportunity to showcase his pass catching skills after getting a delayed start in the fall from signing late and going through COVID-19 protocols. He played 142 offensive snaps and was only targeted six times (five of those came in the last two games). The coaching staff encouraged Hodge to come back and are optimistic that his slight uptick in production at the end of the season was a sign of things to come for 2021. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022 WR Changa Hodge, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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Virginia Tech fans witnessed a string of high-profile departures from the team in December. Starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw announced he was leaving early for the NFL, defensive stalwarts Rayshard Ashby and Jarrod Hewitt opted to pass on the COVI D-related extra year of eligibility from the NCAA and multiple starters transferred. Fans grew increasingly anxious about what starting tight end James Mitchell was going to do as they counted down the days to 2021. Mitchell posted a video on social medi a to announce he was coming back on Dec. 29, but told reporters on Tuesday that he had already made up his mind a week earlier.Mitchell said it was a pretty straight forward process that started with putting his name into the NFL college advisory committee for feedback. He also sat down with his family and had multiple meetings with various Tech coaches from head coach Justin Fuente to defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck, who has maintained strong ties with NFL personnel. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022 TE James Mitchell, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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This week was one in which normalcy was expected for first-year Marshall head coach Charles Huff. Huff finally got his staff finalized and capped off National Signing Day, and had his sights set toward preparation for spring ball. As has been the case fo r nearly 11 months, though, COVID-19 made sure normalcy was an afterthought. Marshall has indefinitely suspended its 2021 offseason workouts due to COVID-19 positives within the program and subsequent contact tracing. It puts a halt to the offseason prog ram of new strength and conditioning coach Ben Ashford. - Charleston Gazette
rSr/2024 QB Grant Wells, Virginia Tech
News Source: Charleston Gazette
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Suspended Virginia Tech defender Devon Hunter's case is moving forward. A trial is set in Montgomery County Circuit Court for Aug. 30-31, according to his attorney Patrick Kenney. Kenney declined to comment on the case. A grand jury in January indicted H unter on a felony charge of strangulation to cause wound or injury. Hunter is also facing a separate misdemeanor assault and battery of a family member charge, but that's considered an ancillary misdemeanor and will move forward in the same manner as the felony offense. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022 SS Devon Hunter, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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On Sunday, Marshall University issued a release officially announcing Alabama associate head coach/running backs coach Charles Huff as the school's next head football coach. Marshall President Jerome Gilbert issued a statement in a release. "This is an e xciting day for Marshall University football and I can't wait for Coach Huff to get here," Gilbert said. "He is going to energize the Herd fanbase and I know folks are going to love him and his style of football." Marshall's Board of Governors has an eme rgency meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday to approve Huff's contract. Gilbert offered Huff the job after the university's search committee concluded its interview process on Friday. That search was led by Marshall Athletic Director Mike Hamrick. - Ch arleston Gazette
rSr/2024 QB Grant Wells, Virginia Tech
News Source: Charleston Gazette
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Virginia Tech center Brock Hoffman announced he will be back with the Hokies for the 2021 season on Friday night. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Hoffman spent the last few weeks evaluating the feedback and projections he received f rom NFL scouts. Hoffman had scouts tell him he could go as early as the third round in this year's draft while others weren't quite optimistic and gave him a day three grade. He also put in for feedback from the official NFL draft advisory committee, but their evaluation is limited to first round, second round and return to school. - Roanoke Times
rSr/2022 C Brock Hoffman, Virginia Tech
News Source: Roanoke Times
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