ACC Kickoff: Virginia Tech already has a turnover, losing WR Asante 

GREENSBORO, N.C. - When Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas touted redshirt freshman walk-on Charley Meyer as a player who will absolutely have an impact in this year's offense, it wasn't without reason.

A receiver above him on the depth chart is no longer on the team.

Virginia Tech confirmed Sunday that wide receiver Kevin Asante will not be on the team this year.

Asante, a 6-foot, 184-pound sophomore from Charlotte, did not appear in the team's media guide, which was handed out Sunday. No reason was given for his departure.

Asante finished the spring on the second team at flanker behind fellow sophomore Demitri Knowles. He played in two games last year, starting once, but caught only two passes for 18 yards.

Thomas hinted that changes were afoot when he talked up Meyer, a 6-foot-1, 208-pound walk-on from Richmond who redshirted last year.

"He's a workhorse," Thomas said at the ACC Football Kickoff at the Grandover Resort. "He's got a passion to be better like I've really never seen. He'll definitely play this year. And he'll be huge for us. He's the one that's going to make that receiving corps go, and they follow after him because he brings it every single day."

Leadership issues

Thomas and linebacker Jack Tyler aren't by nature the most vocal leaders on the team, but both are taking on that role this year out of necessity after Tech struggled to a 7-6 record last season, its worst in 20 years.

"I really haven't held my tongue much lately," Thomas said, noting that he's meaner this summer. "You all probably see I'm not all smiles and stuff like I used to be. I'm kind of on a mission to one thing, and that's to be better and win games, to be the best team we can possibly be."

Tyler said defensive coordinator Bud Foster came to him in the offseason to talk about leadership. Then-senior linebacker Bruce Taylor served that role last year, although that didn't hit full stride until the middle of the season, well after Tech's struggles had begun.

"I have to do that, but do that in the summer, in the spring, start it early so we can hit the ground running when we hit that first game," Tyler said.

Lofty goals

Thomas has some lofty goals this season. Specifically, he'd like to throw five or fewer interceptions and complete 62 percent of his passes.

For a player who threw 16 picks last season, tied for fourth-most nationally, and completed only 51.3 percent of his passes, some would say those goals are unreachable. Thomas and offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler don't.

"It's easy to get five interceptions and it's easy to get them quick, but you've got to have aggressive thinking," Thomas said. "You just can't sit back and try to finesse everything."

Oddball question

The strangest question Thomas and Taylor got during Sunday's portion of media days: what does football smell like?

Thomas immediately passed. "I had nothin'," he said later. "Nothin'."

Tyler managed a decent answer: "One hundred and fifty sweaty guys all packed into an elevator."

Quick hits

Thomas said Andrew Miller, who was the team's center before he broke his ankle last year, will be a guard this season. Miller practiced at guard in the spring. Junior Caleb Farris is atop the depth chart at center. ... Thomas said he has slimmed down seven pounds this offseason to 250.

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