BLACKSBURG -- He's the No. 1 quarterback. He's regained his swagger. He's staying home at night a heck of a lot more. Shoot, he's even drawing rave reviews for his weight-room work.

There's one thing, though, that hasn't changed about Marcus Vick's Virginia Tech career: When No. 5 speaks, there's no one-on-one coverage. It's interview en masse.

Sitting at a table in front of a crowded room of reporters and television cameramen Saturday, Vick told the Hokies' Media Day gathering he's a changed young man who finally is ready to do what many thought he'd do long ago -- lead Tech's football team.

He says last year's off-the-field woes that led to him being suspended from school last fall are no longer an issue. Vick is ready to tick.

"I've grown up a lot, I've learned how to be responsible and make better decisions day by day," said Vick, younger brother of Tech icon and current Atlanta Falcons superstar QB Michael Vick.

"I've had to prove to everybody that I was responsible enough to be the starting quarterback ... that I won't be there one day and I won't even be around the next. I think I'm halfway there to gaining everyone's full confidence. After we go through a couple of games, maybe I can gain it over with all of them."

Forget about that, kid. Many say that mission is already accomplished.

"There's not a guy out here who hasn't liked what they've seen in Marcus," sophomore wideout Josh Hyman said. "This is his team now and he's ready to lead it to great things."

Folks on the outside looking for Vick on Blacksburg's streets at night had better have plenty of disposable time on their hands.

"Used to be I didn't like to sit in the house," Vick said. "I've kind of calmed down. Now, after practice I sit in the house and play video games with the guys.

Still, Vick does have to duck out of the house for milk or bread every now and then. Does he hear people talk then?

"Yeah, I've heard when I'm walking like, 'hey, there he goes!' " a grinning Vick said. "It doesn't really make me uncomfortable. I could really care less about what they're talking about why I'm walking at the same time. If I'm walking somewhere, I'm just trying to get there."

The packed room roared in laughter. Vick just hopes folks around these parts are still grinning deep into winter.

"I've been here three years and now it's time to go out and show everybody what I can do," he said.

'Macho' a quick fix?

Brandon Flowers and Theo Miller are back in the secondary fold after misdemeanor firearms charges against the two defensive backs stemming from an incident in a parking lot on the Tech campus last month were dropped by the alleged victim. However, the two have added competition now from freshman Victor "Macho" Harris in the battle to back up starting cornerbacks Jimmy Williams and Roland Minor.

"Macho Harris shows signs that he'll probably have a chance to play this year," secondary coach Lorenzo "Whammy" Ward said. "I'm not going to make a quick evaluation on that, but he's very quick, has good speed, he's a physical guy, he's a guy who can put his hand on the receiver from the line of scrimmage because he has such great feet. We'll see."

Beamer is not surprised at Ward's early evaluation of Harris, the Richmond native who was ranked by most services as the state's No. 1 recruit last year.

"I knew he was the real deal when I watched him at Highland Springs last year," Beamer said.

No. 7 is heaven

Tech was tabbed seventh in the country in the coaches' preseason poll released Friday. The Hokies' previous high preseason ranking in the coaches' poll was ninth in 2001. Tech coach Frank Beamer's reaction?

"I'm proud we're picked in the country's top 10 because that's where we want to be," Beamer said. "That's where we think of our program, and I hope that's what these recruits coming in here to visit think about us, that we are a top-10 team program and we belong in there with Southern Cal, Michigan, and Texas, and on and on.

"I do think we have some talented players. And I like how we've worked this summer. But I think whether we have enough talent remains to be seen."

Cavanaugh lands blow

Tech assistant coach Jim Cavanaugh takes a lot of trash from his cohorts for being the elder statesmen of Tech's staff. Well, the gray-haired veteran came out firing quickly when he was summoned to the podium by Beamer to talk about his outside linebackers.

"Normally when I go into a room, I'm the oldest guy in there," Cavanaugh said upfront. "But as long as we've got [Jim] Weaver [Tech athletic director] and Coach Beamer, I will be saved that indignity"

When someone in the crowd pointed out that Weaver wasn't laughing in response, the cagey Cavanaugh retorted: "Yeah, he needs to loosen up. He's worried about that damned stadium,' in reference to construction delays on the ongoing remodeling of Lane Stadium.