MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) will be Virginia Tech's starter this fall, but there are concerns about what kind of shape the Hokies will be in if Taylor happens to get hurt, like he has in each of the past two seasons. Taylor says he believes it's just a matter of him playing it smart and avoiding situations where he could end up with an injury.

Q: With two redshirt freshmen next on the quarterback depth chart, does that make it more important for Tyrod Taylor to stay healthy during the season?

Taylor: "Yes, it would be. I've got to be smarter. Not taking extra hits and avoiding hits when you can ... like getting out of bounds is always good, not trying to take on a linebacker. Realizing not that he can win that battle -- but that's not the battle for you -- and get out of bounds and slide, and get to the ground, one or the other.

"I'm not injury-prone. The injuries that I've had, I really can't control those. It was me being under a pile, maybe my ankle getting twisted under a pile, but it was nothing where I was hit and I was hurt."

Q: How much has Tyrod Taylor progressed since last season?

Quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain: "Tyrod has really worked hard on his technique and foot work and making sure that he keeps that high release. He's delivering the ball quicker. For the most part, he's been very accurate throwing the ball. He understands what's going on the other side of the ball more. He's seeing things better and pulling the trigger faster. He's a special athlete. We're just trying to help him be all that he can be. And we think he can be a lot."

Q: After a big spring with lots of big plays in the two scrimmages and the spring game, is tailback Ryan Williams ready to show his stuff now?

Williams: "There's a lot to come with me, and I feel like I can make a lot more plays, and I'm ready. I owe it to the offensive line. I always tell the offensive line that all you got to do is get me past the first level [of the defense].

"In the first scrimmage where I took that 80-yarder to the house, I said that was the best feeling I had had so far. But that play right there [a 56-yard touchdown off a short screen pass in the spring game] was the best feeling I've had so far because it came in front of all these people and my mom. She hadn't really seen me play since my junior year in high school. I always find her before a game and make sure every time I score that I point to her. So just seeing her jump and getting all excited, it just made me feel like that I'm back to being me and back to being Ryan Williams."

Q: The offensive line looked more athletic and performed at a higher level in the spring than past editions. How much will added depth help the cause, especially in the second half of games?

Left tackle Ed Wang: "We're not as heavy as we were in some places, and everyone is a little more agile and faster. The depth will be good. I feel like that would help a little bit, give some people some blow when they need it. We haven't been off the field much the past couple years, so, yeah, a rest every now and then would help everybody."

Q: Star end Orion Martin graduated and playmaker Jason Worilds sat out this spring after shoulder surgery. How do things look on the defensive front?

Defensive line coach Charley Wiles: "I feel good about the spring we've had. We know that Jason Worilds is a player. We moved John Graves over to end this spring, and he did a good job. But Graves is going to obviously move back inside. He can potentially be the third end. We're thin there. Steven Friday gets hurt and that killed us this spring. He's a guy that we would like to step up and be the third [end]. We're going to start our best four guys. Unless something changes, that's going to be Nekos Brown and Jason, and John and either Demetrius [Taylor] or Cordarrow [Thompson]."

Q: Stephan Virgil and Rashad Carmichael, the projected starting cornerbacks, each missed considerable practice time because of conflicts with class schedules. So how did the secondary progress?

Defensive backfield coach Torrian Gray: "Well, you would have liked to have had those two guys out there more. But because of the progress that [backups] Cris Hill and Eddie Whitley have made, I feel a lot stronger about our group once we get together in the fall. Another young guy, Lorenzo Williams, didn't come along as much as I would have liked. Meanwhile, Kam Chancellor [senior free safety] was sensational this spring. He played with the kind of consistency that we need for him to play with to be a big-time player and a playmaker for us."

Q: Youngsters Jake Johnson and Barquell Rivers look like the replacements for linebackers Brett Warren and Purnell Sturdivant. What about their progress?

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster: "I've been real pleased with Barquell. He's played very well and very consistent. He understands the position and the expectations of it. Jake Johnson has improved a lot. He works hard, and I like how he has responded. He's going to be alright. Those two guys are only going to get better with more work in August."

Q: Why is split end Dyrell Roberts running crisper routes, catching the ball better and gaining a lot of yards after the reception?

Roberts: "All the coaches told me I had a pretty good spring. I just wanted to show everybody that I'm a different person. I've corrected a lot whole lot of things, and I hope they still believe in me. I feel pretty good about what I've done. Our whole offense has gotten better. We just know it's a different year and we've got different type players who can do all different types of things."

Q: There were 41,000 fans at the spring game and Hokie Nation is revved up about a team that some are calling a "darkhorse" contender for the national title. Do the players feel the same way?

Williams: "Oh, yeah, no doubt. We talk about it non-stop. We feel like we have the team to take us there. We have a shot at the national championship. I think our team is kind of tired of going to the Orange Bowl. We want something different. So hopefully we can get everything settled, work even harder during summer camp, and get rolling."

Q: What are the primary questions going into August's preseason drills?

Coach Frank Beamer: "There are a couple of positions we would like to have one more guy, and we've got to figure out how we're going to get that one more guy. Is it going to be a freshman? Is it going to be a guy here? I think right now we may be a defensive end and a linebacker short. I'm eager to watch the video and see what we think. But we've got time, a whole summer here. We understand we've got a lot of work to do."