Thursday, February 08, 2007
Kids may get a shot in O-line
Randy King
Randy King's Tech Insider is exclusive to roanoke.com and is posted by 5 p.m. Thursdays in season.
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Frank Beamer has laid down the law to his offensive linemen for spring practice: Either produce or he's going to take a long look at the big boys coming in this August.
The Hokies' 23 signees Wednesday included five offensive linemen. Beamer wasn't hesitant in rattling off four names who could be candidates to provide immediate help this fall. The quartet includes Will Alvarez (6-5, 315), Jaymes Brooks (6-3, 290), Blake DeChristopher (6-6, 310) and Khalil Latif (6-3, 280).
"We just want to get back to the quickness and the toughness that we've had here in the past," Beamer said. "We are going to see with some of the guys who are here now this spring ... are we going to be able to get it done with them? If not, I feel like between Alvarez and Brooks and DeChristopher and Latif that we've got some guys who can come in and help this program [this] year.
"The big issue with guys coming out of high school to college is: 'Are you strong enough to physically sit in there and battle?' And I think when you look at Brooks, DeChristopher, Latif and Alvarez, too, really, I mean these guys are physically strong enough and quick enough to help this program. They're going to help the program ... it's just a matter of how quickly.
"We're going to get back to blocking 'em up front the way we need to. It's vital. In the bowl game [against Georgia], we got a couple of guys hurt [senior left tackle Brandon Frye and freshman right guard Sergio Render]. And we're kind of moving them around and we kind of just got beat up a little bit in the offensive line. That was kind of one of the stories of the game.
"We just need to get back to our toughness and our quickness, and we're going to. I think we've got kids that certainly want to, but I do feel these freshmen coming can figure in, too."
The other O-lineman signed was Collin Carroll, a 6-4, 260-pound long snapper-center, the first Minnesota player ever signed by Tech in Beamer's 20 years as coach. Carroll sold himself to the Hokies with a couple of video tapes he sent to the Tech football office.
"We actually got a tape of him long-snapping and a tape of him playing center," said Beamer, whose club loses senior deep snapper Nick Leeson of Abingdon. "He sent the tape. All I know is I watched it and when I saw it, I liked it.
"I liked the way he long-snapped. I've always been a guy who wanted to make sure we've had two snappers in our program, and I think he gives us that ability. I hoping that maybe he's going to be able to do that OK and then be a backup center for us, too.
"We're trying to encourage a couple of other snappers to walk on here also because I'm just big on not only having one snapper, but having two. You don't miss that guy until you don't have one and then you can't win a football game because you can't punt. So we're going to make sure we have snappers around here."
TAYLOR-MADE FOR TECH: Beamer gushed with praise of Tyrod Taylor, the quarterback out of Hampton High whom many proclaim to have Vick-like athleticism and skills.
"I think he fits right in there with that type of quarterback who has come out of that area," Beamer said. "The two mentioned [Ronald Curry and Marques Hagans, who played at Hampton High] there and I think you can throw Michael and Marcus Vick in with him.
"When you watch him in a game ... he was here for a one-day camp [last] summer and he can really throw the football. And he brings that athletic ability ... he can break out of there and hurt you that way, too."
Beamer sounded like a coach who sounds assured his QB position is secure for the future.
"I think it all starts with the quarterback, and I think we've really helped ourselves in that situation," Beamer said. "I think we've got a kid who not only is a talent as far as a quarterback. But I think the other things he brings to the table -- his poise, his intelligence, his leadership, his good values -- I just feel we're really helped this program by signing Tyrod Taylor."
When asked if he might consider playing Taylor on the other side of the ball -- he's a top-notch cornerback, too -- in order to get him on the field as a freshman, Beamer wasn't about to go there.
"I think he's a quarterback," said Beamer of the state's Gatorade Player of the Year. "If he wasn't going to play quarterback, I don't think you'd want to use his eligibility. I think you'd want to save that."
CHANCELLOR AT QB?: Although he admits it will be difficult to do, Beamer said he wants to get Cam Chancellor throwing the football some this spring. Chancellor played 82 snaps at cornerback and 163 snaps on special teams during the regular season as a true freshman last fall. The 6-3, 215-pound Chancellor is being groomed as Aaron Rouse's replacement at rover this spring.
"We were real impressed with Cam as a quarterback in preseason [last August], then we moved him to corner," Beamer said. "We want to work him at rover this spring -- and I don't know that we can get it all done -- but I want him to throw the ball a little bit, too."
ELLISON TURNAROUND: The Hokies lost expected signee -- tight end Rhett Ellison -- when the California native decided Tuesday that was heading instead to Southern Cal.
"His mom is out there, his dad is on this side of the country. He called us [Tuesday] and said he just didn't know if he wanted to go that far away from where he grew up," Beamer said. "The closer he got to signing day the more he worried about it so ...
"But people have got to go where they're happy. He's a good player, but he decided Southern Cal was where he wanted to go."
