Ranking the Top 100 College Football Teams for 2018: No. 25 Virginia Tech

In the 100 days leading up to the kickoff of the college football season on Saturday, Aug. 25, HERO Sports is ranking the top 100 teams in the FBS. Each day, starting May 17 and ending Aug. 24, a new team is revealed in the HERO Sports Top 100. 

No. 25 Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech's quest for a third straight season with at least nine wins took an interesting turn with unexpected summer departures and questions into the eligibility of quarterback Josh Jackson.

There are plenty of concerns across the two-deep, but Jackson is eligible, the defensive line is elite, Bud Foster is back, and the roster is laced with young talent. 

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2017 Record: 9-4 (5-3, ACC)

Virginia Tech didn't repeat as Coastal champs and failed to win a marquee game, but they did hit nine wins for the second straight season, kept things close vs. Miami (FL) until the fourth quarter and moved the ball vs. Clemson.

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Head Coach: Justin Fuente (3rd Year, 19-8)

Justin Fuente's name has been tossed around the coaching carousel each of the last two seasons as a potential candidate at several programs, including Florida State, Texas A&M and Tennessee. There are not, however, official reports that he's shown interest or been a legitimate candidate for any opening.

In 2016, Fuente set the record for most wins by a first-year Virginia Tech head coach (10) and, in 2017, set the record for most wins in a coach's first two seasons. 

“I thought it was a heck of a coaching job,” athletics director Whit Babcock said after the regular season. “I was very pleased with our student-athletes and our coaching. I think our future’s incredibly bright.”

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Player Losses

WR Cam Phillips, G Wyatt Teller, C Eric Gallo, DT Tim Settle, LB Tremaine Edmunds, LB Andrew Motuapuaka, DB Mook Reynolds, CB Adonis Alexander, CB Greg Stroman, K Joey Slye

Of Virginia Tech's nine all-conference selections last year, eight are gone, including four first-team players. 

The Hokies knew the departures of seniors like Cam Phillips, Greg Stroman and Wyatt Teller, and likely NFL Draft early entrant Tremaine Edmunds, were coming, but they didn't expect to enter 2018 without senior corner Adonis Alexander (academically ineligible) or senior defensive back Mook Reynolds (dismissed for violation of team rules). 

Alexander — a third-round pick of the Giants in the Supplemental Draft — had 27 tackles and four pass breakups last year and was expected to play a big role after the graduation of Stroman. Reynolds, a versatile defender who can play nickel, safety or outside linebacker, had nine tackles for loss last year. 

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Returning Offensive Players

QB Josh Jackson, RB Steven Peoples, RB Deshawn McClease, WR Sean Savoy, WR Eric Kumah, OT Yosuah Nijman, G Braxton Pfaff, C Kyle Chung

Last year was an important one for the development of a new quarterback in redshirt freshman Josh Jackson, but the Hokies' offense was bad for most of the season. 

While their sack rate and turnovers declined, Virginia Tech struggled to score early (4.8 points in the first quarter, and 12.8 points in the first half) and averaged just 0.353 points and 5.3 yards per play. They converted 78 percent of red-zone opportunities and 41 percent of third downs and averaged 3.9 yards per carry. They scored 83 total points over their final five games.

"Intellectually, Josh has tremendous capability,” Fuente said of Jackson, who led all FBS freshmen in passing last year (2,991 yards). “He’s highly intelligent, and he can just process information, he doesn’t forget information, and he can process it in real time and communicate that. I just believe that when you have guys like that, they can continue to take leaps and bounds forward by continuing to invest more time in their mental development."

Despite the departure of Cam Phillips, there are capable receivers on the two-deep, led by Sean Savoy and Eric Kumah (and Ball State transfer Damon Hazelton, below in Player Additions). Savoy was targeted on 16 percent of Jackson's attempts last year and while he didn't have a catch rate anywhere near that of Phillips (Phillips, 78.4 percent; Savoy, 62.9 percent), the 5-foot-9 speedster was a reliable target as a freshman.

It's been a long time since Virginia Tech had an efficient run game; they haven't averaged more than 4.1 yards per carry since 2011. Senior Steven Peoples is a shorter power back while Deshawn McClease has more speed and cut-back ability. They'll be led by an offensive line that returns three starters.

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Returning Defensive Players

DE Trevon Hill, DT Ricky Walker, DT Vinny Mihota, LB Dylan Rivers, RB Rayshard Ashby, S Reggie Floyd,

Bud Foster earned the benefit of the doubt long ago, but it's hard not to wonder how far the Hokies' defense will step back after being one of the country's best units in 2017. 

They didn't force a ton of turnovers and allowed too many big passing plays (15 yards per completion) but were dominant in the red zone (73 percent) and on third downs (26 percent), allowed 0.245 points per play and 3.5 yards per rush attempt, and averaged 7.8 tackles per loss per game. Six players had at least three sacks and seven had at least seven tackles for loss.

Tim Settle is gone, but the defensive line is in great shape with the return of tackles Ricky Walker and Vinny Mihota, and end Trevon Hill. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound Walker (below) is remarkably quick for his size and has 19 tackles for loss and six sacks over the last two years. 

"He is the captain of this team,” Josh Jackson said of Walker. “He’s the leader. He’s the bell cow, the pail holder. He’s who everybody on our team should look up to and respect, and I can’t really say more about him.”

Here come the questions. There were experience and depth concerns in the back seven before Alexander and Reynolds left.

Sophomore inside linebackers Dylan Rivers and Rayshard Ashby (two combined career tackles) have been praised throughout the offseason for stepping into bigger roles after playing mostly on special teams last year. 

“Young guys, both our linebackers, Dylan Rivers and Rayshard Ashby,” Walker said. “I’m excited for those two guys. Those guys, they had great leaders in the room last year in front of them, so I’m excited to see how they come to work and how they come to business.”

In case you were wondering if the lack of experience will prevent Virginia Tech from doing something that Fuente vows he'll never do…

“It’s very difficult to keep people from running the ball down your throat if you don’t have enough people in the box,” Fuente said. “Under no circumstance are we just going to vacate the box for pass coverage. . . . That’s just not happening.”

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Player Additions

QB Hendon Hooker, WR Damon Hazelton, LB Dax Hollifield, CB Jermaine Waller, CB Caleb Farley

Ball State transfer Damon Hazelton is eligible after sitting out last season and will play big snaps in an offense seeking more weapons on the perimeter. He's not a burner but uses his 6-foot-2, 222-pound frame well.

Defensively, three freshmen are competing for time. True freshman linebacker Dax Hollified was the highest-ranked recruit in the Hokies' 2018 class, and corner Jermaine Waller, another true freshman, impressed coaches during spring practice. 

"I think he’s got talent,” Fuente said of Waller in April. “He’s young. We don’t have time to pull him aside and say, ‘Just relax. We’ll call you in a couple of years when it’s time to play.'”

Also, Josh Jackson is the present and future of Virginia Tech football, but keep an eye on redshirt freshman Hendon Hooker, a former four-star recruit who had other Power Five programs clamoring for his services. The 6-foot-4, 216-pounder has gained more than 20 pounds in the last two years and said the game is "really slowing down" for him.

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Schedule

For the first time since 2012, Virginia Tech opens the season against an ACC opponent. Their opener vs. Florida State is the first of three non-Saturday games.

The Hokies close the season with four of five games at home.