While the offense definitely had its moments last year, especially late in the season, the lynchpin of VT’s return to the BCS was its defense. Gone were the days of laughing quarterbacks, replaced by skill position players with their heads on a swivel. Paced by an experienced secondary, and an aggressive, fast front seven, VT had arguably the best defense in the ACC in 2004.

The Hokies lose some key performers off last year’s squad, particularly in the secondary. I fully expect for Bud Foster, Whammy Ward and Jim Cavanaugh to be moving players around trying to come up with the best possible combination. Nothing will be settled in the secondary until the incoming freshman report in the fall, so there are legitimate concerns there.

The good news is that the front seven is very, very good, and they should be able to generate a pass rush without having to blitz much. The primary goal up front is developing depth for the fall.

Eligibility noted will be as of fall 2005.

Depth Chart:

• Darryl Tapp, T-SR
• Jordan Trott, R-SR

• Noland Burchette, R-JR
• Chris Ellis, R-SO

• Carlton Powell, R-SO
• Tim Sandidge, R-SR

• Jonathan Lewis, T-SR
• Kory Robertson, R-SO
• Barry Booker, R-SO

Defensive Ends Analysis: VT has three experienced, talented ends returning and will look to see if Trott, a converted mike linebacker, can provide depth after missing most of last season with a back injury.

Darryl Tapp will receive a lot of preseason acclaim, both conference and national, based on his performance last year and the projected finish of the Hokies this year. He is a strong, relentless player whose intensity and effort are unparalleled. He makes plays sideline to sideline, yet also has the physical strength to bull rush an offensive tackle. Jim Davis was the vocal leader of the players up front last year, but Tapp’s work ethic in the weight room and on the field sets the standard for this year’s team.

Noland Burchette and Chris Ellis are both players on the rise. Burchette played great football at the close of last year against Virginia, Miami and Auburn. He has a very good burst off the edge and shows good closing speed. His run defense also is underrated.

Ellis is one of the more physically gifted defenders that VT has. He has an NFL defensive end frame, yet he also has 4.6-4.7 speed. The knock against Ellis has been his play against the run, but that improved as the season progressed last year. Ellis is not close to being a finished product – he needs to play with effort every down and be more disciplined – but his ceiling may be higher than either of the starters.

Jordan Trott hasn’t played enough at defensive end for him to be fairly evaluated. He saw a fair amount of game time two years ago, but with the transition I would expect that he still has a ways to go in terms of learning defensive end techniques.

Defensive end is one place where at least one incoming freshman will play. William Wall, after a prep school year, is expected to see time and if Trott struggles, Wall's fellow Hargrave recruit, Sam Wheeler, could also see the field.

Player to watch this spring: Chris Ellis. Ellis has as much raw ability as anyone VT has had at the position, and a lot of VT’s star defensive ends really go from good to great in their third year in the program (Corey Moore as a R-JR after he transferred, Cornell Brown as a T-JR, Tapp as a T-JR). If he can make the step up, then VT may have as good a trio of ends as anyone in the country.

Key question for the fall: Is Jordan Trott capable of giving VT adequate depth to allow Wall and perhaps Wheeler to learn the system? Charley Wiles believes in rotating his linemen, and he’ll need to develop depth. As good as both incoming freshmen may be down the line, it’s tough to expect them to play assignment football in the first month against teams like N.C. State and Georgia Tech. Trott’s development could allow them to ease into playing time.

Defensive Tackle Analysis: The loss of Jim Davis is far more significant than his statistics would suggest, but overall this area is still solid going into the spring.

Jonathan Lewis really stepped up his game last year and became a major factor inside for the Hokies. He is a strong run stuffer who frequently commands double teams. Lewis should make some preseason all conference teams and his presence improves everyone in the front seven.

Carlton Powell played really well last year for a redshirt freshman. He has very good strength and a nose for the football. He understands leverage well for a young player. While Davis cannot be replaced, Powell is a very good prospect who should be a solid ACC level starter this season.

Tim Sandidge has seen significant playing time for the last two seasons, and he should be able to add depth. He isn’t an every down performer, but in limited time he is effective. He hopefully will provide a Kevin Lewis veteran presence to this year’s defensive line.

The player who could burst onto the scene this spring is Kory Robertson. He has aircraft carrier size (close to 320) while being surprisingly agile as well. He needs to continue to work on keeping his pad level low. Improved technique would make him a load to handle on the inside.

Barry Booker is as good an athlete as any defensive tackle on the roster, but he needs to continue to spend time in the weight room and maintain down-to-down focus. He shows signs of contributing, but if he doesn’t make a move this fall he risks falling behind the incoming class on the depth chart.

Player to watch this spring: Kory Robertson. I have a feeling the light is going to come on for him, and if he does he might be the best pure run stopper on the roster.

Key question for the fall: Will all three redshirt sophomores become significant contributors? VT has had some key recruiting misses on the interior defensive line lately so the Hokies really need all three to produce for this year and beyond. Ideally, all three incoming defensive tackle candidates would be able to redshirt this fall.

• Vince Hall, R-SO
• Brett Warren, T-SO

• Xavier Adibi, R-SO
• Blake Warren, R-SR

• James Anderson, R-SR
• Aaron Rouse, R-JR

Analysis: The Hokies have never had this amount of talent and depth at the linebacker position. Everyone on the two deep has actual playing experience, and the starters all have star potential. It is amazing how quickly VT has reshaped this position from a weakness to a strength, and more help is on the way with incoming recruits Deveon Simmons and Demetrius Taylor.

Vince Hall is the prototype middle linebacker as he is thick through the lower body and explodes when he tackles. As the year progressed he got better reading his keys and made more impact plays. With his instincts and physical presence, he probably will end up leading the team in tackles this fall.

Brett Warren enrolled last January and enjoyed a very solid initial campaign. Brett has added good weight and strength since he first matriculated, and he will provide quality snaps. He also will be a big special teams contributor.

At backer, Xavier Adibi has star potential. His injury during the USC game really set him back as he lost a significant amount of weight, which affected his ability to defend the run. He’ll play next fall around 230 without losing any speed. Adibi plays well in space, is intense, and could be the best cover backer VT has ever had. There aren’t that many linebackers that can make plays against the run, in coverage and as a pass rusher, but he has the capability to make impact plays in all facets of the game.

Blake Warren has starting experience and is a more than capable backup. Although he doesn’t have blazing speed, he has a good feel for coverage. Having a senior with substantial playing experience as a backup is a great luxury for Bud Foster.

At whip, the Hokies basically have two starters that split time in James Anderson and Aaron Rouse. Anderson is an elite strength and conditioning athlete, and he really flourished with the move to weakside linebacker last year. He brings better size and strength to the position than the typical whip and is rarely out of position.

Rouse is an impact hitter. He looks long and lean, but when he gets a clear shot at an offensive player he can absolutely unload. He isn’t as consistent as Anderson, but his hitting ability gives him big play potential. Both players are legitimate ACC starters, so this position is in very good hands.

Player to watch this spring: Xavier Adibi. Hokie fans really didn’t see him at full strength when he did play last fall. With some time to heal and build his body back up, he should be fun to watch this spring.

Key question heading into the fall: Does VT have the best linebacking corps on paper in the ACC? Virginia, Miami and Georgia Tech all have some talent and experience coming back, but the only ACC team that in my opinion can challenge the Hokies for overall talent and depth is Florida State’s wrecking crew led by Ernie Sims and A.J. Nicholson.

• Cary Wade, R-JR
• D.J. Walton, R-SR
• Corey Gordon, R-SO
• Robert Parker, R-JR

• Justin Hamilton, R-SR
• Kent Hicks, R-FR
• D.J. Parker, T-SO

Analysis: Because the Hokies return so many key players, most of the position analysis thus far has described how VT needs to build depth or figure out where a player can best contribute from a position perspective. In other words, except for the offensive line the Hokies really are trying to fine tune the car, not get the parts. That is not the case at rover and safety, where the staff has a bunch of promising athletes but no proven production.

Rover is a key position in the VT defense and right now the picture is entirely muddled. Cary Wade and D.J. Walton both have some experience, but neither brings the entire physical package to the position. Both are 5’10” and under 200 pounds, and neither has blazing speed. Wade probably will go into the fall as the starter, but others will certainly get an opportunity to impress.

Corey Gordon is a terrific physical specimen who was at free safety last year, but the staff thought he would be best utilized by moving him closer to the ball. He could very well end up at whip, but I think he’ll get a look at rover because of the need there. He brings great size to the position, but his ability to cover will be closely scrutinized.

Robert Parker won last year’s strength and conditioning Iron Man award for VT, and his measurables suggest he could be a terrific player here. Unfortunately, he has very little experience as he has played his whole career at wide receiver. I really do hope Parker can emerge, but I have my doubts about how quickly he’ll adapt to the change.

Michael Hinton is a prodigious talent, but Hokie fans should not expect to see him back on the team this fall. Hinton has spent his last chance at Virginia Tech.

Don’t be surprised if the coaches take a look at other players at rover, like Roland Minor, Kent Hicks (although he struggled there on the scout team), D.J. Parker, Brandon Flowers or even Jimmy Williams if no ones really emerges at rover this spring.

Free safety likewise is wide open. Justin Hamilton represents everything good about the VT program in that he’s been unselfish, is a great teammate and a talented player. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found his niche yet and is changing positions for at least the third time during his tenure at VT.

Hamilton has a lot of great attributes: he has great size, is physical, and he is one of the smartest players on the team. However, he obviously is not familiar with some key aspects of playing free safety like having a tight back peddle and learning to take the proper angle with the ball in the air. It will be a tough adjustment for him.

Kent Hicks is a talented prospect who could be a real factor this fall. He’s got a great frame, is a long strider that can cover a lot of ground with the ball in the air, and he isn’t afraid to lay a hit on someone coming over the middle. As a freshman, I would expect Hicks to occasionally struggle with the demands of making play calls. At the very least, he won't bring the calming influence that Vincent Fuller did.

D.J. Parker is another possibility at free safety. Parker has the coverage skills of a corner and the instincts associated with being a high school quarterback. The coaches want to take a look at him at free safety and perhaps rover as well. If it doesn’t work he’ll just go back to corner.

Of course, there is always the possibility of Jimmy Williams moving back to free safety. While it would be nice to keep him at boundary corner given his success there, Jimmy’s experience allows him to swing between any of three positions depending on how things work out with the other secondary prospects.

Player to watch this spring: All of them. Both positions are so wide open that it is impossible to focus on one player “on the rise” or one make or break prospect. The talent is there, but the experience is not.

Key question going into the fall: Will the starters be ready for the ACC by September? Even though the starting positions can be open until the fall, the coaches will need to sort through a bevy of candidates this spring and slot them at the appropriate position.

With the returning talent up front, hopefully the free safety will not need to be terribly involved in the running game. Therefore, I think the player that demonstrates the best understanding of the passing game, and yields the fewest big plays, will have the inside track. Incoming freshman Cam Martin may also be able to play early at free safety.

• Jimmy Williams, T-SR
• Brandon Flowers, R-FR

• Roland Minor, R-SO
• D.J. Parker, T-SO

Analysis: The return of Jimmy Williams gives VT an impact player in the secondary. He is big, physical, fast and tough. At boundary corner Jimmy takes away a third of the field in coverage and provides the run support of a linebacker. He got better as the season progressed, and if he continues to improve he will be a first round draft pick next April. Williams will be a frontrunner for the Thorpe Award this year.

While the other candidates at corner are young, the staff seems genuinely pleased by their progress and I feel a level of comfort with them that I don’t really feel with the rover and safety candidates as of now.

Roland Minor played a significant amount of snaps this past year as a nickel corner and acquitted himself nicely. He has good size and is physical. While Minor played primarily on the boundary last year, I expect him to receive a look at field corner opposite Jimmy Williams this spring. That will be an adjustment, but he is too talented not to start somewhere in the defensive backfield.

As of right now, Brandon Flowers and D.J. Parker are the backup cornerbacks, but it is possible either or both could be elevated to the starting lineup with a position change. In fact, it could be argued going into the spring that the best four defensive backs on the Hokie roster are Williams, Minor, Flowers and Parker.

Flowers doesn’t have ideal size and speed but he has a nose for the football and tremendous instincts. I have a feeling the staff will look to get him on the field a lot, whether that means moving Jimmy Williams to free safety or moving Flowers to rover. He would have played a lot last year had he not broken his leg.

I have Parker slotted as the backup field corner for right now, but I expect that position to ultimately be manned by an incoming freshman, most likely Victor “Macho” Harris or Jahre Cheeseman.

Player to watch this spring: Brandon Flowers. Hokie fans didn’t see a lot of him last fall, but he understands the game. He has very good footwork and the versatility to perhaps play three different secondary positions.