Fuente using the spring to improve the backups

Inexperience across position group area of focus for Hokies

Every practice day this spring when he’s scanned the field, Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente has witnessed a common theme.

He’s seen a thin collection of inexperienced backup offensive linemen trying to establish themselves, an equally green group of second-team linebackers and inconsistent efforts from guys at other positions playing behind expected starters. Pleased for the most part with the progress his first-team players have made thus far, there’s a gap that separates those guys from the second-teamers — a disparity that was particularly noticeable to him during an April 3 scrimmage.

“The biggest takeaway was that there is too big a difference between our (first team) and our (second team), both knowledge (and) execution,” Fuente said. “We have got to move those two groups closer together for us to have a chance to have success. There’s maybe one or two positions that the (second team is) close to the (first team), but it’s imperative on our team and our coaching staff that for us to have a chance to have the depth that we need, that we’ve got to make dramatic improvement with the second huddles on both sides of the ball.”

As Virginia Tech prepares to round out its spring practices next week, Fuente and his coaching staff figured to get a better feel in this Saturday’s scrimmage for just how much work will have to be done during the offseason and in August preseason practices to close the distance between the first and second team. This weekend’s scrimmage was expected to include some goal-line situations, coming off the goal line and some 2- and 4-minute scenarios.

While depth isn’t a concern on the defensive line, where tackles Norell Pollard, Mario Kendricks, Jordan Williams, Josh Fuga and DaShawn Crawford have all competed for playing time this spring along with ends Amare Barno, Emmanuel Belmar, TyJuan Garbutt, Eli Adams, Jaylen Griffin, Alec Bryant, Robert Wooten and Justin Beadles, there isn’t nearly the same level of experi

LYNNE SLADKY/ AP FILE Virginia Tech linebacker Alan Tisdale tackles Miami quarterback N’Kosi Perry during the first half Oct. 5, 2019. Tisdale starts at linebacker, but the Hokies don’t have much proven depth at that position.