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   Welcome to TSLMail #282 - Friday, June 8, 2007    
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   Tech Sports News


ACC Defensive Lines Loaded With Experience
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

Defenses ruled the ACC in 2006, and there is no reason to believe they'll be any less lethal in 2007. Most teams in the conference return over half of their starting defenders, including the Hokies. Great defense starts up front in the trenches, and this week we'll take a look at what each team has coming back on the defensive line.

If last year is any indication, Virginia Tech should have one of the best and deepest defensive lines in the ACC. They could be the best outright. The Hokies lost the services of defensive end Noland Burchette but return their other three starters as well as all of their backups. They will have more experience and even more depth to work with in 2007.

Chris Ellis will serve as the top defensive end, with defensive tackles Carlton Powell and Barry Booker returning after very good performances in the 2006 campaign. Backing them up will once again be Kory Robertson and Cordarrow Thompson, and this year they can throw r-freshman John Graves into the mix as well. Graves had a very impressive spring.

Orion Martin will start opposite Chris Ellis at defensive end, and Nekos Brown should be much better after seeing a lot of action last year. R-freshman Jason Adjepong should provide a playmaking element to the front four, provided he can stay healthy.

Boston College will be very tough up front again this season. They bring back their top eight defensive linemen. They are headlined by huge defensive tackles B.J. Raji (6-1, 340) and Ron Brace (6-3, 335). With Brady Smith starting at defensive end at 6-2, 285, BC basically has three defensive tackles starting on their front line. It will be very hard to run between the tackles against them. Raji is the top returner with 8.5 tackles for loss last season.

Clemson suffered a big loss up front when defensive end Gaines Adams was selected in the First Round of the NFL Draft. The Tigers do bring back their other three starters up front, as well as all their backups. Defensive end Phillip Merling should be a big-time playmaker, and former highly touted recruit Ricky Sapp will start at the other defensive end spot.

Clemson's weakness up front appears to be at defensive tackle. The Tigers have plenty of experience there, but nobody has shown the ability to make plays in the past. Their top three returning defensive tackles combined for just 7.5 tackles for loss last year, and just 3.5 sacks.

Georgia Tech should be very tough up front again this season, with three starters returning. Seniors Adamm Oliver and Darrell Robertson will start at defensive end. They combined for 18 tackles for loss last season. Defensive tackle Darryl Richard also returns, although Joe Anoai and his nine tackles for loss must be replaced. The Yellow Jackets rely on speed up front, with only two linemen weighing 280 or more.

Even Duke's defensive line should be solid again this year, returning three starter's from last season's unit. Patrick Bailey was the most productive player with 12.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, but defensive tackle Vince Oghabaase is the name up front. He had 6.5 tackles for loss as a freshman last season. The rising sophomore turned down scholarship offers from many major programs to go to Duke.

UNC's top returning defensive linemen is defensive end Hilee Taylor. Taylor is a disruptor. His 5 tackles for loss led the team last year. Defensive tackles Kentwan Baler and Kyndraus Guy also return. Unfortunately for new UNC coach Butch Davis, his defensive line is the least talented in the ACC.

UVA returns all three of their starters on the defensive line, as well as all their backups. They are headlined by defensive end Chris Long, who had 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season, despite drawing double teams. However, even he was outdone by fellow defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who had 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a r-freshman.

The Hoos also return Allen Billyk and Nate Collins, who will rotate at nose tackle. Both were solid if unspectacular last season. If there is a problem up front for UVA, it's depth. None of their backups are proven, especially at defensive end. There will be a significant dropoff if Long or Fitzgerald goes down with an injury.

Despite losing two starters to the NFL, Miami's defensive line will be very impressive as usual this year. They'll be led by defensive end Calais Campbell, who had 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks last season as a sophomore. At 6-8, 265, he's a big time NFL prospect. He's could also be the most physically dominating player in the ACC, regardless of position. Led by Campbell, the ‘Canes should be dominant up front, as usual.

Florida State returns all but one starter on their defensive line, as well as all their backups. The Seminoles hope defensive end Everette Brown turns into a star this season. With 13.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in a reserve roll last year as a freshman, there is reason to believe that he will. Andre Fluellen also returns at defensive tackle, and he should be very good as a senior.

The one thing the 'Noles lacked last season is a major star up front. They had athletes and very good players, but no great players. They are hoping someone steps up and changes that this year. Brown and Fluellen are the top candidates.

Defending ACC Champion Wake Forest has a bend but don't break front four. Their best player, defensive end Jeremy Thompson, is very good when healthy. Recovering from a major injury last season, he had just 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack. If he is back up to speed this year, it will be a major boost for the Demon Deacons. He joins experienced players like Zach Stukes and Boo Robinson up front for Wake Forest.

Maryland's defensive line will be led by defensive tackle Dre Moore this year. Moore had 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season. Joining him in the middle of the defense will be fellow senior Carlos Feliciano. Trey Covington only had 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack last season. The coaching staff has to be hoping that he returns to form and shows the promise that he did as a freshman in 2005, when he had five tackles for loss and three sacks. Depth will be an issue for Maryland up front. Their line isn't expected to be one of the better ones in the ACC.

NC State lost Tank Tyler and his 8.5 tackles for loss to the NFL, but they return a very good defensive tackle in DeMario Pressley. The former Virginia Tech recruiting target had six tackles for loss last season. Sophomore defensive end Willie Young also returns. He had five tackles for loss last year, and was counted on by the previous coaching staff as being a future star. He didn't have any sacks last year however, and he'll have to improve on that number this year.

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   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week

Gouveia Excited About Commitment

June 8, 2007
Upon learning the news that Virginia Tech had extended a scholarship offer, Stone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) rising senior Jeron Gouveia couldn't believe it. When he told his family, they couldn't believe it. But the news was true and Gouveia is part of Virginia Tech's 2008 recruiting class.
more

Best Backfields of the Beamer Bowl Era
June 7, 2007
Tuesday we took a look at the quarterbacks of the Beamer Bowl Era, and today we'll look at, and rank, the backfields from 1993-2006. Tech's offensive philosophy has always revolved around the running game, and the Hokies have had some major weapons in the backfield throughout the years.
more

Dalton Freeman Starts Visits
June 7, 2007
Pelion (S.C.) OL Dalton Freeman, one of the most highly recruited linemen out of the state of South Carolina in the 2008 recruiting class, began his late spring/summer unofficial visits on Monday with a trip to the University of Tennessee. The trip to Knoxville is just the beginning of a busy summer for the 6-6, 270-pound rising senior.
more

Track Teams Head to Sacramento
June 6, 2007
The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships begin today in Sacramento, CA, and there are a large number of Hokies competing. After winning the NCAA Eastern Regionals, the Women's Track & Field team is shooting for a larger prize, while the men's team is also sending several members to Sacramento.
more

One of Nation's Top DBs Lists Top 7
June 6, 2007
6-2, 180-pound Spencer Adams has become one of the most highly recruited defensive back prospects in the nation. One of Butler High School's (Matthews, N.C.) talented trio of defensive backs, it is Adams' athleticism and speed - he is a top track athlete as well - that have college coaches from around the country vying for his signature.
more

Gregory Set for VT Camp
June 5, 2007
5-11, 175-pound Tony Gregory, a speedy running back out of First Colonial (Virginia Beach, VA), will head to Virginia Tech this weekend for the senior camp. This will be Gregory's first ever visit to Blacksburg, so he is certainly looking forward to the experience.
more

Ranking Tech's Quarterback Play, 1993-2006
June 5, 2007
Recently TSL published an article that ranked the offensive lines in the Beamer Bowl Era from top to bottom. That article was pretty well received, so we figured it would be fun to do the same thing for every unit. It's inexact, and just one person's opinion, but hey, there isn't much else to talk about on June 5. So let's kick things off by taking a look at Tech's quarterbacks from 1993-2006.
more

Gibson Claims Offer, Ready for Camp
June 5, 2007
Perhaps the hardest hitting defensive prospect in the state in the 2008 recruiting class, Salem (Virginia Beach, VA) linebacker Lyndell Gibson will be in Blacksburg this weekend for Virginia Tech's senior camp. The 5-11, 220-pound junior is anxious to participate, especially since he already claims an offer from the Hokies.
more

Time and TV Set for East Carolina Game
June 4, 2007
Virginia Tech's season opening football game against East Carolina will be televised by ESPN2 and will kick off at noon on Saturday, September 1. The ACC also announced kickoff time and TV coverage for one other Tech game on Monday morning, and confirmed the 7:30 start for the Hokies' two Thursday night games.
more

Hokies on the Rise in the ACC
June 4, 2007
When Virginia Tech began ACC competition in 2004, everyone knew it would take awhile for the Hokies to catch up to the rest of the conference in all sports. VT was known for football, but after spending time in the Metro, Big East and Atlantic 10 since 1994-95, their athletic talent and support weren't up to par with the ACC in most of the other sports. Three years later, that appears to be changing.
more

Harrelson Lists Top Five
June 4, 2007
Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) WR/DB Todd Harrelson is now up to 12 Division 1A scholarship offers following the May Evaluation period. Five programs currently stand high on his list as he heads into the summer, when he plans to make numerous unofficial visits in hopes of making a commitment before the start of his senior season.
more

Jake Johnson Talks About His Decision
June 1, 2007
Stafford (Falmouth, VA) star linebacker Jake Johnson verbally committed to Virginia Tech on Tuesday, choosing the Hokies over offers from Maryland and Virginia. I caught up with 6-2, 230-pound junior for a mini Q&A to discuss his decision.
more
 
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