In the career of virtually every student-athlete, there comes a point at which the athletic wheat gets separated from the chaff, so to speak. For some, that moment occurs as soon as they get on campus, as they either lack the natural ability, or in some cases the attitude, necessary to succeed.

For others, the threshold moment comes much later in their athletic lives due to any combination of circumstances: gifted players their senior; the necessity of increased physical development; personality clashes with coaches or teammates; or general maturity, on or off the field or court. Some players with the requisite ability to become stars explode, like Earnest Wilford last year, and others leave us wondering what could have been, like Terrell Parham.

Heading into what could be a special season in 2003, here is my take on the ten Virginia Tech players whose careers are at a crossroads. As you will see, they run the gamut in terms of seniority, positions, and expectations, but all of them will be under the microscope this year for different reasons.

1. Jon Dunn � The key to the Virginia Tech offense in 2003 will be its tackles, and I feel comfortable that Jimmy Martin will be solid. That leaves Jon Dunn as the biggest unknown for the offense. Dunn was highly recruited in large part because of his enormous frame, and his okay footwork for a guy that big (if memory serves, he played a little high school basketball). Now 6�7", 340, Dunn is entering his R-JR season, and it is time for him to play up to his press clippings. Dunn needs to keep pass rushers away from Virginia Tech�s dynamic duo at quarterback, and help open holes for the running game. Dunn still isn�t the strongest player on the line, but he has enough functional strength to be able to compete. At his size, he doesn�t need to overpower defenders to be successful: he only has to redirect them. Dunn�s importance is magnified if he plays at left tackle, the blind side for a right handed quarterback. Jimmy Martin is manning the position right now, but it might be Dunn�s role by the time Central Florida rolls into Blacksburg.
   
   
2. Richard Johnson � Another redshirt junior, Johnson was the most highly recruited player in the class of 2000, as he made some top 100 lists. Billed as a gamebreaker on either side of the ball, Johnson has been oft-injured and has failed to consistently earn praise from the coaches. With a plethora of young receivers in the program, Johnson needs to emerge as a threat on the flanks along with Wilford and DeAngelo Hall or risk being passed by not only Justin Hamilton and Chris Clifton, but also some impressive redshirt and true freshmen. In fairness to Johnson, the VT offense hasn�t always put him in a position to succeed. Rather than get Johnson the ball in the open field on crossing routes where he can use his elusiveness, he seems to run a lot of buttonhooks and quick outs. Johnson will get his chance this year, and if he doesn�t produce early, expect his time to drop by the time the Big East schedule hits in earnest.
   
   
3. Kevin Jones � Despite splitting time in his first two years, KJ has been productive enough to have over 1,800 career rushing yards going into his junior season. Yes, he has had some injury problems and he also has fumbled too much, but this season may very well be his defining moment. Jones doesn�t have to prove he is a great talent and a great NFL prospect; anyone can see that. But what this year will be about for KJ is establishing whether he is just a very good VT player that has a bright pro career, a la Antonio Freeman, or whether he is going to set the standard that all VT tailbacks will have to match. My money is on the latter as I think KJ will have a monster year, and the fact he reported at over 220 pounds supports that opinion.
   
   
4. Keith Willis � Willis was one of the top three recruits in the VT class of �99 and for good reason. Willis is a fantastic natural athlete with good hands, very good speed and a great frame. He was athletic enough to be a stud basketball player in high school, and he even played a little hoop for the Hokies. Now a 6�5", 260 lb. R-SR, Willis physically has it all: he is strong, fast, agile and has good hands. However, there has been something missing, as Hokie fans have been waiting for Willis to show signs of being a Miami-type tight end in the passing game. Play calling certainly is an issue for Willis, but he still needs to step up this year. If he does, the pro scouts will be drooling.
   
   
5. Eric Green � Certain players just have an uncanny ability to find the ball and make plays. Green has always been that type of player, whether it was on special teams or in the secondary. All reports suggest that he has recovered very well from knee surgery, but the true test will come once the season starts. If he can play like the Eric Green of old, the Hokies will have three solid, experienced corners, not counting DeAngelo Hall, and that may permit Hall to take more snaps on offense against teams without a big time wide receiver.
   
   
6. Carter Warley � Kicking was a serious problem last season for a team that prides itself on special teams, and the situation is still murky going into this fall. As a sophomore, Warley proved he could be a capable kicker. However, a bad back short-circuited his season last year by causing him to miss both games and practice time. Back problems are a tricky thing, but if Warley is healthy, a big piece of the Hokies 2003 season will be in place.
   
   
7. Chad Cooper � Cooper was generally regarded as the top in-state recruit in the Hokies' 2000 draft class, but in large part because of his terrifying bout with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, he has not yet seen significant time in the Hokies' base defense. Cooper plays both the Mike and Backer positions and is battling with Jordan Trott at Mike and Blake Warren at Backer, with Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi waiting in the wings. It is safe to say that Cooper will be a significant special teams contributor regardless, but if he doesn�t play much on defense this year, things won�t be easier next fall.
   
   
8. Chris Pannell � Offensive tackle is painfully thin for VT right now, with Martin and Dunn the starters and Reggie Butler receiving some praise for his offseason work. It isn�t really fair to evaluate Pannell in a vacuum, but I have concerns because he is light (274) and his strength and conditioning numbers are not anywhere close to where they should be. Right now, Pannell seems to lack both strength and bulk. There also aren�t many other options as the two freshmen thought to be tackle candidates aren�t playing there now � Tripp Carroll is injured, and Matt Welsh is projected currently as a guard.
   
   
9. Isaac Montgomery � The transfer from North Carolina has excellent strength and conditioning numbers, and VT�s coaches praise his attitude. It seems like he could be a significant addition to the defensive tackle rotation. However, he hasn�t played much the past 18 months due to his transfer and spring injury, so he will have to step up quickly in fall practice. You can never have enough defensive tackles, as VT proved last year. There are also three talented freshmen waiting their turn at defensive tackle, so it might very well be now or never for Montgomery to earn playing time.
   
   
10. Marcus Vick � This may seem like a very odd pick to many of you, but it seems to me that Vick will be tested one way or another. If Vick remains as Bryan Randall�s backup, he will be sitting and watching most of the year, always a very difficult thing for any athlete much less someone with "superstar" stamped all over him. Randall and Vick genuinely seem to get along well, but how Marcus handles sitting could be a tough chemistry issue. On the other hand, if Vick overtakes Randall, he will face extreme scrutiny and comparisons to his older brother all season long. Remember that the bright lights didn�t really begin to shine on Michael Vick until November of the 1999 season; his brother will face intense media spotlight the moment he takes the field. So, regardless of whether Marcus starts, I think he will be facing a crossroads of sorts in 2003.

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