In December of 2003, in an article titled "The State of the Program: The Offense," I made the recommendation that Marcus Vick be installed as the starter at quarterback for VT, over rising senior Bryan Randall. Events transpired that showed that to be the wrong recommendation at the time. Vick missed the 2004 season, and Randall developed into a complete leader, both on the field and off. Sixteen months later after writing that article, we've come full circle, and Marcus Vick appears to be on the fast track to the starting QB job in the fall of 2005.

Vick is currently listed #3 on the depth chart, where he has resided since the opening of spring practice, but observers of the program are universally drawing the conclusion that Vick's third-place spot is largely ceremonial.

"I don't know when they will make an actual change, but there's no question about the number one quarterback. It's not even close," one source told us. "Marcus is a guy who has played a good bit and probably would have played a good bit more had he been around last year. Glennon, who I still think will be good, is playing like a guy still pretty new to the system. But if Glennon plays over a healthy Marcus, someone's been drinking."

Another source said after Monday's practice, "Glennon was the clear number two QB [Monday]. Vick by far was better in practice. Glennon just seems like he's looking behind his back now. His passes were low and off-target. Glennon did show a few flashes, but he was the CLEAR number two [behind Vick]. Vick was right on the money all day."

Cory Holt, meanwhile, has shown progress but still falls prey to passes that make you wince, a feeling supported by comments made by QB Coach Kevin Rogers yesterday on BeamerBall.com, when Rogers spoke of Holt needing to improve his consistency. A source told us, "They like Holt's progress, though I still think he's wild on throws."

Frank Beamer said on Roanoke's Channel 10 Monday night that the remainder of spring practice, which is about half over, will be used to set the depth chart and get repetitions for the first and second string players. Rogers said on BeamerBall.com that there's no rush to settle the QB depth chart, so it will be interesting to see if the QB chart changes.

Vick is physically gifted and is on his way to learning the offense much better than he knew it in 2003, when he played in 11 games and threw just two touchdowns and five interceptions (including two against Rutgers in a display of very poor decision making). So the next question becomes, is Vick a leader?

Someone asked me a day or two ago if Vick could be a leader like Bryan Randall, and I chuckled at that question. "Not like Bryan Randall," I answered, "but he can be a leader."

Leaders inspire others. There are locker room leaders, guys who inspire others through what they say and how they act, and there are what I call "game" leaders, or leaders on the field, who inspire others by what they do on the field. Bryan Randall was always #1, and he finally became #2 over the last half of his senior season.

Guys like Jim Druckenmiller and Michael Vick were game leaders, guys who played with such poise and swagger, and who made so many clutch plays that they became legendary, that others rallied around them. With those guys, you knew you always had a chance. Druckenmiller built his reputation on road games at Virginia (1995) and Miami (1996), and bowl games against Texas (1995 Sugar) and Nebraska (1996 Orange, in one of the finest performances I've ever seen in a losing effort, with the exception of one really, really bad option pitch).

As for Michael Vick, he could score from anywhere at any time, and no one will ever forget his coolness under fire in the 1999 WVU game and the 1999 Sugar Bowl.

Marcus Vick appears to be the kind of guy who will fall more immediately into the game-leader class. Like his brother, he is not a vocal person, and he will take time to become more polished in front of a microphone. He is steady and unemotional. Should he be installed as the starting QB in 2005, and it appears he will be, he will quickly build his leadership on the back of a few exceptional runs and throws. Vick's leadership reputation will be made, for better or for worse, on the field.

Off the field, the mandate remains simply "don�t screw up." Only time will tell if Marcus can meet that mandate, but to this point, he has said and done all the right things, and the coaches are said to be pleased with how he has conducted himself since his return.

So never mind the depth chart right now. MV2 is coming.

The question arose on the message boards a day or two ago about who the leaders of this team are right now. Offensively, we feel that mantle will eventually be handed over to Vick and whoever steps up from a long list of candidates from the OL (Will Montgomery and Jimmy Martin), tailback (Mike Imoh and Cedric Humes), tight end (Jeff King), and wide receiver (where the talent is probably too young at this point to take true leadership roles).

Defensively, there is no question who the leaders are: Darryl Tapp and Jimmy Williams.

"Darryl Tapp is the vocal leader by far," one observer of the team told us. "He is giving pointers and yelling at the guys to get it done. Jimmy Williams isn't as much of a vocal leader as a leader by example. The other guys watch what he does and work as hard as he does. Justin Hamilton also is learning a whole lot, especially from what Williams tells him."

It's hard to imagine Jimmy Williams not being vocal, but all kidding aside, we get our source's point. And Darryl Tapp's leadership has been evident for years, from his presence in front of a microphone to his full-on motor on the field, to the stories that first started surfacing during his true freshman year about his work ethic. All Tapp needed was some seasoning, game experience, and the title "senior" to fully grow into his leadership role.

Speaking of Tapp, rumors of a move to the tackle position, a la Jim Davis, have started to surface recently, and Charley Wiles gave that steam when he mentioned it as a possibility in the most recent BeamerBall.com update. At 268 pounds, Tapp is borderline tackle size, but I'll trust the coaches on this one.

One of our sources read our last spring football update � which indicated that Aaron Rouse was doing well at the Rover spot after being moved from whip linebacker � and advocated caution.

"Hold the phone on Rouse," we were told. "He's great in run support and on all the 'whip' type things he's doing. I'm still not sold on him in deep coverage. He was well behind receivers on more than one play [Friday and Saturday]."

This viewpoint was backed up by Frank Beamer himself, who noted on BeamerBall.com that Rouse gave up some big plays. But Beamer is also willing to be patient, because the team is only half way through spring ball and still has fall practice to go through, as well. Another sign of Beamer's faith in Rouse is that he has moved Corey Gordon from Rover � Rouse's new position � to Whip � Rouse's old position.

That may also be a sign of faith in Cary Wade, who is reportedly playing better and could turn out to be a decent Rover, after all. Wade is unfortunately only 184 pounds, about 20-25 pounds lighter than the classic Cory Bird-Kevin McCadam Rover. But then again, the Rover isn't what it used to be, and the position has changed in the last couple of years, from a hybrid linebacker into more of a strong safety.

Speaking of defensive backs, DJ Parker is pulling ahead of Justin Hamilton at free safety. You've got to root for Hamilton, a good kid and a good athlete who has been shuffled back and forth between tailback, receiver, and now safety during his career. But the oft-traveled Hamilton may have run out of time. "Hamilton would probably have been a very good safety," a source told us, his use of the phrase would have been very telling, "if he had adequate time to get it all down. He doesn't."