The Hokies held another scrimmage in Lane Stadium Wednesday, and our insiders returned the news on which players looked the best, highlighting some of the plays that were made by names you would expect, and names you wouldn't expect. Here's the lowdown on a scrimmage that we were told was a good one, in which the guys "really got after it."

Marcus Vick was again impressive, hitting Justin Harper with a 94-yard touchdown pass. Vick sold the pass with a play-action fake, and free safety Justin Hamilton bit on it, leaving Harper running free, wide open behind the defense. Vick hit Harper in stride at about the 50, and Harper carried it into the end zone from there.

"He [Vick] also made a great pass over the middle to Duane Brown," our insider said. "I don't think I need to say much about Vick anymore.  He is the truth.  Glennon was very good today I thought, but Vick is the real deal."

Aaron Rouse looked better at rover, and Cary Wade continued his strong play. "He [Wade] made another great open field tackle today, this time on Humes in the backfield," we were told.  "The last two scrimmages, he has attacked the line of scrimmage in run support, and has been very good in pass defense.  I'm starting to feel pretty good about him this year.  I still want to see it every single day, but a lot of progress has been made."

Corey Gordon has been moved from free safety to whip linebacker, and he received rave reviews for his performance Wednesday. "Today was only his first or second practice at the position, and he excelled today.  He was outstanding in run support, making tackles behind and around the line of scrimmage," our observer told us. "Don't look for Gordon to change positions again [he has also spent time at rover]. He looked like a natural there today."

If our source is correct, then that sound you hear is the whip and rover depth chart falling into place. Previously, the coaches had two rovers (Rouse and Wade) and two whips (James Anderson and Rouse). The idea of Rouse spending time at both positions was a possibility, and there had also been some buzz that the coaches might decide to scuttle the Rouse rover experiment, because of Wade's improvement, and move Rouse back over to whip.

But if Gordon is truly a good whip linebacker, then he can back up Anderson, and Rouse can spend full time at the rover position. Then you have a depth chart that looks like this:

If you're wondering who else is available after those first and second string listings, the answer is pretty much "nobody." In any event, comments from whips and rovers coach Jim Cavanaugh in the coming days will be very telling about this important position battle, and about Gordon's progress at whip.

Brandon Pace also excelled Wednesday, kicking field goals of 48 yards, 18 yards, and about 50 yards.  The 50-yarder hit about five rows deep in the South End Zone and would have been good from 60+. Pace had no misses Wednesday, as the action with special teams heats up in the second half of spring practice.

Xavier Adibi (224 pounds and looking every bit of it) and Vince Hall (6-0, 246 pounds, and described as "huge" by TSL intern Stefan Adams, who encountered Hall at Subway the other day, where Hall ordered the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki) were impressive Wednesday and are starting to look more like seasoned veterans. On one play, Hall blitzed up the middle, mowed over Matt Welsh -- or at the very least, a left guard wearing #51, which fits Welsh's description -- knocked him flat on his back into the ball carrier, and made the tackle.

Lastly, a new name emerging on the depth chart is walk-on defensive end Orion Martin, the older brother of 2005 recruit Cam Martin. Orion Martin (6-1, 243, r-Fr.) is listed as #2 at the End position behind Darryl Tapp, ahead of Jordan Trott, and our insider gave us some observations of Martin:

"He still needs to turn his body into a football body, but he can make some plays.  He is pretty fast out there, and plays hard.  His weightlifting numbers indicate he has strength, but it's not really football strength right now.  But he can run.  He got in on a sack of Glennon on the first possession, combined with Gordon for a tackle for loss on one play in which he had to move laterally, and chased one of the backs downfield about ten yards past the line of scrimmage to make the tackle.  He hustles every play.  I paid special attention to him because of Charley Wiles' recent comments, and I came away impressed.  He still may be a year away, but he is a walk on that will stick."

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