BLACKSBURG, Va. — Does anybody out there like to play the market? I’m not much of a trader myself. I’ll leave the Dogecoin speculation to the less risk-averse. But how about we engage in some speculation we all can enjoy, like how football players might develop?
In that vein, let’s do some projecting now that Virginia Tech has finished spring ball. This isn’t from some long, detailed observation period — without the spring game, the only bit of this team we media saw was one 15-period session in early April — but you can often get a sense of which players have bright futures based on how the coaches talk about them.
Advertisem*nt
Here are 12 young players I’m buying stock in. Let’s limit the pool to players still with freshman eligibility, either with a redshirt or not (remember, the 2020 season didn’t count), and let’s only deal with players who went through spring ball, not summer enrollees.
I’ll list them in alphabetical order:
Derrell Bailey Jr., left tackle: This is getting in on the ground floor with a player who just switched over to offense from the defensive line. He’s had only a set of spring drills to get used to the position, so he’s a long way from contributing, but you look at the frame (6-6, 275, long arms) and can’t help but think of someone like Yosuah Nijman, who made the same move and excelled. Don’t expect much from Bailey in the short term, but Virginia Tech has had a good track record with finding specific body types and seeing offensive line potential in them.
Justin Beadles, defensive end: It might not be this year, but at 6-foot-5, 232-pound Beadles has a chance to be a uniquely sized edge player for the Hokies. Tech took him as a recruit knowing that it would be a few years before things would come together, but once that process plays out, he’s got a chance to be a difference-maker at end. It sounds like he took a positive step this spring, especially physically, where he’s packed on some pounds. In the long run, he might have the highest ceiling of the three defensive ends the Hokies signed at the end of the 2020 recruiting cycle.
Parker Clements, right tackle: He’s the betting favorite to start at right tackle after a pretty significant physical transformation in the past year, going from 260 pounds when he arrived to 304 this spring. He has a 6-foot-7 frame, so he can wear that kind of weight well and still be able to play on the edge. He’s inexperienced, but Tech’s last two standout tackles (Christian Darrisaw, Luke Tenuta) both were starters during their first year on the field too. The coaches have been pleased with the development of both he and fellow 2020 offensive line signee Kaden Moore.
Advertisem*nt
Dean Ferguson, linebacker: There wasn’t a ton of talk about Ferguson this spring other than a passing mention from Justin Fuente that he was doing well and Dax Hollifield giving him a shout out (for the record, Dax likes everybody). But Tech did make Ferguson available to speak to the media, something the Hokies don’t usually do for a redshirt freshman unless he’s doing things right. It’s either Ferguson or Keshon Artis as Hollifield’s backup at mike linebacker right now.
Keonta Jenkins, free safety: He’s not the bargain stock he would have been at this time last year, but Jenkins appears to have the inside track for the starting free safety job after a strong spring. He’s a long, lean athlete (6-3, 195) who definitely looked the part when he started against NC State in the opener last year and had eight tackles before receding to the background amid COVID-19 protocols. He has the makings of a multiple-year starter if he indeed claims the job this fall.
Jaylen Jones, wide receiver: The first of the two early enrollee receivers, Jones’ path to playing time seems like a lock in a thin receiving corps (2020 signee Tyree Saunders entered the transfer portal Thursday, leaving the Hokies with seven scholarship receivers from the spring)/ Jones is stockier than your typical freshman at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, so size, which can hold a lot of young receivers back, won’t be a problem. He sounds like he could play on the outside or in the slot too, versatility that will be helpful in what’s a small group of receivers.
Da’Wain Lofton, wide receiver: He’s slighter than Jones at 5-foot-11, 179 pounds, but he’s powerful, as this video of max testing on squats shows:
#Hokies #ThisIsHome @DawainL Supposed to graduate from high school in a couple of weeks. Instead he is in Blacksburg, VA lifting the house. 👀🦃🔥😤💯📈💪🙌 #TX2VT #TEXASFLEX pic.twitter.com/rHAARkXFhV
— Coach Davidson (@Beau_Davidson) April 30, 2021
Lofton played a bit of everything in high school, so he’s a versatile offensive weapon, and he was a playmaker, something every offense always needs. Fuente had good things to say about how both Lofton and Jones approached the spring, picking up the basics quickly and showing retention. That’s a good first step to getting on the field early.
Advertisem*nt
Jaden Payoute, receiver: OK, this feels like cheating, and he’s not going to come at a bargain price if you’re buying stock, but Payoute’s still a redshirt freshman who had only a minimal role two years ago and was injured last fall. He has all the physical tools you want: size, speed, leaping ability. Tech thought he’d have a breakout role last year before he broke his ankle. There’s no reason to think that would change if he gets back to full health, which is expected. The Hokies need him to, given their lack of proven and reliable wide receivers.
Wilfried Pene, tight end: Here’s a long-term investment. Pene might not play much this year. He might not even stick at tight end in the long run. But the Frenchman has impressed Hokies coaches with how he’s gone about his business, doing it while learning English along the way. He got a delayed start last summer with travel issues coming from his native France, but now that he’s here, he’s a big, strong athlete (6-3, 240) who looks like he moves well. There’s always a place on the field for someone like that.
Jalen Stroman, safety: Considering the kind of player and hard worker his older brother Greg was, it’s not surprising that Jalen is already earning praise for how he’s started out. Fuente said he’s a bit further ahead of all the young defensive backs who enrolled early, working at the free safety spot. He’s pretty well-developed physically for an early enrollee too, at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds. It’s a deep field of safeties to sort out, especially the younger group, so whatever kind of head start he can get there should be helpful.
Dorian Strong, cornerback: OK, this is definitely cheating after the freshman season Strong had, but the free year of eligibility means he’s still technically a true freshman. The 6-foot, 174-pounder showed he wasn’t afraid of a challenge when he stepped in and started five games after just arriving on campus. Seeing him start along with Jermaine Waller wouldn’t be too surprising come fall. Strong has an attitude that he wants to be the best — fueled by his overlooked status as a recruit.
“I know the talent that I have, and I know all the top guys,” Strong said. “And I’m competing with them. I’m either better than them or I’m giving them work as the so-called four-stars and the five-stars. Same thing when I got to college. College, stars don’t matter. Either you’re good or you’re not, and I felt I still got to prove myself, because I kind of surprised a lot of people, because I’m not the biggest guy. But it’s just like, ‘Whoa, who’s that?’ I like surprising people, giving people that shock.”
Robert Wooten, defensive end: Of the three young defensive ends signed in 2020, Wooten has the best chance to get on the field this year, as he did last fall when he played in all 11 games and got some significant reps late in the season. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder could have a significant role this fall, depending on how Emmanuel Belmar’s return from last year’s serious concussion goes. Last year’s experience should serve him well.
(Photo of Dorian Strong: Courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics)
