BLACKSBURG, Va. -- A few miles west of Interstate 81. A few miles east of the Appalachians. It's tucked away, this stone fortress of a school.
So it's no wonder the Virginia Tech Hokies' spring drills could come and go without much notice from a national audience. Maybe they will again have to earn that attention, too, after several bridesmaid-but-never-the-bride seasons in the ACC. But the Hokies, tough-luck Sugar Bowl losers, really weren't all that far from BCS title contention a year ago. That's why they might be something of a sleeper in 2012.
Figuring out the Clemson Tigers would certainly go a long way toward validating whether that's true, because the 2011 version of Tech never did. Those close to the program have said that last year's start of Appalachian State, East Carolina, Arkansas State and Marshall did not properly prepare the team for Clemson -- especially how physical the Tigers were up front defensively. The result was a stinging 23-3 home loss.
The Hokies don't travel to Clemson until Oct. 20. By then, they will have played the opener against Georgia Tech and a road game at Pittsburgh. So there shouldn't be a lack of preparedness or toughness.
Ten starters, including All-ACC corner Kyle Fuller, return for a Hokies defense that registered 41 sacks and 23 takeaways in 2011. Only four starters are back on offense, but one is quarterback Logan Thomas, who is increasingly becoming a hot name in draft circles. The fact that Thomas is 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds is the chief reason analysts such as ESPN Insider Mel Kiper are forecasting him as a high first-round selection.
To read more about Virginia Tech and three other teams that had quiet springs but could have very strong 2012 seasons, you must be an ESPN Insider.
Travis Haney
ESPN Insider• Joined ESPN as Insider's national college football writer in April 2012
• Previously wrote for The Oklahoman and The Post and Courier
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Travis HaneyTravis Haney joined ESPN in April 2012 as Insider's national college football writer. He previously covered the University of Oklahoma Sooners for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman for one season, and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks for The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier for four. Additionally, Haney has contributed since 2003 to ESPN publications and projects, including ESPN The Magazine.
A native of Cleveland, Tenn., Haney's initial introduction to a college football cathedral was Neyland Stadium. He later graduated from the University of Tennessee, in 2003, and has spent time covering the Volunteers, the University of Georgia, Clemson University, and other schools. Safe to say, football, and football in the South, was injected into his bloodstream at a young age.
Haney is the author of three books -- Gamecock Glory and Gamecock Encore, which chronicled the South Carolina baseball team's run to the 2010 and 2011 national championships, and State of Disunion, a historical look at the Clemson-South Carolina football rivalry that he co-wrote with Larry Williams.
Haney resides in Charlotte, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter here.
