ESPN College Football

Virginia Tech Hokies

2012 record: 7-6

2012 conference record: 4-4, Coastal

Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners

QB Logan Thomas, CB Kyle Fuller, DE James Gayle, LB Jack Tyler

Key losses

WR Marcus Davis, OT Vinston Painter, LB Bruce Taylor, LB Alonzo Tweedy

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Thomas* (524 yards, 9 TDs)

Passing: Thomas* (220-of-429 for 2,976 yards, 18 TDs, 16 INTs)

Receiving: Davis (953 yards, 5 TDs)

Tackles: Tyler* (119)

Sacks: Taylor (5.5)

Interceptions: Exum* (five)

Spring answers

1. Secondary. Depth in the secondary was already thin, and the group got much thinner when starting cornerback Antone Exum tore his ACL during a pickup basketball game. But this spring revealed a rising star in true freshman Brandon Facyson, who enrolled in January. He, Donovan Riley and Donaldven Manning all played well this spring, easing some concerns.

2. Depth up front. The other area defensive coordinator Bud Foster wanted to work on was building depth on his defensive line. He believes he started to accomplish that this spring with younger players like Kris Harley, Nigel Williams, Alston Smith, and Woody Baron coming along.

3. Offense has a ways to go. That might not be the answer fans want to hear, but there is no doubt this group still has gains to make between now and the season opener against Alabama. Anybody who watched what happened in the spring game knows that. More on that down below.

Fall questions

1. Logan Thomas' growth. Just about everybody associated with Virginia Tech says Thomas made some significant strides this spring while working under new coordinator Scot Loeffler. But everybody wants to talk about what happened in the spring game, when he threw three interceptions, including two returned for scores. Thomas made way too many mistakes last season. No matter what other improvements he might have made this spring, he has got to learn to take care of the football.

2. Running back. The Hokies had nobody to shoulder the load last season, and after the spring, they still have nobody to shoulder the load. The ground game didn’t show much in the spring game. J.C. Coleman and Trey Edmunds appear to be the top two guys, pending what happens with Michael Holmes, suspended after he was arrested last month.

3. Offensive line. This group is not a finished product by any stretch, as players were shuffled in and out of the lineup this spring to try and find the right group. Or at least a group that can perform better than a season ago. One player to note is true freshman Jonathan McLaughlin, who ended the spring as the starting left tackle.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- If it feels like we've been talking about this game forever, it's because we have. You know how important this game is to the Coastal Division standings and the ACC race, but coaches for both schools have reiterated that the season won't end tonight.

Instead, the fun has just begun.

Hokies fans were out in full force on Spring Road just outside Lane Stadium as the team busses cruised through, and they cheered on the band with the "Let's Go! Hokies!" chant. The smoke from the turkey legs stand is filling the air, and it's hot and humid and on the verge of a downpour. Weather.com is calling for a 50 percent chance of rain at 9 p.m., and it's a dark and gray evening here. It hasn't dampened the spirits, though, of the fans tailgating. Georgia Tech fans have been hard to find, but Hokies' coach Frank Beamer found Jackets' defensive coordinator Al Groh on the 50-yard for a pregame handshake.

A few matchups to watch include Georgia Tech right guard Omoregie Uzzi against defensive tackles Luther Maddy and Antoine Hopkins, and left guard Will Jackson against defensive tackles Derrick Hopkins and Kris Harley. Watch Virginia Tech's secondary on the big plays, and how well the Hokies' defense can limit the fullback in the spread option offense. Will the Hokies see some pistol offense tonight? Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said he's heard some rumors about it.

There will be plenty to watch, but at the end of the night, the most important thing everyone will be looking at is the Coastal Division standings.

One of the biggest question marks facing defending ACC champ Virginia Tech this year is the revamped defensive line, which has to replace three starters. I caught up with defensive line coach Charlie Wiles on Wednesday afternoon to see what kind of progress the group has made.

Overall, he said he was pleased with the starting four, which, if they played today, would be: tackles Antoine Hopkins and his brother, Derrick Hopkins, and defensive ends J.R. Collins and James Gayle. The backup positions are where he has the most concerns, and depth remains an issue as the Hokies wrap up spring ball on Saturday and prepare for summer camp.

The Hopkins brothers are two players to watch this fall. Antoine Hopkins is nicknamed “Hop,” and his little brother, Derrick, is “Skip.” They’ve got a younger brother who … you guessed it, is “Jump.”

If Virginia Tech lined up today, Hop and Skip would be in the starting lineup, much like the brother-tandem of Kevin Lewis and Jonathan Lewis once did for the Hokies.

“I love the way our first group has been playing,” Wiles said.

Here’s a closer look at the starters:

DT ANTOINE HOPKINS: Wiles said Hopkins has really elevated his game this spring. Hopkins started 12 games last year and had 45 tackles, including 6.5 for losses.

DT DERRICK HOPKINS: He was in the two-deep as a true freshman last year, but Wiles said he “kind of leveled off a little bit” at the end of the year. Not this spring. “Derrick came out and really has had a superb spring. He’s a playmaker. He has all those things I saw in camp that have been elevated through a year of growth and a year of maturity not only in the weight room, but he’s mentally grown up a little bit. He’s made a lot of plays -- a lot of plays this spring.”

DE JAMES GAYLE: He showed flashes last year, but was a better practice player than he was a gamer. Wiles guessed it was a matter of confidence, but he brought a new attitude into the offseason and won the Hokies’ prestigious Excalibur Award for his work in the weight room. He’s now playing with a purpose. “He made his mind up after the year was over that he was going to be a difference-maker,” Wiles said. “He had a phenomenal offseason. ... The transition rolled right over into spring ball. He’s been a special cat out there.”

DE J.R. COLLINS: He started the spring a little bit slow, but continued to show progress with each practice and scrimmage. Last Friday night in one of the Hokies’ scrimmages, Collins earned the highest points on the team and was awarded the famed lunch pail. “He really got on an upward trend,” Wiles said.

Wiles knows he can’t play the whole season with just those four players, so developing the depth between now and the season opener will be critical. Right now, Tyrel Wilson is a No. 2 defensive end and Duan Perez-Means is the other backup end. They’re being pushed, though, by former linebacker Quillie Odom and Zack McCray.

At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, McCray is still learning the position as a redshirt freshman. He could still be a year away from a strength standpoint, Wiles said.

“He’s got to become more physical,” Wiles said. “He thinks he’s playing hard when he’s not all the time. It’s my job to get him over the hump and to get him to that point where he can be real productive for us, but he does have the tools.”

Inside, Wiles is looking for five defensive tackles he can count on, and Kwamaine Battle, who tore his ACL, came back this spring about 15 pounds overweight and out of shape.

“I trust the kid,” Wiles said. “I know what I’m going to get out of him, but we have to have a great summer with him.”

Dwight Tucker had a high-ankle sprain and missed all of the spring, but he could be in the mix, and Isaiah Hamlette got a lot of reps this spring. Wiles said redshirt freshman Nick Acree isn’t ready to go yet. Because they’re looking for another playmaker inside, Wiles said there won’t be any hesitation to audition some of the true freshmen who will join the team this summer, starting with Kris Harley.

“We’ve got to bring along some guys,” Wiles said. “People are going to get nicked up. We’re not going to play guys just to play guys. We want production. We’re not going to change our expectations. You’ve got to come up to where we are and the level of defense we have to play. We’ve got some guys who need to get better.”

A few ACC recruiting nuggets for you on a gorgeous Monday afternoon, at least where I live.

• Virginia Tech bolstered its defensive line with a commitment Monday from Kris Harley, an ESPNU 150 Watch List selection from Indianapolis. Harley recorded 91 tackles, including 19 for loss and five sacks as a junior at Warren Central High School, the alma mater of Hokies standout running back Darren Evans. Harley had received offers from USC, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Iowa, Oklahoma and Wake Forest, among others. Harley's high school coach has some high praise for the standout lineman.
• Wake Forest recently added a pair of offensive tackles to its 2011 recruiting class. Dylan Intemann and Hunter Goodwin committed to play for the Demon Deacons. Intemann had received an offer from NC State, while Goodwin picked Wake over Maryland and West Virginia.
• If you haven't already, check out colleague JC Shurburtt's recap of the VTO Sports Elite 100 combine, held during the weekend in Charlotte. Several top prospects considering ACC schools were on hand, including tight end Drew Owens.