There are still 44 days until Virginia Tech opens spring practice, which is a lot of downtime to fill on a football-only blog. Sure, there’s the NFL Combine, pre-draft stuff, pro day and the release of the ACC schedule (which, at this rate, might not come out until July), but that’s not going to cover every day.

So I’m starting what will be a periodic position-by-position look at Virginia Tech’s scholarship situation, taking stock of the roster. These aren’t going to come one right after another right in a row. I’ll space them out so they run on relatively light days for the blog, but I’ll get through every position before springs starts.

I hope to talk to every assistant coach at some point between now and the spring too to shed some light on how each position group looks. Stay tuned to the blog for those updates.

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Let’s start with the quarterbacks:

* Seniors: None

* Juniors: Logan Thomas

* Sophomores: Mark Leal, Trey Gresh

* Redshirt freshmen: T.J. Shaw, Brian Rody

* Incoming freshmen: Brenden Motley, Connor Jessop

* Current scholarship players (2): Thomas, Leal

* Incoming scholarship players (1): Motley

* What to think of the returners: It doesn’t get much more solid that Thomas, who, if he wasn’t already, will be the Hokies’ meal ticket in 2012. Given another full spring to develop as a quarterback (and remember that he’s been doing it full-time, year-round for two and a half years now), he could put up big numbers again next season if the offensive line and receiving corps come together. Coaches have had good things to say about Leal, although he’s only played in garbage time. He’ll need to develop this spring to give the coaches some peace of mind, especially with how often Thomas throws his 6-foot-6, 254-pound frame into the fray.

* What to think of the newcomers: Motley is the only scholarship guy in the 2012 class, and Tech appears ready to keep him at quarterback. He should be a work in progress. He ran a Wing T offense at Christiansburg High, so his dropback skills are probably not refined, although he’s got good size (6-3, 195) and Tech is eager to see what he can do given some time to develop. He’ll benefit from redshirting and learning the ins and outs of the position. Jessop is expected to join the team as a preferred walk-on. He’s a big kid (6-4, 210) in the pro-style mold from the Washington, D.C., area who had a scholarship offer from Richmond but chose to pay his own way in Blacksburg.

* What does the future bode? Virginia Tech needs to sign at least one quarterback in 2013. Thomas is eligible to go pro and he has the kind of measurables that would make NFL scouts drool. Whether he’d consider it or not remains to be seen. He’s still relatively new to the quarterback position and, from what I can gather, enjoys the college life. But there’s no guarantee he’ll be around for his senior season in 2013. Leal isn’t a prototype quarterback (he’s 6 feet tall), so it’s unclear if he’s the future once Thomas leaves. Reports indicate the Hokies have targeted Virginia Beach’s Bucky Hodges as a 2013 recruit. He’s a 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect in the same mold of Thomas. Given the difference in years, he could carry the torch once Thomas leaves, much like Thomas did when Tyrod Taylor graduated.