Cornerback Antone Exum returning for his senior season
Virginia Tech’s secondary got some welcome news Wednesday.
Cornerback Antone Exum informed Virginia Tech’s coaches that he will return for his senior year, a boost to a Hokies defensive backfield that struggled with depth issues last season.
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There is no word yet from Virginia Tech as to what quarterback Logan Thomas and defensive end James Gayle will do. As underclassmen, they have until Jan. 15 to enter their names in the draft.
Exum’s return means the Hokies’ streak of 14 straight years of having a defensive back taken in the NFL Draft will end. The coaches probably don’t mind.
After switching from safety to cornerback last offseason, Exum eventually blossomed at his new position. The 6-foot-1, 224-pound rising senior from Glen Allen earned second-team All-ACC honors by the coaches and media and an honorable mention All-America nod by Sports Illustrated.
After some growing pains early in the season, Exum turned himself into the Hokies’ best cover corner, with 48 tackles, an ACC-best 16 pass breakups and a team-high five interceptions.
That included picks in the Hokies’ last three games. His interception of Michael Rocco in the fourth quarter of the Virginia game set up Cody Journell‘s game-winning field goal as time expired.
He also picked off an overthrown ball by Rutgers’ Gary Nova in the fourth quarter of the Russell Athletic Bowl, returning it 32 yards to set up a Logan Thomas to Corey Fuller touchdown pass that sent the game to overtime, where the Hokies eventually won. Exum was named the game’s MVP.
Defensive coordinator Bud Foster hoped both Exum and Gayle would return to be leaders on a Hokies defense that will lose linebacker and senior captain Bruce Taylor.
Exum’s return is a boost to a secondary that reconfigured itself last offseason and was perilously thin thanks to attrition. Kyle Fuller will return at the cornerback spot opposite Exum, with converted corners Kyshoen Jarrett and Detrick Bonner back in their second year at safety.
Inexperienced corners Carl Jackson, Donovan Riley, Donaldven Manning, Davion Tookes and Der’Woun Greene will compete for second-team spots, with prized five-star 2013 commit Kendall Fuller, Kyle’s younger brother, expected to be in the mix right away once he signs.
January 9, 2013 - 4:00 PM
What was once weakness is now a strength. Wise decision. I like most thought @ mid season his position change was almost as catastrophic decision as not playing Tweedy till the 8th game. This kid with another tear @ this position will probably be a very rich young man.
How much does the decision Logan Thomas is making depend on who is OC, I wonder?
Probably everything.
Andy,
Which do you ‘think’ has more influence on Logan T. staying. Keeping OC staff or making changes??
I think Exum made the correct decision, if he continues to improve as he did this year his stock will rise..
I think its a smart move on his part. Have to guess he wasn’t getting great news about where he might get drafted. If I were he I would investigate “health insurance” or whatever they call that product for career ending injuries.
I will be curious to see how he does against ‘Bama and compare it to my memory of how Motta did in the BCS game.
I’m not a big LT fan….I don’t think he can hit a bull in the a@@ with a handful of rice….That being said I hope he does leave…Hokies need another QB…I didn’t see why a new QB was not given a chance in the bowl game….Yes I am a big hokie fan…………..
Personally, I think Logan likes the current coaches. They recruited him and have coached him for four years. But he has to know what the staff makeup is going to be — one way or another — to make an informed NFL decision.
If Kendall Fuller is as good as touted, I would love to see him start opposite of Exum with Kyle Fuller moved back to safety alongside Jarrett. Kyle thrived at safety in 2011 but never adapted to the CB position and was average. Exum really improved from game 1 to the last few games of the season and we need another CB like that patrolling the opposite side of the field.
Logan Thomas has all the right tools to be a great qb, but he absolutely need more coaching. Good coaching preferably. Let’s not forget he hasn’t been playing this position very long and didn’t have many play makers to help him last season. Given the time, education, and tools around him the skies the limit for this kid. A run game would also help a GREAT deal lol. Exum will absolutely help a defense much improved next season. Beast recruiting class coming in also!
Andy, when you say `probably everything` is that a Hoosiers analogy of `coach stays I stay coach goes I go`.Maybe he wouldn`t want to start over again with Pep or whomever. Would Beamer take that into consideration?
I’m sure Logan knows what he’s looking for. But I’m not sure whether that means he’s loyal to the old coaches or wouldn’t mind some new blood.
Andy, you weren`t posted when I sent mine. To get Pep I guess Beamer would take his chances with Logan. Somehow I get the feeling a lot of this has been decided and we`re just waiting on a press conference.
Logan staying at school would only be a good thing for Tech. I think he knows he needs another year to develop, and he could certainly help bring Bucky Hodges along quicker than anyone else. Bucky has a similar build and style, and a TON of potential. The only thing that may support him leaving is how thin the draft is at QB this year.
Considering the time frame Frank beamer puts into his hires,I don’t see any way he’d factor Logan Thomas into the equation. As in – ‘Do i keep LT for one more year of I hire this guy?’ No wise head coach would ask that question unless he were talking about a once in a lifetime player. While LT is nice, he’s not once in a lifetime.
Flipping it, I’ve already said I don’t think there’s anything left for LT in Blacksburg. Absolutely so if it were to mean the same offensive coaches, which it will certainly not. Even with new coaches, Gus Malzahn could come in and only one year under him would probably not be as beneficial as one year under any NFL QB coach.
That being said, it seems like the emotional attachment LT has, from Andy’s reports, colors his perspective quite differently. It is certainly interesting, and will prove a good story within the next week.
It’s funny how no one mentioned the step backwards that Kyle Fuller took this year. He wasn’t bad, but struggled in areas where last year he really took off. Perhaps the prior year was too high a bar and I’m glad to see him back there. Hoping for a better season from him next year.
There is such a vacuum of QB talent in the NFL right now that LT can afford to wait another year. He’s not going to get any shorter or weaker and his draft stock seems to be completely based on his prototypical QB size because it sure as heck ain’t based on his success throwing the ball. He didn’t just miss throws – didn’t look like he’d ever thrown a football far too often. I really think there was too much decision with the ball in the offense this year. Plays took far too long to develop and any advantage of the Pistol was wasted. If I could fix one thing it would be more decisiveness with the ball. Seemed like we fooled ourselves more than we fooled opposing defenses.
I agree Exum was the goat much of the first half, but seemed to get it in the second half. Still think he would be better at safety.
One more year near his first year could mean the difference of $2-3 million. He’s not ready for the pros now and would only be marginally so if the current O guys stick around. Things can only get better. Let’s face it, he hasn’t been a QB for long, so the more time he has to prep for the pros the better for him and VT, IMHO.
Confused by Mussel Man’s post. Was it not exum who moved to CB this year? Thought Fuller had been at CB all along or am I losing it?
Fuller played more nickel cornerback last year and was practically a whip linebacker. His cover skills probably aren’t as great as his tackling skills, which is why I think a lot of people think he’d make a good safety. But after last year’s shuffling, I’d be surprised if VT changed things around again.
Ab,
will football ticket sells be up or down this coming year if coaching changes do not happen? down!!
The offensive line and the running backs are problems that need addressed immediately. Other problems are workable, but these two need help, and now.
Reagarding Exum, it was the smart choice. Will see whether or not the other VT upper class choices and decisions the next six days were as well thought out and not emotionally desired.
This is likely Coach Beamers last hiring process so still waiting to see if the lenghty decision making progress bears some fruit.
Mistake when I said Kyle Fuller should be moved back to safety as he did basically play whip linebacker and nickel in 2011 as Andy said. He ranked 4th on D in 2011 with 65 tackles but dropped to 52 this year (20% drop). His ability to cover #1 and #2 receivers never really developed and he had less pass break ups in 2012 as a full-time CB than in 2011 and it was not because QBs were not throwing at him this year. As a CB, he is not involved in as many tackles (Exum’s tackles dropped from 2011 to 2012 as well, almost 50%) so seems with his skill set and size, Kyle would be more suited for safety.
Any updates on these guys starting the Spring semester:
Woody Baron
Seth Dooley
Jerome Wright
Jonathan McLaughlin
Drew Harris
Parker Osterloh
Carlis Parker
Brandon Facyson
Thanks!
You have to remember, Fuller was never really healthy this year. Shoulder and thigh problems. Will be interesting to see what he can do if full strength.
There are so many bloggers on this site that wax eloquent on VT issues but the bottom line is that all of these Hokie players should return next year if they want to win at least 6 games. Otherwise it will be 4 wins.
Any update on Drew Harris?
The best thing for VT would be for Logan to leave. I agree with the others in that he’s too inconsistent. Can throw the ball a mile, but can’t complete short passes to save his life. We need a new start, new direction, a new offense, and a new QB. Logan missed the boat by not being a All-American TE.
Are people forgetting that Fuller was injured most of the middle part of the season? Much like Hosely last year (whom the NATTs thought took a step backward as well), once the injuries healed, the level of play increased dramatically.
Hosely was a complete shutdown corner vs Michigan; don’t think this didn’t contribute signficantly to the D’s ability to dominate UM’s offense. His early loss in the Clemson ACC champ game was also huge. Same with Fuller. His play and the defense’s collectively, began to improve around the Clemson game and really stepped it up by the time of the FSU game. My guess is that the time off before the FSU game finally allowed him to get fully healthy.
Why did Fuller play through the injury? No depth. Unfortunately he was the best option and he took one for the team even though it probably hurt his stock with a great many folks.
I can tell you that my father — who is a Mich St guy and doesn’t follow VT football at all, but went with me to the Bowl game — said several times “17 is the best player on the field”.
MB – I hope you are right about Fuller’s injuries affecting his coverage ability as a pure CB but he struggled with the change to full-time CB early in the season as well (e.g., Pitt game and Cincy game and it wasn’t just the end game pass for TD). If his brother is as good as touted and can handle play as true freshman, seems the best lineup would be with Kyle at safety, which allows him to both tackle and cover. Bonner played better at end of season but Kyle is better. I just hope if Kyle does struggle, coaches are not hesitant to make a change. That does not seem to be a strong suit of coaching staff unless forced by injury, especially when younger players are involved.
Mussell Man — 2012 was not Fuller’s first rodeo as F/T corner. He was the F/T corner in 2011 except in non-Nickel situations. He only shifted to Nickel when personnel limitions and situations demanded it the previous year.
Correct me if I’m wrong but the 2 games you refer to (Pitt and Cincy) were not before the injury, but were actually when Fuller’s shoulder injury was at its worst.
IIRC, he injured the shoulder early in the Pitt game — and Jarrett and Bonner were shifted and Cole put at Safety rather than putting in the frosh at the corner for Fuller. As we saw, that didn’t work out so well. So when Fuller reinjured the shoulder (or, probably more accurately, further injured it) in Cincy game, they tried Manning at the corner and he got torched. Fuller got beat on the final Cincy TD pass and didn’t play well, but my guess is that if there had been any secondary depth whatsoever, he would not have been in that game.
I suspect that Fuller was dinged up pretty good from the Pitt game through the Duke game and really didn’t get back to near normal until FSU. IMO, once he got healthy, he played VERY well and you saw the defensive pieces really start to fit together.
MB – I thought in 2011 Fuller ended up getting shifted around a bit due to difficulty with whip, specifically Winslow, until he got hurt towards end of season. Guess 2012 was the 1st yr Kyle was tasked with covering the #1 WR with Hosley gone and Exom moving to safety and his lack of CB experience. I do recall Fuller got dinged in the Pitt game but not sure when. He and entire D did not play well and agreed there was no one really to replace him after seeing Manning and safeties get burned. Not sure of his condition the rest of the season but he seemed to still struggle against FSU receivers, as did Exum – FSU had 326 yds passing and Manuel is not a top passing QB.
I hope you are right and Kyle’s injury was what caused his average play in 2012 compared to 2011 because the D needs him back in 2011 form. I just think if his brother is as good as touted, and his brothers say Kendall is the best of the family, D would be best served swapping Bonner with Kyle, or Exum for that matter even though he really improved. Bonner is not bad but he often gets burned in coverage against passing teams and QBs that can make reads and find him. Having a safety that can cover like Kyle would be nice.
Fuller got shifted around in 2011 (as I said), but he was the field corner at the start of the season and in non-nickel situations. Tech plays a boundary and field corner. I’m sure that Fuller was paired up many times in 2011 (and 2012) against #1 receivers. Plus he payed a decent amount of corner in 2010 as well. He was not learning the position in 2012. I firmly believe he was injured more than was let on for a good part of the season and this impacted his cover and tackling ability.
Fuller was more than “dinged up” in the Pitt, he left the game in the first quarter and didn’t return.
VT was (as is often the case) committed to stopping the run against FSU — which they did effectively (-15 yrds). Don’t think that good coverage didn’t play a significant role in the 5 sacks that night.
My guess is that we’ll see Kendall Fuller providing needed depth at corner next year and by mid-season will provide Foster with the ability to move Kyle around on occasion depending upon the opponent and the situation (or injuries), but with less predictability because it won’t be out of necessity. But I think Kyle and Exum will still be the starting corners next year. If Fuller is healthy, he is the very least of Tech’s worries next year.
MB – Fuller played little CB in 2010 as we had Hosley and Rock Carmichael locked in as CBs. He is not on stat sheet 1st 2 games but he got good amount of time as season went on, which if I recall correctly was at Whip spot since Winslow really struggled and also at nickel giving CBs breather. But that is besides the point. I just think if his brother is as good as touted coaches should get him on the field full time, which they tend to hesitate to do with younger players. Williams would have never been the featured back in 2009 if Evans did not blow his knee out and Williams was/is a better back despite the season Evans had in 2008. I do hope you are right about injuries limiting Kyle’s play this year. I guess we’ll find out on Aug. 31.