Virginia Tech will wear camouflage helmets for Military Appreciation Day again this year, with a slightly tweaked design.

The Hokies’ helmets are an orange color, to be matched with special white uniforms that day, Sept. 21 against Marshall. It’s also Tech’s “White Out” game. (The photo is courtesy of Frank Beamer‘s website.)

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Virginia Tech had a more common green/brown camo design for last year’s game against Bowling Green, with a maroon VT logo in the center.

Initial thoughts: Last year’s was a little better, or at least more like what you’d expect from a camo design. Granted, the picture doesn’t give you an idea of what the entire uniform will look like this year, so I’ll withhold judgment.

What does everybody else think of the new camo look?

Virginia Tech is retiring the Fighting Gobbler logo effective Jan. 1, so the Hokies will be giving it a sendoff tonight.

Tech’s equipment room Twitter account put out this picture of what the Hokies wear tonight against Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It’s a maroon matte helmet with an orange Fighting Gobbler logo on the side of it, the first time the team has gone with the look.

The stripes down the middle are fancier (and abbreviated) too. On the back is a smaller version of the “Prevail” decal the team wore in practice this week to honor victims in the Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech shootings.

The helmets will be auctioned off after the game, with part of the proceeds going to the Sandy Hook fund.

In point-spread news, it looks like a lot of late money came in on Rutgers. The line went from Virginia Tech by 2 to a pick ‘em since this morning.

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Virginia Tech has (at least) one more uniform switch in the bag this year. The Hokies will wear a maroon matte helmet for the Russell Athletic Bowl, according to the equipment room’s Twitter account.

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I have to admit, it’s a solid look. The question is what logo Virginia Tech will use on it?

If it’s a straight-up VT logo of any color, it’ll look pretty good. If it’s the turkey tracks or the Foghorn Leghorn look, they probably won’t look so hot. A reader suggested white numbers or a simple VPI logo. I have to admit, the VPI baseball jerseys Tech has is probably the best look the school has.

Thoughts on the new look? (And spare me the “they should be focused on the preparing for the bowl game!” comments. It’s a helmet. And it’s put together by the equipment staff. Have a little fun with it.)

During the spring, Virginia Tech announced that it would partner with the Wounded Warrior project, hoping to raise $25,000 for the foundation by selling camouflage hats at local bookstores and online. (The details of which are here).

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The Hokies gave everyone a glimpse of the camo helmet in March. Today, on Frank Beamer‘s personal website (the free part), the team posted a sketch from Nike of what the uniform might look like.

It’s small, so click to enlarge. Putting on my fashion hat, it’s a very subtle look. White unis with camo numbers and maroon on the sleeves. I’m not sure what the pants situation is. (And yes, these are pressing issues when it’s June and not much else is going on in college football.)

I know incorporating the camo into the uniform is difficult. South Carolina did something like this last year against Auburn with camo numbers on black uniforms. The problem was nobody could read the numbers, so the officials made the Gamecocks change their jerseys before the game started, pretty much defeating the purpose.

Virginia Tech’s look is certainly more restrained than some of the previous Wounded Warrior designs, like South Florida.

Thoughts?

A couple items from the open viewing period of today’s practice:

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** First, here’s what you all really want to see. It’s the camouflage Virginia Tech helmet the Hokies will wear for Military Appreciation Night on Sept. 22 against Bowling Green. (Click on it to embiggen.)

** Those helmets are part of the fundraiser Tech is doing with the Wounded Warrior Projecs. The goal is to raise $25,000 for the foundation by selling camouflage hats at local bookstores and online. Here are the details.

Head coach Frank Beamer invited Ben Kiernan to speak with the team today.  The ’08 Virginia Tech grad was a 1371 Combat Engineer for the Marines when he was injured in Afghanistan by an IED attack on Sept. 16, 2010. Kiernan, 26, suffered injuries to his leg and all the way up his side to his bicep and has undergone physical therapy and surgeries for the last year and a half. He hopes to be discharged from his medical ward by the end of the year.

Kiernan called it a “dream come true” to address the team and showed them the special helmet they’ll wear. He deployed with the Fourth Combat Engineer Battalion in Bravo Company out of Roanoke, so there were plenty of Hokie fans in his group.

“It was everything to follow the Hokies over there,” Kiernan said. “That gives you a taste of home and gives you that sense of what home is like, really. So it was awesome. We followed them every chance we could. We couldn’t get to watch them, but we’d hear about the scores and look up the reports online.”

This is the second year Virginia Tech has done Military Appreciation Day.

“No. 1, it’s a great program,” Beamer said. “And then Ben is a perfect example of why it’s so good. Here’s a Virginia Tech graduate, he goes over and does his duty for the country, comes back wounded. Now we’re very thankful that he not only can walk but he’s started to jog. It’s just a great project.

** Signee Drew Harris from Downingtown, Pa., watched practice today on the sideline. He’s a big tailback. Very big. He looks taller than the 6-foot-1 he’s listed at and said he was “small” right now at 210 pounds. He’d like to be up at 220 but doesn’t fashion himself strictly a physical runner.

“I like to model my game after Adrian Peterson,” he said. “I wouldn’t consider myself a straight power back. I feel like if you’re a power back, you’re pretty limited. And I don’t think I’m limited.”

Harris’ senior season was cut short by a knee injury but said everything feels great now.

“I have no plans on redshirting,” Harris said. “But whatever god has planned.”

What appealed to him about Virginia Tech?

“Michael Vick went here,” he said. “Just the overall feeling you get, everything.”

Harris plans to be back for the spring game on April 21 and said he’ll probably enroll sometime in July.

** A few high-profile recruits were on hand at today’s practice: cornerback Kendall Fuller of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Md., quarterback Bucky Hodges of Salem High in Virginia Beach and offensive lineman Braxton Pfaff of Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg were.

Fuller is a five-star recruit who Rivals has as the No. 1 cornerback and No. 4 overall prospect in 2013. He’s the younger brother of Hokies senior wide receiver Corey Fuller and junior cornerback Kyle Fuller.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Hodges is the No. 13 pro-style quarterback nationally, according to Rivals.

Pfaff is every bit of the 6-foot-5, 290 pounds he’s listed at.

** One injury from the first day: safety Scott Rolin injured his knee.