Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer held a teleconference today with us media slime-balls as Beamer and the Hokies prepare to begin spring practices on Wednesday. Here are the highlights of that call, which should help get you up to speed on the team. (All players’ classes are what they will be in the fall; the true freshmen listed joined the team in January.)

*** Junior Josh Oglesby is moving from tailback to fullback, giving him a better chance to play. Last fall he carried just 78 times. He is now tied with senior Kenny Younger (Mills Godwin) atop the depth chart at fullback.

The move makes sense for Oglesby because the tailback position is so crowded, with sophomore Ryan Williams, junior Darren Evans and sophomore David Wilson, who could redshirt this fall. Senior Kenny Lewis Jr. is also with the team. He hasn’t played since midway through 2008, when he tore his Achilles tendon.

Williams and Evans are co-No. 1 at tailback. Evans set the ACC freshman rushing record in 2008 before Williams broke it, and the single-season school record, last season when he had to replace Evans, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a preseason practice. Wilson and Lewis are tied at No. 2.

As for how close to 100 percent Evans is, Beamer said, “I think he’s ready to roll.”

As for the chances that Wilson redshirts, Beamer said, “I think that’s a possibility. But right now, I’d like everybody to go full speed ahead and make those decisions at the proper time.”

*** Though Oglesby’s move is an interesting development, the backfield won’t be the Hokies’ biggest issue this spring. That would be their defense, which will have just four starters from last season: senior cornerback Rashad Carmichael, senior rover Davon Morgan (Varina), senior tackle John Graves (Meadowbrook) and sophomore linebacker Lyndell Gibson.

That’s because the Hokies lost ends Nekos Brown and Jason Worilds (left a year early for NFL), tackle Cordarrow Thompson, corner Stephan Virgil, free safety Kam Chancellor, whip linebacker Cody Grimm and rover Dorian Porch, who shared starting duties with Morgan. Top backup tackle Demetrius Taylor also departed.

Then another starter, junior linebacker Barquell Rivers, tore his left quadriceps tendon during offseason workouts. He is expected to miss five to six months and his status for the start of August practice is questionable.

“We’ve just got a lot of new names,” Beamer said of his defense. “It’s gonna be a real challenge for us to step up and be a consistent defense with the new people we have there.”

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster, entering his 16th season on the job, has had to replace lots of talent before – and not that long ago.

After the 2007 season, he lost corner Brandon Flowers, free safety D.J. Parker, linebacker Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall, tackles Carlton Powell and Barry Booker, and end Chris Ellis. And the Hokies, who ranked fourth nationally in yards allowed per game in ’07, still managed to finish seventh in ’08 – and their average actually went down, from 296.9 yards allowed in ’07 to 279.4 in ’08.

“I think he’s got his work cut out for him,” Beamer said of Foster. “That defensive staff is gonna have to do some hard coaching. It’s gonna be an interesting spring for them. There’s a lot of teaching and a lot of learning, and we need to do it quick.”

*** In terms of defensive personnel, here is how the Hokies will try to plug the holes …

* Sophomore Bruce Taylor will take Rivers’ place during the spring at mike linebacker. His backups will be redshirt freshmen Telvion Clark and Jack Tyler, a walk-on.

* Junior Jake Johnson started last season at the other linebacker spot, before Gibson replaced him. Johnson is now a backup defensive end. “I think it will allow him to use his speed somewhat like Jason Worilds coming off the corner,” Beamer said. “He’s not a real tall guy [listed at 6-2], but he’s a very athletic, fast guy.”

The Hokies’ new starting ends entering spring are senior Steven Friday and junior Chris Drager, who converted from tight end before last season. The other backup ends, along with Johnson, are redshirt freshman James Gayle, redshirt freshman J.R. Collins, sophomore Isaiah Hamlette and true freshman Duan Perez-Means (Hermitage).

* Staying on the line, junior Kwamaine Battle is No. 1 at tackle next to Graves. Behind him, sophomores Antoine Hopkins (Highland Springs) and Joe Jones are tied.

* Moving back in the defense, sophomore Jeron Gouveia-Winslow is the No. 1 whip. Behind him are sophomores Alonzo Tweedy (Hermitage) and Lorenzo Williams, a who moved from rover in the offseason. “We think he needs to get closer to the line of scrimmage,” Beamer said of Williams. Senior Zach Luckett, a converted receiver, would have contended at whip, but he tore his ACL late in the season.

* The depth chart at free safety looks like this: junior Eddie Whitley, redshirt freshman Antone Exum (Deep Run), true freshman Theron Norman (Hermitage) and sophomore Jerome Williams. “I think those guys, they could be a whip or they could be a rover if they’re not figuring in in the free safety position,” Beamer said. “I think we’ve got a lot of good players, but where they’re gonna end up playing, that’s what we’ve got to decide here in the next 15 practices.”

* Carmichael returns as the boundary corner. At the field spot, the starter is currently sophomore Jayron Hosley, the punt returner last season. The No. 2 field corner is redshirt freshman Jerrodd Williams. The No. 2 at boundary is junior Cris Hill, a Highland Springs graduate and former highly regarded recruit who has yet to live up to expectations. “It’s an important spring for Cris Hill,” Beamer said. “He’s a guy with a lot of talent and we want him to step up.”

*** Before we get back to offense, let’s not forget the Hokies have to replace kicker Matt Waldron and punter Brent Bowden.

* The top punter is currently senior Brian Saunders, Bowden’s backup. As always, there are some walk-ons in the mix at this position, including sophomore Scott Demler and redshirt freshman Grant Bowden, Brent’s younger brother, who is currently third behind Demler.

Beamer, who supervises the kickers and punters said Demler “can really hit it. He takes some long steps in there [during his approach] that we need to work on a little bit.”

* At kicker, fifth-year senior Chris Hazley could continue a recent trend. Waldron also got one season as the top kicker – as a fifth-year senior. Same for the two guys who preceded him: Dustin Keys and Jud Dunlevy.

Beamer also likes junior Justin Myer, who has handled kickoffs since he was a true freshman.

“He’s certainly got all the ability to be a great field goal guy,” Beamer said. Beamer likes that Myer gets the ball high, gets into it quickly and has a strong leg. But he needs Myer to be more consistent. “If he can get that down, I think he’s a real good candidate,” Beamer said.

Also contending will be redshirt freshman Cody Journell, who Beamer liked so much that he signed him to a scholarship out of high school. Beamer mentioned two other walk-ons as well: redshirt freshman Zack Pickard and junior Tyler Weiss, a transfer from Murray State, where Beamer first became a head coach.

“I think the competition is great because we do have a lot of good kickers in this program,” Beamer said.

*** OK, back to offense …

* Backup quarterback will be an area to check out in the spring. Not surprisingly, Beamer said sophomore Joseph “Ju-Ju” Clayton (Hermitage) and redshirt freshman Logan Thomas are tied for the backup spot behind senior Tyrod Taylor.

The coaches don’t need to pick a backup this spring. That battle can certainly continue in August practices. But this is the time when Clayton or Thomas must begin proving himself as a worthy successor to Taylor. Clayton has more experience in the program as he enters his third year. Thomas, who is 6-6 and 238 pounds, has more physical tools.

“The problem is gonna be trying to get enough reps there,” Beamer said of his backup quarterbacks.

* Another interesting development on offense is sophomore Nick Becton being the No. 1 left tackle. Beamer opted to keep junior Blake DeChristopher (Clover Hill) at right tackle, rather than moving him over to the left side, as he did with Ed Wang, who was last season’s left tackle.

Becton is in his third year in the program, which is when offensive line coach Curt Newsome ideally likes to have his players begin contributing, because that’s when most of them are ready.

The only other lineman Tech lost was left guard Sergio Render. Junior Greg Nosal, who saw significant time as a backup last season, will step in there.

Center is a noteworthy spot on the line, even though senior Beau Warren returns. Newsome would like to have redshirt freshman Andrew Miller be his No. 2 center, but Miller is still recovery from shoulder surgery and won’t do any full-speed work during the spring. He will do individual work.

That means sophomore Michael Via will remain the backup center for now. Newsome would prefer to slide Via over to tackle. His body – 6-7, 287 pounds – is that of a tackle. Moreover, Via held his own last season while starting three games when Warren got hurt. Unlike tackle and guard, center isn’t a position where the backup plays, so Newsome wants to get Via out of that spot as soon as he can.

Another player to watch in the spring is true freshman Laurence Gibson, the No. 2 left tackle. He enrolled in January after spending last fall at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham. He is one of the gems of the Hokies’ 2010 recruiting class.

Here is the offensive line two-deep entering the spring …

LT: So. Nick Becton, Fr. Laurence Gibson
LG: Jr. Greg Nosal, r-Fr. David Wang (Ed’s younger brother)
C: Sr. Beau Warren, So. Michael Via
RG: Jr. Jaymes Brooks, So. Vinston Painter
RT: Jr. Blake DeChristopher, Jr. Andrew Lanier

The full depth chart will be released tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll post it here when it becomes available.

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