Before I get to the notebook for tomorrow’s paper, a couple post-practice items ...

1. Running backs coach Billy Hite said sophomore Josh Oglesby or redshirt freshman Ryan Williams would be his starting running back Saturday and get the first carry.

Hite hasn’t made a decision about a starter, and he said he might not do it by the end of Thursday’s practice, which is when the coaching staff originally indicated it might pick a starter. Regardless of when Hite makes his decision—Thursday, Friday or just before kickoff—the public almost certainly won’t know the answer until kickoff.

But one thing is for sure: true freshman David Wilson will not be the starter. “I don’t want him to go out there in front of 80,000 people on the very first play of the game,” Hite said. “I want him to get it worked out, be there on sideline a little bit, get into the flow of the game by watching.”

Hite said he is pleased with the tailbacks’ health. Wilson and Oglesby missed time this preseason because of injuries—Wilson a sprained left shoulder and Oglesby a pulled right hamstring and infected blister on his left heel. “If they’re not 100 percent, they’re very close,” Hite said.

2. As an off-shoot of the Julio Jones note below, Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said Randall Dunn, the Hokies’ 6-2, 223-pound tight end, has been mimicking Jones in practice. Dunn used to play receiver. But as Foster noted, “It’s hard to kind of mimick that guy.”

On to the notes. More tidbits from today to come later.

HOKIES FACE CHALLENGE WITH JONES: Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said Julio Jones, Alabama’s sophomore wide receiver, reminds the Hokies’ staff of Calvin Johnson, the former Georgia Tech receiver and second overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.

Tech’s senior whip linebacker, Cody Grimm, offered a different comparison for Jones, a 6-4, 210-pounder who last season led the Crimson Tide in catches (58), receiving yards (924) and touchdown receptions (four), and was a first-team freshman All-American.

“The guy’s like a thoroughbred out there,” Grimm said. “He’s just faster and stronger than everyone pretty much.”

Jones and his size could prove a tough task Saturday for field cornerback Rashad Carmichael, a 5-11, 186-pound junior who is entering his first season as a starter. But because Alabama lines Jones up all over the field, no one Hokie will exclusively defend him, said Torrian Gray, Tech’s defensive backs coach.

“There are situations where you’ve got to get out there and you’ve got to match them up [in man-to-man defense],” Gray said. “But obviously, for a guy that’s inexperienced or for any of our guys, we’ve got to be able to help those guys, too, whether it’s having a safety over the top or playing some zone coverage.”

Carmichael has started one game, last season’s opener against East Carolina. During the past couple weeks, he stressed about taking advantage of his opportunity in this bigger role. “A bunch of thoughts rushing through my head,” he said.

“Now that it’s game week this weekend, I’ve relaxed a lot, talked to my mom and my brothers,” he said Monday. “They reassured me: ‘There’s no pressure on you. Just relax. It’s still a game.’ I feel a lot better coming out of practice today.”

LB MARTIN HAS BEEN LIMITED IN PRACTICE: Cam Martin, Tech’s other senior whip linebacker, originally injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the 2007 ACC championship game. The knee bothered him all of last season, when he received a pain-killer shot before every game and wore a brace.

Martin underwent surgery after the season and missed spring practices. But the knee still is giving him trouble and could affect how much he plays this season.

“We’ve tried to give him some time off a little bit at practice,” Beamer said. “He knows what he’s doing. It’s just his ability to do it on the knee. I think the more rest he can get, the best chance he’s got at playing more reps in the game.”

CODY’S SIZE WOWS HOKIES: Terrence Cody has lost about 45 pounds from the moment he arrived on Alabama’s campus before last season until now. Cody, a 6-5 senior nose guard, still weighs 354 pounds.

“I don’t think I’ve ever known anybody that big,” Beamer said.

Cody came to Alabama as a 400-pound junior-college transfer. He weighed about 365 for most of last season, when he was a consensus first-team All-American.

Tech’s new starting center, junior Beau Warren, is listed at 6-3 and 288. Alabama plays a 3-4 defense, with three defensive linemen and four linebackers, so Warren will get some help blocking Cody from guards Sergio Render and Jaymes Brooks, a sophomore who also is a new full-time starter.

So what advice has Beamer given Warren for blocking Cody? “Make sure you’ve got that head gear on tight and move those feet,” Beamer said.

THIS AND THAT: Beamer said the four true freshmen who will travel to Atlanta are cornerback Jayron Hosley, tailback David Wilson, wide receiver D.J. Coles (Goochland High) and quarterback Logan Thomas, though Beamer wants to redshirt Thomas. Coles seems to be Tech’s No. 6 receiver, and Beamer said he will also play on the punt block and return teams. … Hosley is listed as senior Stephan Virgil’s backup at boundary corner. Sophomore Eddie Whitley, who had been practicing at corner, is the understudy to senior free safety Kam Chancellor, a role previously held by sophomore Lorenzo Williams. Whitley played safety in high school. He practiced there and at corner last season.

—Darryl Slater

On Julio Jones and some movement on Virginia Tech’s depth chart. Plus, running backs coach Billy Hite says either Josh Oglesby or Ryan Williams will be his starter.