You could make the case that right tackle Ed Wang’s broken ankle is the most significant development of Virginia Tech’s season.

Granted, Wang had never played offensive line before, so there is no telling how much his presence would have helped the Hokies, whose line’s early season struggles have been well documented. But remember that Wang’s replacement, Nick Marshman, is a natural guard who probably will move back inside when Wang returns (the coaches are hoping for Oct. 13 at Duke).

Think of how much Marshman playing left guard would have helped that spot. Right now, Tech is using Richard Graham (St. Christopher’s School) and Matt Welsh there. If Marshman stayed at left guard, the versatile Graham could be available to spell Wang at right tackle. Again, all of this assumes that Wang didn’t get injured. But I’m just trying to paint a picture of possibilities for you.

I feel like I’ve written a billion stories on the offensive line this season, but it is the most important make-or-break aspect of this team. We’ll have two more offensive line stories in tomorrow’s print edition—one big-picture piece on the reasons behind the line’s recent struggles and a smaller-picture story on Wang’s recovery.

Here are some leftovers from the Wang story ...

- Wang on why he wanted to come watch practice most days, even when his injury prevented him from doing anything—“I feel like I just had to keep myself feeling a part of the team and not wander off and do my own little thing.”

- Wang said he never wanted to take a medical redshirt and always wanted to try to come back this season.

- Wang on his recovery at this point—“Right now, I’m just walking, and there’s no pain right there.” He is scheduled to begin jogging today.

- On the noticeable change in his leg size—“My [left] calf shrunk when I was in the cast, because I didn’t move for two weeks. I’m just trying to get it back now. I’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m going to try to strengthen my ankle up again, just all my joints, all my leg muscles.”

- On the hardest part of his rehab—“I think the hardest part was in the beginning, trying to get my motion back. My foot was real swollen. My ankle was real swollen. Couldn’t move it. So that was the hardest, just being able to push myself and get the motion back in my ankle.”

- On the frustration of the injury, considering he gained 40 pounds in the offseason to switch from tight end to right tackle—“It was frustrating, but then again, that comes with football. You can’t expect to play and not get injured ever.”

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ANGELO STATE UPDATE

After posting this blog, I realized I failed you, my fine readers, by not providing the weekly update on our Angelo State Rams. They won on homecoming last Saturday, and we’ll let the fine prose of Angelo State’s sports information staff take it from there. (And yes, Angelo State’s opponents were the Central Oklahoma Bronchos—which is an alternate spelling of Broncos. Weird league, that Lone Star Conference.)

The Rams are off this coming Saturday before hosting Midwestern State on Sept. 29 in another Lone Star Conference game.