The Virginia Tech football team faced a whale of a challenge when it came to replacing quarterback Jerod Evans.
The Hokies dual-threat quarterback was deadly last season, passing for 3,552-yards, running for 846 yards, and accounting for 41 total touchdowns. He was the driving force behind a surprising 10-4 finish in the ACC.
With him no longer with the program, head coach Justin Fuente is putting his hopes in the hands of Josh Jackson.
Jackson lacks actual starting experience in the FBS, but he was a redshirt all of last season and knows Fuente’s system well. He’ll be given the keys to the car and expected to drive it comfortably and with ease right off the bat.
The Hokies announced the news on social media.
“Day in and day out, he’s been consistent…” @CoachFuente on naming Josh Jackson the starting QB#HardSmartTough 🦃 pic.twitter.com/Jf4iZ5usgK
— HokiesFB 🦃 (@HokiesFB) August 14, 2017
With Jackson getting the nod to start the Hokies game on opening weekend, it means that AJ Bush is the likely to draw backup duties. The redshirt junior knows the ins-and-outs of the Hokies defense, but the team feels that Jackson’s explosiveness gives them the best chance to win on a nightly basis.
The ACC is ripe for the taking this year, with Florida State entering the season as the obvious top dog in the conference. The defending national champion Clemson Tigers lost a lot of players to the NFL Draft and graduation, while the Miami Hurricanes don’t have a clear-cut option at quarterback.
If Jackson can find a way to get the offense clicking early and often, it might get them into a conference championship game by seasons end.
Virginia Tech opens its 2017 campaign on Sunday, Sept. 3 against West Virginia.
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Photo Credit: Twitter
