Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer let his two quarterbacks know that if one separated himself in the spring, he would be No. 1 when fall camp opened.

But senior Sean Glennon and sophomore Tyrod Taylor pretty much emerged in the same relative positions they were last fall when they split responsibilities through the year.

Glennon had a solid spring game, going nine of 15 passing for 119 yards, and Taylor was 11 of 19 for 67 yards while sustaining an interception and three sacks.

But overall, the two competed on even terms throughout the spring session, and Glennon said he didn't think his coaches were ready to anoint him No. 1 for 2008.

"I know they're not making a decision on one game," Glennon said. "They're going to take into account the other 14 practices, too."

Beamer himself noted that Glennon had the upper hand in the final scrimmage but said that evaluation would continue.

Glennon last year completed 61 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,796 yards, and he led the Hokies to their victory over Boston College in the ACC championship game. But he struggled in the Orange Bowl loss to Kansas, throwing a pair of interceptions.

Taylor completed 54 percent of his pass attempts for 927 yards and was the team's second-leading rusher with 429 yards.

Quarterback isn't the only position battle that remains unresolved following the spring session. Who will carry the load at running back remains unanswered after injuries sidelined Kelvin Lewis Jr. and Jahre Cheeseman, giving redshirt freshmen Darren Evans and Josh Oglesby opportunities to step in. If Lewis and Cheeseman aren't ready by the fall, little-used senior Dustin Pickle will be the only running back available who has collegiate carries.

Junior Brandon Dillard made a late impression with his speed, but wide receiver also is an open position on offense.

Despite the rebuilding job on defense, only one position -- cornerback -- has an opening going into the fall.

--Virginia Tech had one of the top receiving corps in the league for the last four years, but this year's group includes only two wide receivers who have caught a pass in college competition. They are senior Ike Whitaker, a converted quarterback who has three career catches, and sophomore Zach Luckett, who had two catches last season. TEs Sam Wheeler and Greg Boone are the leading returning receivers with 15 and 11 catches, respectively.

--Sophomore QB Tyrod Taylor takes exception to those who call him injury prone. Taylor, who missed two games and was slowed in a third by ankle and rib injuries last year, missed a scrimmage after spraining his foot but returned for the closing spring game. "Naw, I'm not injury prone," he told the Roanoke Times. "A foot sprain can happen anytime. When you're a mobile quarterback, your feet do get twisted up some time. But, no, I'm not injury prone. In high school, I played both ways my whole career. I laugh when people bring up that stuff. I haven't had any injuries."

SPRING MOVERS:

WR Brandon Dillard -- A walk-on who spent 2007 on special teams after not seeing any varsity action as a redshirt freshman the previous year, Dillard is considered the fastest player on the team and looks to fill one of the vacated wide receiver spots.

RB Darren Evans -- With Brandon Ore no longer on the team and veterans Kenny Lewis Jr. and Jahre Cheesman both sidelined with injuries in the late spring, Evans, a redshirt freshman, advanced quickly up the depth chart behind senior Dustin Pickle and was listed at No. 2 with another redshirt freshman, Josh Oglesby, when spring ended.

DE Jason Worilds -- After playing in 13 games and registering 2.5 sacks in a backup role last season, this sophomore has a firm grip on a starting spot after a strong offseason and spring session.

RT Blake DeChristopher -- The 6-5, 293-pound redshirt freshman is the only new starters in the offensive line for the Hokies.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The good thing is we've got two really good quarterbacks." -- Coach Frank Beamer, on the quarterback competition between senior Sean Glennon and sophomore Tyrod Taylor.

2008 OUTLOOK: The Hokies face a major rebuilding job on both offense and defense but look to have the talent to compete for another Coastal Division championship, especially if they get steady play at quarterback. They do have an experienced starter at the position no matter who it is, and with their veteran line they should be fine on offense. There figures to be a drop in their defense with the loss of people like Chris Ellis, Xavier Adibi, Vince Hall and Brandon Flowers, but the Hokies seem to have a knack for finding more than capable replacements. Over one four-game stretch that could determine their division fate, the Hokies have three road trips against Boston College, Florida State and Miami with a home game against Maryland thrown in.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: QBs Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor will continue their battle for the starting job in the fall, though Glennon came out of the spring with a slight edge over Taylor. It's even enough, however, that coach Frank Beamer wasn't leaning either way. The dismissal of veteran Brandon Ore and the injuries to Kelvin Lewis and Jahre Cheeseman leave the running back slot wide open, and the Hokies will have to come up with an all-new receiver corps. Four starters in the interior line -- LT Ed Wang (moved from the right side), LG Nick Marshman, C Ryan Shuman and RG Sergio Render -- return along with TE Sam Wheeler, a starter last year.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Hokies will have several virtually untested newcomers in key spots in 2008, including senior LBs Brett Warren and Purnell Sturdivant, who backed up Adibi and Hall. Junior LB Cam Martin started 13 of 14 games. DE Orion Martin is an All-ACC candidate, and sophomore Jason Worilds looks to be a future star at the other end. Both tackles will be new with sophomore John Graves and junior Cordarrow Thompson stepping in. CB Macho Harris is a stud in the secondary, and FS Kam Chancellor had 14 starts in 2007.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: Junior P Brent Bowden returns after averaging 42.5 yards per attempt last season, but the Hokies are in the market for a new field-goal kicker. Senior PK Dustin Keys was the leader coming out of the spring, but the competition isn't over yet. Sophomore Matt Waldron, a transfer from Penn State, and sophomore walk-on Chris Hazley remain in the picture. WR Brandon Dillard, who had a strong spring both in receiving and on special teams, and Harris look to carry the load in the return game for the departed Eddie Royal and Josh Morgan.

ROSTER REPORT:

--RBs Kelvin Lewis Jr. (shoulder) and Jahre Cheeseman (broken fibula) missed the final workouts of the spring. Both are expected back for the fall, though the early prognosis for Lewis was that he would miss 4-6 months. Lewis ran for 205 yards last year, Cheeseman 133 playing behind Branden Ore (since dismissed).

--CB Macho Harris spent the first half of the spring working at wide receiver and could very well see double-duty in the fall. He is moving from the "boundary" cornerback spot from the wider side he has played in prior years.

Previous Report: 03/29/2008