Virginia Tech football: Matt Moore offers optimistic outlook on the offensive line

The Virginia Tech Hokies have been a mess offensively for the past several seasons. Whether it was because of offensive playcallers like Brad Cornelsen or Tyler Bowen, Tech has mostly lacked an offensive identity. Some of that has been because of subpar quarterback play. Some of it was because of poor offensive line play.

When Brent Pry was hired as head coach in 2022, he brought in Joe Rudolph as offensive line coach. The hire was viewed as a coup across college football. However, Rudolph lasted only one year in Blacksburg before bolting for the same position at Notre Dame.

It was late in the coaching carousel, so Pry’s hiring options were limited, which is why the Hokies ended up with Ron Crook. Players didn’t get better under Crook, and he was a liability on the recruiting trail. Virginia Tech lucked into Moore, as West Virginia had just fired Neal Brown, and Moore was suddenly available, making him a natural replacement.

Pry was fired in September, which meant Moore could’ve been on the move again. However, James Franklin chose to retain Moore. Not only is Moore viewed as one of the better offensive line coaches around, he’s a relentless recruiter in Virginia Tech’s footprint.

Moore’s unit struggled last season. They were decent in run blocking, but often struggled in pass protection. Franklin made it his mission to reshape the offensive line room this offseason. The Hokies signed seven offensive linemen, most of whom were former Penn State commitments Tech added more help via the transfer portal.

While it’s early, Moore is excited about the group.

“Right now, just depth-wise, I feel good about it,” Moore said after practice this week. “Got 10 guys right now that can play. A lot of guys who have had a lot of playing experience. I’m just excited about them getting healthy and getting them on the field.”

Moore noted that the Hokies have a lot of talent, but several remain unproven. Some of the players in the mix for Tech along the offensive line are Kyle Altuner, Layth Ghannam, Johnny Garrett, Brody Meadows, Montavious Cunningham and Aidan Lynch. Logan Howland, Justin Terry and Michael Troutman are the transfers with the best chance to play.

When Moore spoke before last season, you could see the frustration. It’s way early, but there’s hope. While Tech’s freshman OL class has massive potential, Franklin often likes to redshirt them in order to have a year in the weight room before they play.

There are so many reasons why Virginia Tech fans are optimistic these days. While there is a long way to go, the future looks much brighter for the offensive line.

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