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Hokies Football: Chris Durkin is Getting Reps at Tight End

The Virginia Tech Hokies tend to recruit many athletic quarterbacks that have the potential to change positions if they don't work out under center. Recently, the Hokies have moved a couple quarterbacks to a new position in their first fall in Blacksburg with Bucky Hodges moving to tight end and Travon McMillian moving to running back. Both of those moves worked out with Hodges and McMillian, but the Hokies are now considering moving another quarterback in his second year in Blacksburg. https://twitter.com/VTScoop247/status/644535854728388608 Rumors started last week and Bryan Stinespring confirmed the rumors to 247 Sports' VT Scoop this past week. However, Stinespring's comments also show that Durkin has not made a full-time move from quarterback to tight end with the Hokies needing at the depth position with Michael Brewer injured. With the Hokies having another quarterback committed for the Class of 2016 in Joshua Jackson, the door seems open for Durkin to make a position change. However, a complete position change doesn't seem likely to happen until after the season with the injury situation. Moving Durkin to tight end is intriguing as unlike Hodges and McMillian, Durkin was seen as a quarterback and not an athlete coming out of high school. Durkin has the size for the position along with decent speed, but he is not the same type of athlete as Hodges though there may not be many tight ends as athletic as the redshirt sophomore Hodges. Stinespring talked about how the Hokies nearly used Durkin some at tight end against Furman, but Durkin's late-game appearance at quarterback prevented that from happening. The move of Durkin to tight end does seem kind of odd with the Hokies having plenty of depth at tight end with Hodges, Ryan Malleck, and Kalvin Cline along with freshman Xavier Burke and Chris Cunningham who are both redshirting. Durkin is definitely going to take some time to make the transition from tight end, but his lack of athleticism will make it much harder than it was for Hodges. Durkin will also have to pass multiple younger players on the depth chart, and just having great size won't help you climb the depth chart much. Durkin will have a tough road ahead, and you have to wonder if he will really want to make a full-time move from quarterback to tight end. Durkin could decide after this season that it is in his best interest to transfer elsewhere if his move to tight end doesn't go as well as hoped. It makes sense to give Chris Durkin a shot at tight end with Durkin's future likely not being the Virginia Tech quarterback. In the meantime, Durkin should still provide some quality depth behind Brenden Motley and Dwayne Lawson.
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