The first Spring Game of the James Franklin era is just about here with Virginia Tech's overhauled roster ready to showcase their skills and plenty of position battles and position changes set to play out. With that said, let's spotlight several Hokies of particular interest for today's Spring Game on the defensive side of the ball.
DE Aycen Stevens
Defensive coordinator Brent Pry was a little coy when asked earlier this spring about the defensive end group, making any specific name being mentioned especially notable given how wide open that room appears to be on paper.
While Tech loaded up with lots of edge transfers this offseason, there was a returner who received some praise from Brent Pry by name: redshirt junior Ayden Stevens.
The 6’5’’, 260-pound Stevens claimed a more consistent backup role last season and was decent with 14 tackles including 0.5 for loss while earning a 60.6 PFF grade over the course of 197 defensive snaps. Stevens didn’t exactly bring a lot as a pass rusher though during a season where Tech’s defensive ends collectively didn’t have a great year rushing the quarterback.
That’s part of the reason why that room saw such a massive amount of talent brought in via the transfer portal and why despite that, it’s notable that Stevens earned praise from Pry.
The question now is whether Stevens can take that next step and show he can be a solid pass rusher even if that’s not the strength of his game.
This Spring Game will be one data point in a much larger sample size but Stevens showing some pass rushing ability would be an encouraging sign of growth and a sign that he is a top contender to earn a starting job this fall. He definitely has the physical size and tools to develop into an issue for opposing offensive tackles. However, after playing 300+ defensive snaps over the past two seasons and only generating six total pressures, it’s time for Stevens to show that he can take those next steps as a pass rusher if he wants to become one of VT’s starting defensive ends.
If not, he could easily see himself slip down the depth chart over time as younger players gain experience.
