BLACKSBURG - Logan Howland’s first real chance to work alongside Virginia Tech’s offensive line group came during training camp, a delayed start after shoulder surgery kept the Oklahoma transfer from taking those spring reps.
That missed time matters now. Virginia Tech’s offensive line depth is being pushed, and Howland is expected to be part of the answer.
He said after Wednesday’s practice that the camp reps have helped him settle in with the group.
“We’ve got a lot of depth, so we’ve been working all through fall camp, just working with each other,” Howland said after Wednesday’s practice. “They’ve been doing a great job mixing guys, so I’ve just tried to build confidence.”
That confidence is becoming important for a unit trying to hold together through injuries. Howland is projected to make his first start in a Virginia Tech uniform on Saturday. The senior, who has previous starting experience with the Sooners, is slated to start at left tackle with Justin Terry listed as questionable on Wednesday’s initial availability report.
Howland’s move would add another experienced piece to an offensive line that has already had to shuffle. The final three quarters at Maryland last week came after Terry suffered an apparent injury on the final play of the first quarter, and the rebuilt Tech front held up through the rest of the game.
“It’s something we’ve been preparing for all offseason from the standpoint of you’re always trying to build great depth and get your best five out there,” offensive coordinator Ty Howle said. “For us, the shuffle is something we’ve been doing really since camp because we were trying to figure out who the best five are, so there’s a ton of guys that got experience playing in other positions, which is nice.”
That flexibility will matter against Boston College. The Eagles recorded one sack in their loss at Cincinnati to open the season, and they have notched three sacks.
“They’re big guys up on the defensive line. They’re physical,” Howle said.
“We’re looking forward to playing against them. It’s going to be a great game.”
Howland played 36 offensive snaps at Maryland and received a 64.5 grade from Pro Football Focus. He graded not far behind center Kyle Altuner (74.6), Aidan Lynch (72.2) and Ghannam (65.5) in the contest against the Terrapins.
“Seen a ton from him, and he’s really come on, he’s getting better and better every week,” Howle said of Howland. “Played well in the game the other night, so excited about how he continues to progress.”
Playing next to Ghannam, a starter at left guard, has helped Howland. Both are fourth-year players who have been starters and dealt with injuries.
“Jayth is so talented, and he’s a vocal leader,” Howland said. “Does the best he can. He’s very versatile, so I love playing next to him.”
Howland was one of four offensive linemen who arrived at Virginia Tech through the transfer portal. Terry, Michael Troutman III and Justin Bell were the others. Those additions were aimed at helping the Hokies build depth in the trenches, and the coaching staff used training camp to evaluate players like Howland who could fit into the two-deep and be ready to fill in whenever there was a need.
“I think we’ve talked about it before, like, you’d love to be in a position where you just have a true two-deep, but I don’t think many people are like that,” Franklin said. “You have your sixth-best offensive lineman and your seventh-best offensive lineman and then you’ve been working different combinations to get them on the field, and that’s where position flexibility is important so that you can get your best six offensive linemen now plugged into a spot or your seventh-best lineman plugged in. But you have to have position flexibility to do that.”
The continuity along the line has helped Virginia Tech get into a rhythm in the run game, and it will need to keep doing that against a BC defense that has allowed at least 135 yards on the ground in two games this season. Cincinnati rushed for 436 yards and three touchdowns, while Rutgers added 167 yards on the ground.
“I feel like we can always get better in every aspect,” Howland said. “I feel like we’re always in a dirty mentality trying to move people off the ball, and I think we’re going to do the best we can this weekend.”
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