Virginia Tech Football

Conflicting reports have emerged regarding Virginia Tech starting quarterback Josh Jackson.

Mike McDaniel‏ of ESPN Blacksburg reported Thursday that Jackson was suspended indefinitely amid an investigation into an academic issue. However, on Friday Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported there is "no truth" to the report. 

"As of right now, Josh is still a member of the Virginia Tech football team," Jackson's father, Fred, told Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "We'll know more in two days. It's too early to talk about this."

Jackson threw for 2,991 yards and 20 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 2017. He added 324 yards on the ground and was a major part of Virginia Tech's plans going into next season. His ascent as a freshman seemingly stabilized the Hokies' quarterback position for at least the next two years.

"Josh has more than proved his ability to handle the toughness it takes and all that sort of stuff it takes running the ball and all that kind of good stuff. … I make no bones about it: I like Josh's competitiveness and look forward to getting them out there and going and getting after it," coach Justin Fuente said, per Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times.

Hendon Hooker and Ryan Willis would compete for the starting job if Jackson is indeed suspended. 

Virginia Tech added a physically imposing presence to their defense Wednesday when inside linebacker Dax Hollifield joined their 2018 recruiting class.

InsideCarolina provided the national signing day update.

Hollifield, who checks in at 6'2" and 236 pounds, is a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports, and the No. 151 overall player, No. 8 inside linebacker and No. 7 player in North Carolina.  

According to 247Sports' school-of-interest list, he attracted attention from a number of strong programs in the North Carolina region, including Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Clemson and South Carolina, as well as national teams such as Florida State, Stanford and Penn State, during the recruiting process.

Hollifield can get to the quarterback as an inside rusher, plug holes against the run and pursue ball-carriers in space and behind the line of scrimmage. That combination makes him a candidate to tally double-digit tackle totals every game.

He can develop into one of the nation's best defensive playmakers if he lives up to his potential.

Virginia Tech will need that if it hopes to keep up with the offensive skill at Florida State and Clemson in the ACC.

CHICAGO — Seated at a table inside Eric Solorio Academy High School, a few miles from Midway International Airport, Quincy Patterson and his father exchange smiles. It is November 18, almost a month from the day when he will officially commit.

Wearing a bright orange sweatshirt from Virginia Tech—the program he will play for this fall—the 4-star quarterback eases back into his chair. Free of shoulder pads, it's clear this is what an NFL quarterback is supposed to look like.

At only 17 years old, Patterson is 6'4" and 230 pounds, despite no formal weight training.

He can throw a football nearly 80 yards. And despite having played quarterback for only four years in an offense centered on his ability to run, Patterson's throwing motion is fluid.

"He's got Cam Newton and Andrew Luck qualities," says Trent Dilfer, who coached Patterson during the Elite 11 recruiting camps. "He will be one of the best players in college football in three years."

But for the player 247Sports has as the No. 12 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, football is merely a part of his story. It's why he's suddenly recognized and stopped in malls and throughout the Windy City, but it will never be what solely defines him.

As he's taking a slew of AP courses, his current GPA hovers around a 4.4 on a 4.0 scale. The second semester of his junior year, his GPA was 4.7. Patterson's father, Quincy Patterson Sr., beams with pride as his son talks about his passion for engineering, his major in college.

At a time when his father needs inspiration, Quincy's accomplishments have provided it. Patterson Sr. has spent much of the past few years undergoing dialysis to treat his end-stage renal failure. As he waits for a new kidney that they hope is coming soon, Patterson Sr. undergoes more than 13 hours of dialysis each week. Both father and son wear "Gift of Hope" bracelets around their wrists—an acknowledgement of their connection to an organ donor and tissue bank in Illinois.

Quincy plays for his father. He plays for the free education it will bring him—one of the reasons he started playing football in the first place. And he plays for Chicago, a city that has broken so many young people before him.

While he possesses more physical talent than perhaps any high school quarterback in the country, one can't help but wonder if he's destined for something more.

---

In mid-December, inside his Southside Chicago home, Patterson stood by his Christmas tree—admiring the ornaments and lights. His mother, Kimberly, sat a few feet away.

While the sound of gunshots is not unusual where they live, on 64th Street and Mozart, this latest outburst that echoed through their home sounded close. The next morning, Patterson checked to see where it came from. Three people were shot and two were killed a few turns from where they sleep.

"I know about four people who I've had relationships with who have been killed," Patterson says of the violence in Chicago. "Mostly through gangs."

As a result, the Pattersons have a rule: No matter where Quincy goes, he must tell his mother or father first. "That's only for us to know if something happens where he was," Patterson Sr. says. "When I grew up, if you were an athlete people wouldn't really bother with you. Now, there's not that distinction."

Chicago also isn't a place known for regularly producing elite college football talent. The last major quarterback recruit to emerge from the city was Isiah "Juice" Williams in 2006, who played for Illinois.

As a result, getting college coaches to come to Eric Solorio Academy High School, which is a few miles away from Patterson's Southside home, took some doing.

Matt Erlenbaugh, the head coach of the Solorio football team, began sending emails and text messages to coaches as Patterson blossomed. And although his reputation began to grow locally, it took a while before others took notice.

"If he were playing at one of the Catholic schools, he would have gotten more looks early on, but his recruitment was slow to start," Erlenbaugh says. "The stigma exists that we don't produce players. But he has the tools, and he had those as a junior. Physically, he's just a freak."

Nationally, however, word soon began to spread about Patterson. New Mexico was the first to extend him an offer, followed by Illinois.

Other programs eventually visited an area they don't often frequent, wanting to get a glimpse of the player creating tremendous buzz. What they found was that, as wildly intriguing as his potential was, it only scratched the surface of what he could mean to their school on and off the field.

"He's grown up in tough neighborhoods—neighborhoods you hear about in the news every day," Erlenbaugh adds. "The fact that there was no chance he was going that way was such a breath of fresh air."

---

Its name is Mr. Johnson, and it's capable of operating at high speeds underwater.

Tasked with creating a robot that could move at the bottom of a swimming pool, Patterson and his engineering design classmates went to work.

"We built that robot from scratch," Patterson says, lighting up as he retraces his steps. "We welded it together and assembled everything."

When it was time for the class robots to compete, Mr. Johnson dominated the speed round. But it didn't fare as well while maneuvering around and through obstacles. Overall, however, the project was a success. It also introduced Patterson to a passion he didn't know he had.

Before he learned how to love football, Patterson loved school. Although he has yet to set foot in his first college classroom, Patterson could see himself as a teacher one day. The thought of working with high school or college students who share his academic curiosity is intriguing to him, even now.

"It's not that the school just disregards his athletic ability. But if it wasn't for the announcements or coaches or other teachers, you wouldn't even know he was this great athlete," Robert Payne, Patterson's engineering teacher, says. "And that's because of his personality. He's just someone you really want in your classroom."

"We have always told him that it's about more than football," Patterson Sr. says. "If he didn't have the grades, he wouldn't play. We know that his football career could end on one play, and we didn't want him to have nothing to fall back on."

Patterson is a finalist for the Watkins Award—an honor given to the premier African American student-athlete in the country by the National Alliance of African American Athletes. The winner will be announced in March.

Because of his grades, test scores and a GPA inching up to a 4.5, Patterson's college recruitment has been different from most quarterbacks with NFL skill sets. He received offers from more than 20 programs—a list that includes Yale and Princeton, as well as football powers such as Michigan State, Penn State and Virginia Tech.

"One school told him they weren't going to bother him with academics, and he immediately took them off his list," Erlenbaugh says. "I really appreciate that about him. He puts himself into everything he does."

When the Pattersons and his coach visited Virginia Tech, they met head football coach Justin Fuente in the parking lot. Before Fuente could even talk football, he guided them to the engineering building and introduced them to one of the program's top professors.

Patterson's eyes lit up as they toured the building, speaking a language few high school seniors could or would care to understand.

"In the first 10 minutes of the visit," Erlenbaugh adds, "I knew this was it."

---

The ball disappeared into the darkness somewhere near its apex, blending into the Oregon night a few seconds after it left Patterson's hand. Having made it to The Opening, Nike's super-recruit camp that takes place at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, each summer, Patterson is exactly where he's supposed to be.

Right now, Patterson is being asked to throw a football as far as he can while a DJ spins music and strobe lights dance. Patterson's throw travels 76 yards on the fly, one yard behind the longest throw of the night by Ole Miss commit Matt Corral.

Throughout that week, the coaches fell in love with Patterson. The conversation among a few of them wasn't about his size or throwing arm, but rather the idea that one day he could be president.

When Joey Roberts, the head scout for The Opening, first met Patterson at a regional event, he didn't curb his excitement while relaying his thoughts to his boss.

"He told me that he found our high-ceiling, high-horsepower project we can turn into a Heisman Trophy winner," Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback, recalls. "He told me I was going to fall in love with him, and that he was one of the best kids we've ever met."

Dilfer, who coaches the quarterbacks at the Elite 11, was so impressed by Patterson after working with him that he's building this year's theme around him: Authenticity.

"It stuns you when you first meet him," Dilfer says. "We couldn't believe it. He's always going to put a smile on your face, and he's always going to give you hope. That's not talked about enough with quarterbacks. The great ones bring hope, and Quincy has that gift."

Although Patterson was the least experienced quarterback to compete in Oregon, he held his own. With highly regarded quarterbacks all over the field, even being at The Opening was monumental for him.

Despite the rawness of his game, Dilfer loved what he saw.

"When a guy has a naturally clean throwing motion, you can teach them anything. And he has that," Dilfer says. "He's got sports-car ability, but really he's the ultimate SUV with 500 horsepower. He's a more dynamic J.T. Barrett, and he will have that kind of impact and with more pro upside if he's developed as a passer. Physically, he's going to have no limitations."

During the last night of the camp, as the quarterbacks gathered one final time, Dilfer thanked one of the most talented groups he's ever worked with. But he also made a point of singling out one player.

"I told them I could build a program out of all 12 of them," Dilfer recalls. "But if they had to ask me to pick one—only one—it would be Quincy Patterson. He's gone through and thrived through harder stuff than the rest of us at that age."

---

Three days each week, Patterson Sr. leaves his Southside home and heads for treatment, often at the University of Illinois at Chicago. To him, once a residential counselor who worked with adults with disabilities for 20 years, this is now his job. He even calls it work.

Work now includes dialysis every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for four-and-a-half hours each session. Because his kidneys can no longer function, the treatment allows him to stay alive. "I tell people I have to get my oil changed," he says.

On Fridays during the season, Patterson Sr. would leave treatment and head straight to the stadium, often hours before Solorio's game would begin. He would then sit by himself and wait in the stands.

"I have bad days—days where I'm tired and there's a pit in my stomach," Patterson Sr. says. "Things I can't explain. But when I'm at the game and in the stadium, it all goes away."

While they wait for a donor, there are good days and bad. More recently, there have been more bad than good. But through it all, his son's triumphs have served as a guiding light. And for Quincy, his father's struggle has become a significant part of his motivation.

It's why he watches film until 2:30 a.m. some nights, often exchanging text messages with sleepy coaches on something he sees. It's why he pushes himself to grow as a player—so he can look up in the stands to see his father smiling back at him. It's why he strives for greatness in the classroom.

Because excelling at football, which is more than enough for many, isn't enough for him.

---

FUENTE ON PATTERSON @CoachFuente discussed how Tech's relationship began with @Quincy_QB1

Bios & More 👇https://t.co/NLGYGA2j87#ExitLight18 ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/JNHSFibPUx

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) December 21, 2017

Seated at a table inside Eric Solorio Academy High School, with chairs aligned not far from where he sits, Patterson and his father exchange smiles. It is December 20, the day his decision will become official.

Although he signed and faxed in his letter of intent earlier that morning, Patterson sits at a table next to his father with pen and paper in hand. Wearing a black Virginia Tech jacket, there's no drama in his decision. Somehow, it doesn't make the day any less meaningful.

Patterson tries to express his gratitude for the last four years. Nervous, he stumbles over some words as he gathers himself and his thoughts. He thanks his parents and those in attendance who have made this possible.

"I'm going where I want to be rather than where people want me to go," Patterson says of his decision to sign with Virginia Tech. "I'm happy to be in the position I'm in. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Patterson embraces his father as the room begins to clear. Then, as the crowd exits, he quietly stacks chairs at his own press conference.

Perhaps he will be the next great quarterback in the ACC. Perhaps his impact will come as an engineer.

Or maybe, as has been the case these past four years, his passions and gifts will complement each other and he'll flourish.

Virginia Tech linebacker Tavante Beckett was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and felony conspiracy to sell or distribute marijuana Monday. 

According to Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times, the charges prompted Virginia Tech to suspend Beckett from the football team indefinitely.

Bitter noted that while Beckett was charged Monday, the date of the offense was Aug. 23. He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 22.

The sophomore has appeared in both of the Hokies' games this season, primarily on special teams, although he didn't record any stats.

As a freshman in 2016, the Chesapeake, Virginia, native recorded six tackles. Beckett had previously been listed as a backup to starting middle linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka.

The No. 21 Virginia Tech Hokies opened their 2017 season with a 31-24 marquee nonconference win over the No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers on Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.  

The former Big East rivals met for the first time since 2005, and the ACC representative earned bragging rights over the Big 12 team thanks to a defensive stop in the red zone on the final play. West Virginia quarterback Will Grier's last pass fell incomplete and ended a momentum-fueled battle between the two schools.

Virginia Tech quarterback Josh Jackson led the way with 235 passing yards, 101 rushing yards and two total touchdowns.

Jackson shined in a quarterback battle that took center stage with two first-time appearances. The redshirt freshman thrived against a formidable power-conference opponent in his college football debut and demonstrated his dual-threat abilities with a clutch 46-yard run before Travon McMillian scored the winning touchdown.

Virginia Tech's 234 rushing yards forced West Virginia's defense into the box for stretches, which opened up the throwing lanes for Jackson in the second half.

On the other side, Grier made his Mountaineer debut after transferring from Florida and serving a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. He lost out to Jackson but turned around what started as a poor offensive showing into a formidable performance.

In all, Grier threw for 371 yards and three touchdowns, although he also tossed the game's only interception. Justin Crawford provided support with 106 rushing yards, but he was given just 13 carries despite an 8.2-yard average.

Even with the quarterbacks, the start was all about defense, as Virginia Tech took a narrow 10-7 lead into the half. The early performances were impressive, considering the Hokies averaged 35.0 points per game last season, while the Mountaineers countered with 31.2.

The offenses found their explosiveness in the second quarter when Crawford's long run set up Grier's first touchdown pass to David Sills V before Jackson struck back with his touchdown run.

It set the stage for a back-and-forth second half featuring a number of game-shifting plays, starting with Deshawn McClease's powerful go-ahead touchdown in the third:

Couldn't. Be. Stopped.

West Virginia-Virginia Tech is streaming on the ESPN App. pic.twitter.com/CyjwG3RDuy

— ESPN (@espn) September 4, 2017

Hokies might have found something with DeShawn McClease.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) September 4, 2017

Momentum remained fleeting, though, as Joey Slye's missed field goal set up one of Grier's best sequences. He spearheaded the game-tying drive with long passes to Ka'Raun White and Gary Jennings before another scoring strike to Sills.

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports praised Grier's turnaround after a slow start:

#WVU's Will Grier has settled in nicely tonight against a really good Bud Foster D. Making some plays with his legs & throwing some dimes.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 4, 2017

Grier was just getting started, as his 60-yard touchdown pass answered a stretch of dominance from Virginia Tech that featured a 44-yard kick return and 32-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Cam Phillips on back-to-back plays.

Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen also committed an unsportsmanlike conduct violation during Virginia Tech's turn to hold momentum, but the game was still tied heading into the final 10 minutes following the connection from Grier and Phillips.

Jackson proved he was fast enough with his 46-yard scamper before McMillian's winning score, although Grier received one more chance after Slye missed another field goal on a drive that featured head coach Justin Fuente's unsportsmanlike answer to Holgorsen.

Grier drove the Mountaineers to the 15-yard line before the final pass fell short as time expired.

Virginia Tech now has a realistic chance enter its Sept. 30 showdown with Clemson with an undefeated mark with games against Delaware, East Carolina and Old Dominion in the coming weeks.

West Virginia will look for its first win of the season Saturday in its home opener against East Carolina.

The Virginia Tech Hokies landed a quality talent in the 2018 class with the addition of 4-star receiver Tre Turner.

Turner's high school basketball coach, Lee Reavis, showed the wideout selecting the Hokies on Wednesday evening:

@treturner_15 will be at @VT_Football next year!!! #VikingPride pic.twitter.com/LeTw6iVi70

— Coach Reavis 🏀🏀 (@NWCOACHREAVIS) May 31, 2017

Turner told the Greensboro News & Record's Spencer D. Turkin he's considering contributing to the Hokies basketball team as well.

"I am going on a football scholarship at the end of the day," Turner said. "If basketball ends up being not what I want to do in college, then I'll just be a football player. I'm not going to pursue my basketball career. I'm going to pursue both careers, but ... I'm a football player first and then I play basketball."

Scout.com lists Turner as the No. 286 player overall, including the 56th-best receiver and No. 3 receiver from the state of North Carolina.

The first thing that jumps out at you is his size at 6'4", 185 pounds. He uses this large frame to make himself a dominant target in one-on-one coverage. A quarterback can loft up a 50-50 ball and have confidence Turner is going to come down with it.

In addition to the size advantage, he also does a great job of high-pointing the ball to make sure he gets the catch.

Meanwhile, the young player is an impressive athlete who can make plays with the ball in his hands and turn almost every catch into a touchdown.

Although he still could improve his technique as a route-runner among other things, Turner has loads of upside that made him such a sought-after recruit.

Virginia Tech has added several receivers in the last couple of classes, which could make it difficult for him to see the field right away. A redshirt season could be useful for him to get physically and mentally ready for the next level.

However, Turner provides the type of size the team needs on the field, and he could become an impact player early in his college career for the Hokies.

DeJuan Ellis, an explosive athlete with experience at quarterback, announced Thursday he's planning to play college football at Virginia Tech after all. 

After talking with my family and my VT coaches I'm staying home 🦃🦃🦃! I'm a Hokie ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

— Haul Patrol (@DeJuanEllisll) May 5, 2017

Ellis is a 4-star recruit who rates as the No. 232 overall prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, according to the Scout.com rankings. He's also listed as the No. 18 quarterback and the top player at the sport's most important position coming out of Maryland.

It's questionable whether the McDonogh School standout ends up at QB in college, though.

Ellis originally committed to Virginia Tech in August 2016. After enjoying success on the camp circuit, highlighted by terrific results in the athletic testing, he decided to reassess the entire situation, including his future position, in early May.

He announced the decision with a post on social media.

"I am officially decommitting from Virginia Tech as a quarterback," he wrote. "I am reopening my recruitment as an athlete. I appreciate all the love from VT coaches and fans. Virginia Tech is still one of my top schools."

His change of heart came just over a week after Ricky LaBlue of Tech Sideline highlighted his strong showing at the Washington, D.C., regional of The Opening:

Here at The Opening regional in DC, and #Hokies commit @DeJuanEllisll just won The Fastest Man competition. Qualified with a 4.47 40-time.

— Ricky LaBlue (@RickyLaBlue) April 23, 2017

His willingness to change positions combined with his athleticism made him a more intriguing prospect than if he wanted to limit himself to quarterback. That said, his experience leading an offense is still a plus and gives him rare versatility heading to college.

In the end, Ellis opted to stick with the Hokies. He's a work in progress. The decision to create more flexibility for himself by removing the quarterback tag helped generate interest and will probably turn out best for his long-term outlook, but it could take a while before he finds his niche.

His initial impact, assuming the decision isn't made to make him a full-time quarterback again, will likely come on special teams. He's got the tools to provide value in that area for the Hokies while continuing his development.   

DeJuan Ellis, a 4-star quarterback prospect from Owings Mills, Maryland, announced Tuesday he is re-opening his recruiting process after verbally committing to the Virginia Tech Hokies in August 2016.  

Ellis made the move official in a post on Twitter: 

I'm am opening up my recruitment pic.twitter.com/PLMFf2HZNh

— DeJuan Ellis (@DeJuanEllisll) May 2, 2017

A dual-threat prospect, Ellis has long been considered one of the more compelling signal-callers among 2018 recruits. 

According to Scout, Ellis is the 18th-ranked quarterback and 232nd-ranked player overall in his class. Furthermore, Ellis is the second-ranked quarterback in the entire East Region and the No. 1 overall player at his position in the state of Maryland. 

Soon to be a rising senior, Ellis will look to build on a junior campaign that saw him throw for 14 touchdowns, rush 16 touchdowns and post more than 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air: 

Ellis will also have to reconsider where he'll continue his football journey now that he's re-opened his recruitment. 

Prior to making a verbal commitment to the Hokies, Ellis received offers from a handful of schools including Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Toledo and Wake Forest. 

Recruit information courtesy of Scout.com unless noted otherwise. 

A successful first season was enough for Justin Fuente to earn more job security in Virginia Tech.

The school announced a contract extension for the head football coach Monday, keeping him under contract through the 2023 season.

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports passed along financial details: 

Justin Fuente's new deal w/ #VaTech his base+supplemental is $3.25M in 2017 & will go up to $4 million in 2023.. the buyout in 2017 is $6M.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) April 3, 2017

Fuente led the Hokies to a 10-4 record in his first year with the program.

"Coach Fuente has exceeded our expectations in terms of how well he and his staff have embraced the winning tradition established by Coach Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech, while adding their own distinct touches to enhance the legacy of our program," athletic director Whit Babcock said.

The 40-year-old coach joined the Hokies last season after spending the previous four years with Memphis. He took over for Beamer, who spent 29 years at the school while guiding the team to 23 consecutive bowl appearances.

Fuente lived up to this standard, leading the Hokies to the ACC title game in his first year and a win over Arkansas in the Belk Bowl. He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2016.

For more news and analysis on Virginia Tech football, go to TheVTZone.com.