Sleeker Settle Making Noise on a Deep Defensive Line, Tremaine Edmunds Set for Breakout Year

Outside of quarterback, perhaps no position battle has sparked more discussion around Blacksburg than the stockpile of big bodies defensive line coach Charley Wiles has at his disposal inside.

And while veterans Woody Baron and Nigel Williams remain the stalwarts of the first unit, a trimmed-down Tim Settle is beginning to make waves as spring ball approaches its halfway point. After ballooning to nearly 360 pounds since arriving on campus, a noticeably slimmer Settle is on display this spring, no doubt music to defensive coordinator Bud Foster's ears.

"I've made this statement about (former Hokie defensive tackle) Cordarrow Thompson years ago, his family considered gravy as a beverage," laughed Foster. "I'm not for sure that wasn't the case for Tim there for a while."

But no more, Settle promises. Working under the guidance of the Hokies' nutrition team, a new and improved diet has helped the big body shed nearly 20 pounds since the beginning of spring workouts.

"The eating has been way better," said Settle. "I try to drink just strictly water throughout the day. I try to get a protein, a carb, it's a little bit of everything. So like a normal meal for me, in the morning I'll get some fruit, some eggs. And then for lunch, I'll get grilled chicken with broccoli and mashed potatoes. I have to have a certain amount of each food group. I've been working with the nutritionist a lot. They really led me in the right direction."

But that wasn't always the case. Settle wasn't the least bit hesitant to poke fun at his former self, at one point summing up his affinity for food in just six brief words.

"I see it, I wanted it."

Settle, currently sitting at exactly 340 pounds, hopes to drop 10 more before this fall in the hopes of reaching his preferred playing weight of 330. A sleeker, more in shape Settle — while still presenting a load to handle inside — could wreak havoc up front for Hokie opponents.

"He's really watching what he's eating, but he has to if he wants to perform at this level and perform more than a couple plays," said Foster. "That's where when he's going well, going good, he's hard to handle inside because he's big, because he's twitchy, he can get off on the ball. But all of a sudden, he gets tired...But once you get him pushing and get him rolling, it's like a big ol' ball moving."

And if Settle is to drop, say, another 150 pounds, perhaps the Hokies' coaching staff will let him try his hand at returning punts. The baby-faced defensive tackle sparked chuckles throughout Hokie Nation after a pre-practice video of him fielding punts surfaced on Twitter last week, but Settle assured me that Greg Stroman isn't overly concerned with his job security.

"Nah, I don't think Stroman's looking over any shoulders," Settle laughed. "He's way faster than me."

Back by popular demand! Tim Settle fielding punts pic.twitter.com/wS5CPkLCsI— VT Football (@VT_Football) April 2, 2016

Depth at Defensive End Remains a Question Mark

The Hokies return both Ken Ekanem and Vinny Mihota at defensive end this spring, but depth is a drastically different story. Foster hasn't shied away from the subject, once again pulling out one of his favorite catchphrases of late before the Hokies' Tuesday evening practice.

"It is a project," said Foster of locating depth up front. "We're as green as green can be."

But that's not to say the Hokies' longtime defensive coordinator hasn't been impressed with some of his young talent up front. Trevon Hill and Houshun Gaines — two highly-recruited prospects who each redshirted in 2015 — were the two freshman Foster seemed most impressed with through six spring practices.

"Trevon Hill has really showed here early the explosiveness and the playmaking capabilities that we saw recruiting him," said Foster. "Houshun Gaines has really done a nice job...Improving each day. Are they ready yet? No. But those two guys have kind of emerged as the next couple of guys behind Ken and behind Vinny."

Foster also gushed about the spring performance of Baron, a significant contributor in 2015 who the Hokies appear primed to rely on heavily for production inside next fall.

"I'll tell you, Woody Baron right now is really playing at a high level. I mean at a high level," raved Foster. "I really like what he's about. He's actually, he's about 275 pounds right now. That's big for him. He's been more in that 65-68 range, even 60. You just see a bigger, faster version of what you've seen before."

And further muddying the waters at tackle is Ricky Walker, a former four-star recruit out of Hampton, Virginia who contributed as a freshman in 2014 before redshirting in 2015. It wasn't the ideal year Walker may have planned for, but the 757 product remains confident that it was the best option for his career in maroon and orange.

"It benefited me a lot," said Walker. "Kind of sucked, you know, not playing football, especially (after) playing as a freshman. But I took it as a learning experience. Getting healthy, getting better."

The redshirt year appears to be paying early dividends this spring as Walker has spent the majority of his time working alongside Settle in the Hokies' second group at defensive tackle.

"We redshirted Ricky last year, but tell you what, he's really playing fast and physical," said Foster. "Playing like he's played before. I think that year of maturity, year of strength, has helped him."

And while the Hokies' experienced players up front remain a notch above the rest, Wiles has promised his unit a true competition at every position along the defensive line this spring.

"It's very deep. It's very tough," said Walker. "Everyday we compete. Spring is when you really compete. You go win that job. Coach Wiles, he's letting it be known, it's deep. He's not sugarcoating nothing. He's very tough and I love it."

Getting Back to Basics in the Secondary

2015 was a difficult year for the Hokies in the back end, injuries and young players at key positions greatly limiting the options at Foster and former secondary coach Torrian Gray's disposal. This spring, the Hokies shuffled some positions in the secondary once more in the hopes of locating a comfortable niche for each of DBU's present disciples.

"Last year was just such a...it's been documented," said Foster. "We had the injuries and all the different things. That's just kind of how our season went back there. We're trying to make adjustments and you couldn't. And that's what we're getting back to right now. We're getting back to guys being at home and teaching them the base concepts and things of base coverage back there. I've been real pleased with where we're going right now."

And with a healthier and more experienced secondary, Foster hopes to tinker with more zone coverages and even the occasional odd front.

"I'm excited about Coach Mitchell and about Coach Scott," said Foster. "You give me two guys that have coordinator's experience. Galen's been in our defense, he's been in an odd defense. Same thing with Brian. They've coordinated both even and odd fronts which we're gonna get into a little bit of odd stuff, particularly on third down. So their experience is gonna be helpful."

Leading the charge on the back end will be Chuck Clark, a two-year starter for the Hokies that will provide an important steadying force for a young secondary.

"Chuck Clark's as solid as the day is long," said Foster.

Tremaine Edmunds Preparing for Starting Role

At 6'5" and 236 pounds, it's not difficult to see why Foster becomes so animated whenever the name Tremaine Edmunds gets brought up. Edmunds played briefly at backer in 2015 during his true freshman season, filling in for a suspended Deon Clarke in the Hokies' late-season matchup with Georgia Tech.

But with Clarke moving on after an up-and-down four year career, Edmunds figures to be the future of the backer spot in Blacksburg. And boy, does he look the part.

"He reminds me of a little bit of Xavier Adibi," said Foster, not a comparison to be taken lightly around these parts. "But a little bit bigger. Xavier was a 6'2" guy, Tremaine's 6'5". But he does have some of those same qualities. He's athletic. He can be a good pass rusher. He can be good in coverage. He can chase things down in space."

But Edmunds remains a work in progress, a daily project of Foster's that could blossom into something special with just a little more time.

"He's doing some really good things. For six days of really just getting it all, I'm pleased," said Foster. "But he still has so much room to grow...Just a little bit his mind tying up his feet, some where he's not just out there doing it. But you see the flashes and when that all clicks, which hoping by next fall it'll all click...Once he gets to that part of it, where he just sees...he's not worried about getting lined up. He's just lining up and playing ball. I think you're gonna see a really special guy."

Additional Quotes

Bud Foster

ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE:

"I feel good about our defensive tackle position. Ricky Walker's done some really good things early in camp. I've been real pleased with Tim Settle. And then Woody Baron, right now, is playing at a really high level. Nigel Williams has done a great job. So you have a little bit of experience there. Steve Sobczak is playing well here early. So you've got some guys, with the exception of Settle, guys that have a little bit of experience in there. Our biggest project is at defensive end. Obviously we're returning Ken Ekanem. Seth Dooley's out. So we've kept Vinny Mihota at end, and Vinny's done a great job. I love what he's all about. He plays so hard. Still have concerns a little bit in space, but he's a guy that is gonna play for us I trust. A couple guys have really stood out though. Darius Fullwood does some really good things, but needs to be consistent. And then Jimmie Taylor...has done some good things, has shown some flashes. He was playing our left end spot. We moved him actually over to the right side on Saturday, and that was a little bit different for him. Just different footwork. He's a naturally right-handed down guy and that kind of put him in a left-handed stance, so that's a little bit different. But I really like what I see. I think those other two guys, three guys are a little bit ahead of him right now. That's just a position that we've gotta grow up in a hurry. Those guys have done a nice job. Charley's done a nice job with those guys."

ON COMPETITION UP FRONT/YOUNG GUYS WINNING STARTING ROLES:

"There's a chance in there, there really is...But yes, there's some battles in there right now. And I like that. Competition's healthy. We need competition at a couple more slots. We're getting that at defensive end. We need a little more competition in the back end and a little more competition at linebacker, but that's gonna come as we bring some guys in from our recruiting class and down the road. But competition's a healthy thing and we've got that inside. It's good to see. And it's good at defensive end. You've got the young guys that are pushing each other and wanting to get on the field. You like that."

ON THE SECONDARY:

"Greg Stroman's having a dynamic camp so far in the first six days. Adonis Alexander's learning. That's just what we thought, he's a guy that has a lot of potential and ability but he was just thrown in at corner the last two ballgames and Brian Mitchell's doing a great job with those guys. That's what I'm really excited about, let me jump off track here one second. Coach (Mitchell), though, he's a guy that's really known for developing corners where he's been. That's an area where we need to continue...that's kind of been our M.O. We've had some dynamic guys there. We've got some young dynamic guys there if we can get healthy. We're not very deep there right now with Facyson being out. I'm hoping we can get him back a little later. But he's really being good mentally in meetings from that standpoint. At our safety spot, Coach Scott's doing a great job. He's really coaching our two safeties and our whip, and Cody Grimm is really working with our whips quite a bit. But we moved Terrell Edmunds to our rover spot, and I'll tell you, he's really a dynamic football player. I like what he's all about. Jahque Alleyne's backing him up and he's coming along. He's taking baby steps. We'd like him to be a little bit better quicker, but it'll come. Like a lot of guys, after 15 days we'd like to have 15 more. But he's making strides. And at safety,. Like what he's all about. And then a guy who's really having a good camp is Der'Woun Greene. I think Der'Woun's getting kind of a second lease on life in the back end there and making the best of it. Just a good football player, a heady football player. Could play both spots for us. So I like how that's coming along back there. I like how we're teaching things. We can really focus on our corners and their technique and we're gonna try to change up some techniques and things. In the end of the day, last year we played so much man coverage because we couldn't play anything else. We're trying to look at playing a little bit more zone coverage or quarters and things where we have more eyes on the ball, hopefully not giving up as many big plays in the run game or in the passing game. I like where we're going right now and how those guys are coaching those positions. But also, more importantly, how our guys are responding to the coaching of Galen and Brian."

ON TIM SETTLE:

"He's working at (his weight) right now. I'm proud of Tim from that standpoint. It's not gonna happen overnight, but he's never gonna be a 300 pounder. I think that bypassed him already... He's really doing a good job. I think the last weigh-in, he was at 341. I know when he drops below 340, he'll be all excited. That's just how he is. He's a kid that's really willing to please and wants to please. Wants to be a good football player, too. Just like the direction he's going, on and off the field as far as how he's trying to be disciplined and watching what he's eating and those type of things."

ON RICKY WALKER/THE REDSHIRT YEAR:

"Obviously that year, (he was) disappointed, but at the same time, it gave him a chance to get stronger. Sometimes a redshirt year will do that to you, particularly coming in, he played right away as a freshman. So really didn't get that like some guys get with that extra year in the weight room so to speak...He's playing really, really fast. He's always been a guy that has some get off, some explosiveness. Reminds me a little bit right now of Luther Maddy. He's got a little bit of that in him right now. He's about 290 pounds, 288 pounds, somewhere in that range. He's really playing fast, playing technique sound. Has a good football IQ. I like where he is right now."

ON ADJUSTING TO THE TEMPO OF JUSTIN FUENTE'S OFFENSE:

"We're not very deep (into the spring), but I'll tell you, it's just like a two-minute drill the whole time Which that's fine. It's great for us. It makes us have to hurry up and get lined up, communicate. I think it's just as much mental as physical. There was probably a couple of times that we didn't catch up to it early. But we're starting to get used to the tempo. We always practiced hard and practiced fast before, but from the start of a period, just with this, it's like a two-minute drill. It's that all the time. That's gonna be great for us I think as a defense down the road. Playing the up-tempo teams, it's not gonna be quite a shock. Obviously during the season, we'll work some good-on-good and it'll still be that kind of tempo. That's just gonna prepare us for those type of teams that we're gonna see whether it's North Carolina, Tennessee early...We're not gonna be trying to play as much catch-up from a prep standpoint as far as the tempo."

ON DEPTH AT MLB:

"Andrew (Motuapuaka) was playing well, but he ended up pulling his calf a little bit. So he's been out the last couple of days. Carson Lydon's been getting a lot of reps now. He was the third guy last year and then kind of got thrown in as backup for a couple games when Andrew went down. He's getting a lot of reps because Huelskamp's out. He had shoulder surgery. Carson's done some good things. He's still learning. He's a little bit in the same mode as Tremaine. Still learning, but yet you see flashes of a guy who's gonna be a really good football player."

Tim Settle

ON HIS WEIGHT LOSS:

"Dropping the weight wasn't as difficult now. The new coaching staff, they came in, their idea was to attack this in the right way. We weigh-in every week, just making sure that everybody's doing what they're supposed to do. It's been working. I've lost 15 pounds since this spring has started. It's really been working out for me. As far as ideal weight, for this season it's 330."

ON PLAYING THIS FALL:

"I think the expectations for me are really high. I'm still taking it in right now. I'm still learning, step by step. I'm not trying to really rush right now. But when it's ready, when it's time for me to step in, I think I'll be ready."

ON CONDITIONING DRILLS HELPING HIM LOSE WEIGHT:

"The running really helped me out a lot. Just because we did it consistently. It's breaking down the little muscles, it's burning the fat off. And we were just doing it consistently like the hell week we had, the 5 a.m.'s we had to do. That really helped me a lot. Ever since we've been practicing, I've been maintaining, just eating healthy. Just making sure I'm active every day."

ON REDSHIRTING HIS FRESHMAN YEAR:

"I don't think I was disappointed. It was the right decision at the right time...I didn't really know the plays, scheme...I just wasn't really into it like I should have been."

ON HOW HE USED TO EAT:

"Before I started the weight loss process, I felt like just eat till you get full. But now, you've gotta think of it as that's how you gain weight. So I'll eat, I'll have a set portion, I'll eat that and then I'll be good till the next meal. I try to starve myself, not starve myself, but I just try to make it enough where I can make it throughout the day. I have a certain amount of meals every day and it's been working."

ON ADJUSTING TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

"During the fall, during scout and stuff like that, I felt like the weight, me being heavy was kind of hard for the o-lineman to block. Just because it's a lot of weight, plus me lifting and stuff like that. It's getting a little difficult now that I've started to trim down. I really can't overpower like I want to, but the change overall, it's the same with high school. But it's just I've been dealing with stronger people."

ON RETURNING PUNTS FOR FUN:

"That's something I really enjoy. The fact that we're involved like that before practice and get to do something like that. That's something different that you don't really see a lot of schools. I feel like that fits my personality kinda, just me being able to go out there and run around and just be able to catch a ball. That's like a big guy's dream."

Ricky Walker

ON BUYING INTO HIS REDSHIRT YEAR:

"It didn't take me long...Redshirting's not a bad thing. People look at it as bad, but it's not really a bad thing. I thought about it and was like, 'you know, that's what's best for me and the program, so I'm gonna stick with it.'"

ON TIM SETTLE:

"Tim actually came a long way. He lost about almost 15, 20 pounds. He looks pretty good out there. He's learning. He's getting reps with the second team with me. He's catching on pretty quick. After this spring, he's gonna be up there pretty good."

ON HOW HE FEELS PHYSICALLY:

"Physically, I actually feel better. The offseason was different, a lot of running. Right now, I'm 285 solid. I was like 290 last August, but at 285 I feel real good. Moving out there real good. This new tempo's very fast, but after Colorado's (5 a.m workouts), I'm used to it."

ON FOSTER AND WILES STAYING IN BLACKSBURG:

"That was big. That was real big. Just hearing that news that Bud and Coach Wiles (were staying), that was a little weight off my shoulders. I didn't have to worry about a change or impressing new faces. Just going out there, having the same game plan, same technique and all that."

Vinny Mihota

ON IF HE FEELS OLD NOW WITH ALL THE YOUNG DE'S:

"Yeah, I feel a little bit old. I feel like I can help them a lot along the way because it's the same stuff since we have the same position coach, the same coordinator. We just have all the same plays. I kinda know what's going on, this will be third spring."

ON IF HE FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE AT END:

"A lot. Last spring, I moved there (end) a practice before the spring game, so every play during the spring game, I was looking over for Coach Wiles and he had to tell me what to do every play because I had no idea. But having a whole year at my belt at the position, I never not know what I'm doing."

ON HIS CURRENT WEIGHT:

"I got down to 265. When I was trying to put on weight when I was a tackle, I was up near 280. I felt like that's just slightly too big to be an end, so that's why I dropped down to 265 for this season."

"I feel a lot quicker. I didn't sacrifice any strength, I don't think. All my weight room numbers are still increasing."

ON THE YOUNG DEFENSIVE ENDS:

"I think they're great. I think they've come a long way, not only since they've been here, but since practice started to today's practice seven, they've come a long way. I feel like they're gonna be really good players."