Hokie fans have been yearning for a quarterback that could mimic the scrambles and long tosses of former VT quarterback, Mike Vick. There was his brother Marcus, whose claim to fame is stomping on an opposing player’s hand. There was Tyrod Taylor and Logan Thomas, both of whom were good starters, but not up to Vick’s standard.
And now there’s Jerod Evans. It’s too early to compare him to quite possibly the greatest dual-threat quarterback ever. But, the Dallas native gave Hokies fans flashbacks of Vick during Virginia Tech’s 54-17 thrashing of East Carolina.
Was it his 55-yard razzle, dazzle, “juke”tastic touchdown run that reminded VT fans of Vick? Was it the five broken tackles on that touchdown run? Maybe. Here’s something to consider if you want to draw comparisons between the former Hokie Scrambler and the current: Virginia Tech totaled 462 yards on offense:Evans accounted for 379 of those yards (13-22, 282 yards, 3 TDs, 10 rushes, 97 yards, 1 TD)
Maybe it’s the fact that Evans has given hope back to a Hokies team that was used to finishing at 7-5, or 8-4. Justin Fuente’s bunch is sitting at 3-1, and beat an ECU team that had come into the game having beaten six straight ACC opponents.
So, you’re probably asking yourself, “Where’d this Evans kid come from? What’s his story?” It all started at Mansfield High School (Mansfield, TX). The offensive scheme ran at Mansfield during Evans’ playing years didn’t highlight his capabilities. It was more run heavy, particularly utilizing the running backs. Being a star off the field in the classroom, Evans decided to take his talents to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. After suffering an ACL injury at Air Force, Evans decided that a career in the military wasn’t for him. He headed back to Texas to play JUCO ball at Trinity Valley Community College, in Athens, Texas.
Evans thrived at Trinity. He drew comparisons to Cam Newton during his days at Blinn. Evans chose VT over Texas, Texas A&M and Missouri. He knew that new head coach, Justin Fuente, was somewhat of a quarterback Guru. He developed former Memphis QB, Paxton Lynch into a first round draft pick. To date, Thomas has thrown for 13 touchdowns, and only one interception. The 6-foot-4 dual-threat quarterback isn’t looking to slow down anytime soon. Despite losing to Tennessee, the Hokies remain optimistic, thanks largely in part to their stellar quarterback.
For a kid whose talents were limited in high school and during his first college stop in Colorado Springs, Evans has finally been let off the leash. Is he Michael Vick, yet? No. But, Jerod Evans is the right man to bring back this Virginia Tech program. It took a little time back in Texas to develop his game at the JUCO level, but that step back has paid off greatly. The Hokies have their guy, and he has some big shoes to fill, but he’s doing a pretty darn good job at it.
