Collegiate Times

"I've been playing basketball just as long as I've been playing football, and right now, it's keeping me in shape," Taylor said. "In addition to the basketball though, I've been lifting and getting stronger, so altogether it's helping me stay conditioned before I head into the summer practices at Blacksburg."

As Tech's official summer training sessions are set to commence in July, Taylor will have added supervision and insight on adding muscle to his already bulky frame. Standing 6'2", 185 pounds, the future Hokie brings a substantial amount of size and speed (4.5 40-yard-dash), which Newsome feels will only improve.

"The quickest upgrade we will see in terms of Tyrod as a freshman this year will be with the amount of strength improvement that he will see in the weight room," Newsome said. "Any time you come into a nationally ranked weight-training program, you're going to get bigger, stronger, and in his case, faster, so we're looking forward here to help him improve. The sky really is the limit with him, especially in this regard."

Other areas of improvement, Newsome said, will come to Taylor, in due time.

"I think the biggest difference Tyrod will have to learn is the change in terminology and getting the system under his belt," Newsome said. "At this level, the defenses are a little more complex, but we all know he's more than willing to learn. He's already alluded to how excited he is to come here and better himself. He's a great student of the game, so I don't think that will be a problem for him."

Taylor's high school coach, Smith, who has seen the likes of a pair of notable quarterbacks (Ronald Curry and Marques Hagans, both of whom are converted wide receivers in the NFL) up close and personal, has shown nothing but a similar mindset in praising the likes of Tech's future redeemer at quarterback.

"Overall, I think down the line Tyrod is going to be a joy for Virginia Tech," Smith said. "He's going to enjoy playing there at Blacksburg, and in the end he's going to make everyone proud. He's an extraordinary talent all the way around, and every Hokie should be nothing short of ecstatic about what he is bringing to the table next fall. This kid really does have it all; he's going to be something special. Somewhere down the road I can see him taking the Hokies to the big game."

Even if they have to go through hell to get there.

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