At the 2009 ACC Football Kickoff event in Greensboro earlier this week, head football coach Tom O’Brien dropped some surprising – though not entirely unexpected – news: star quarterback Russell Wilson will likely not suit up for the Pack after this season.
The press conference was held in Greensboro on Monday afternoon. ACC coaches and players sat down and answered some burning questions about the upcoming season.
O’Brien also stated that backup Mike Glennon would see some playing time this year in preparation for his new role and will appear in the team’s opening game against South Carolina Sep. 3. This announcement will likely quell rumors that Glennon will transfer in hopes of finding a starting position elsewhere.
Russell will be a redshirt sophomore in 2009 for football but qualifies as a junior in baseball. Several scouts have reported Wilson’s professional career lies in baseball and he will likely declare for the MLB draft next year.
As for the upcoming season, O’Brien said he wants to utilize Wilson’s best qualities.
“I think that’s one of his great strengths – making great plays,” O’Brien said. “He’s got a long time still to go. We want him to not have to run around as much [this season.]”
O’Brien also announced that the condition of linebacker Nate Irving, who was injured in a car accident in June, is far more serious than initially reported. The broken leg was actually a compound fracture and he suffered a separated shoulder, which wasn’t primarily announced.
Irving is out indefinitely, but should he be ready to play at any point during the season, O’Brien said he would put him in because he has already redshirted a season.
In other news, Wilson and defensive end Willie Young were selected pre-season All-ACC. Wilson threw 249 consecutive passes without an interception over the final nine games of the 2009 season en route to becoming the first freshman quarterback to earn first team All-ACC honors.
Young, one of the most experienced players on the Wolfpack team, with 12.5 career sacks was an All-ACC honorable mention last year.
For the third year in a row, Virginia Tech was predicted to top the ACC.
“I need to be more consistent,” Young said. “Your perspective has changed, being a senior and having younger guys look up to you. It’s a challenge.”
