Virginia Tech Football: 5 bold predictions for the 2017 season

2. Josh Jackson will win ACC Freshman Offensive Player of the Year

The Virginia Tech Hokies didn’t waste much time naming redshirt freshman Josh Jackson their starting quarterback and that’s a good thing.

Jackson took a redshirt season in 2016 which gave him a season to not only ingest Fuente’s playbook but see what worked and what didn’t with Jerod Evans last season.

Evans was in his first season under Fuente last season and for all intents and purposes, it was considered a success. Evans threw for 3,552 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns and just eight interceptions despite his limited knowledge last year. With his legs, Evans ran for 846 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.

Under Jackson, the Hokies offense could do even more damage. Granted, it would be great if Jackson could rely on the legs of his running back a lot more. However, being a dual-threat quarterback gives him an opportunity to make plays with both his arm and his legs.

Evans ranked third in the conference in passing yards, fourth in pass completion percentage (63.5) and fourth in passing touchdowns before it was all said and done. After entering a relative unknown, Evans made his mark which ended with an appearance in the ACC Championship game.

There’s no reason Jackson can’t lead the Virginia Tech Hokies the same way. Fuente’s offense didn’t hold back and he got the best out of his players last season. With a bit more certainty at quarterback entering 2017, Jackson could be due for ACC Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors before its over.