Virginia Tech Football: Would Hokies be fine without Josh Jackson?

After conflicting reports about Josh Jackson’s status with Virginia Tech football, it’s time to wonder if the Hokies could survive without him.

Josh Jackson became one of the biggest breakout stars in the ACC in 2017 after he passed for 2,991 yards, 20 touchdowns and just nine interceptions, but his future with Virginia Tech is still up in the air.

On Thursday, it was reported that Jackson’s future would be decided within the next couple of weeks and conflicting reports about his suspension surfaced. Those rumors were shot down by The Athletic‘s Bruce Feldman.

Since those rumors have been shot down, head coach Justin Fuente has praised Jackson’s progression and ability to get after it, per Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times.

"“Josh has more than proved his ability to handle the toughness it takes and all that sort of stuff it takes running the ball and all that kind of good stuff. … I make no bones about it: I like Josh’s competitiveness and look forward to getting them out there and going and getting after it.”"

It’s clear the head coach is prepared to forge ahead with Jackson as his quarterback, but he needs to figure out the academic issues within the next couple of weeks.

If Jackson is indeed suspended for the 2018 campaign, what will the Hokies look like without him? Will they be OK?

Backing Jackson up are redshirt freshman Hendon Hooker who was a four-star out of high school but had a quiet spring game with just four pass attempts — though Jackson struggled in the spring game as well.

Ryan Willis, a Kansas transfer, has plenty of experience under his belt and looked strong during the spring game, completing 10-of-15 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Neither quarterback, in my opinion, is quite on the same level of Jackson despite his spring struggles.

However, both could be just good enough to get the job done and put in a solid year of work in place of Jackson. The Hokies went 9-3 in 2017, but if Jackson is suspended in 2018, expect maybe a one or two-game drop-off. The Florida State game to start the season will set the tone for whoever is named starting quarterback.

Next: 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Way-too-early complete first round

Don’t worry, Hokies fans, Virginia Tech will have plenty of talent on the offensive side of the ball with or without Jackson. Look for the win total to be 7-8 without him and 8-9 with him. The ceiling for this team looks to be 10 wins.