Virginia Tech Football: Ryan Willis can fill void left by Josh Jackson

Virginia Tech football will be without Josh Jackson moving forward, turning to veteran Ryan Willis to be their unquestioned starting quarterback in 2019.

After missing most of the 2018 season with injury, Virginia Tech quarterback Josh Jackson has announced his transfer from the program.  He thanked his coaches, teammates and friends, but all the well wishes don’t change the bottom line for the Hokies — they’re down one solid ACC-caliber quarterback.

Losing your starting quarterback to the ever-growing Transfer Portal is never good news. Virginia Tech, though, might not be as hampered by their loss as other programs around the country.  His departure leaves redshirt senior Ryan Willis as the lone proven passer in the Hokies’ locker room, something that might prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Jackson was 11-5 as a starter at Virginia Tech including the fateful road trip to Old Dominion which ended his sophomore season. In that stretch, he threw 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, a stat line which parallels almost identically to the 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions thrown by Willis in 2018. Although Jackson typically garners more praise for his mobility, Willis actually averaged more rushing yards at Virginia Tech than he did, averaging 29.5 per game to Jackson’s 24.1.

And then there were the off-field concerns. For reasons never fully clarified to the public, Jackson’s eligibility for the 2018 season was in doubt. He would eventually be cleared to play, but his future in Blacksburg was murky long before he made his announcement he was headed elsewhere.

Willis, a Kansas transfer, might not have developed the cache of an athlete like Jackson. But’s he won the trust of the coaching staff and found a way to push the Hokies into bowl contention once more in 2018. Jackson’s loss will impact this program, but the continued development of Willis should give the Hokies enough resiliency to carry on.