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Junior tight end Joe Torchia is the heir apparent to assume the tight end position at UVa with John Phillips graduated and Andrew Devlin now on the defensive line. He talks to VirginiaSports.com about spring football and the team’s new spread offense.
Question: How would you evaluate spring practice with a new coordinator in Gregg Brandon and a new offensive system? Does it take a while for everyone to get on the same page?
Torchia: It’s been great. Coach (Gregg) Brandon is a great coach and everyone seems to like him a lot. He obviously knows his stuff about this spread offense. I think it is going to really help us put some points on the board this year. Everyone is working hard to learn the new offense and there are a lot of new things going in right now, but everyone seems to be picking it up pretty well. I think everybody is pretty excited.
Question: How does the tight end fit into the offense?
Torchia: I don’t think my role has really changed. The whole point of being on the field is to help the team out as much as possible. That’s what everyone is trying to do, including myself. Where ever the offensive staff sees you fitting into the system and helping the team, that’s where you are going to play. He (Brandon) says the best players are going to play, it is not just receivers, or running backs or tight ends. The people who can help the team the most are going to play. I think that’s a philosophy that will help our team.
Question: How do you like the no huddle approach?
Torchia: It has been interesting. It is a lot more upbeat and fast paced. I think it will help us during the season. It’s different and probably not something that has been seen a lot in the ACC, so it will be beneficial to us.
Question: What challenges does the no huddle present to a defense?
Torchia: We are working as an offense to be more efficient reading the signals and getting up to the ball quickly and executing the plays quickly. I think the tempo coach Brandon wants us to practice at and play at; it is going to be a shock to some teams because of the pace. You don’t have the time to go back to the huddle and set up your defense. I think the pace will help us, not only with the confusion, but keeping the pace up; we’ll have to be in condition for that. We’re ready.
Question: Coming off of a season where the team did not go to a bowl game, what is the focus?
Torchia: Coach Groh talks a lot about taking aim and redemption. That has been a focus point for our team. Last season did not go as we wanted it to. I think we are confident and excited to change it around this year. Everyone is working hard. I think everybody wants redemption and that’s what we are striving for.
Question: Talk about the quarterbacks competing Marc Verica, Vic Hall and Jameel Sewell they all seem to have a different style.
Torchia: They have slight differences, but they all complement each other. They work well together and they push each other because it is a constant competition. It is a good competition. It makes each one of them better. They have to strive to be better and help the team out more. All three of them are great guys. They are all some of the nicest and hardest working guys on the team. Having any of them or all of them behind the reins of the offense, I’m very confident of their abilities.
Question: How impressed were you last year with Vic Hall’s quick conversion from cornerback to quarterback for the Virginia Tech game?
Torchia: That just speaks volumes of his character and his commitment to the team. Being able to move from the defensive side of the ball, everyone knows in high school he was a pretty proficient quarterback, his dedication and commitment to learn the offense in basically a week and do really well, speaks volumes about the type of person and player that he is.
Question: The defense will sport a very veteran secondary this season, how have they looked this spring?
Torchia: The secondary is pretty solid. With the spread offense, and the amount of work they are getting in the secondary, and how they are working us as receivers, it is going to be beneficial to our team as a whole.
Question: Who will be the player that emerges from spring ball the will surprise the fans?
Torchia: My vote would be Isaac Cain. I think he has stepped up this spring and really showed his physicality at right guard. I think he is doing really well. I think he is showing the coaches how physically he can play and how much of a smart player he is. I think he could turn some heads.