When Virginia Tech takes the field Monday night for its opener vs. Georgia Tech, the Hokies will do so minus a starter on the defensive side of the ball.
As expected, head coach Frank Beamer confirmed Monday during a teleconference that starting linebacker Tariq Edwards will not play in the game against the Yellow jackets due to injury.
Edwards underwent offseason surgery to fix issues with a stress fracture in his left shin and did not participate in spring practice. He has since been slow to return to full strength, and there’s no timeline yet for a return.
Additionally, Edwards underwent another procedure a couple of weeks ago, the Washington Post writes, “to remove a screw that had been causing discomfort in his knee.”
After playing in every game as a redshirt freshman in 2010, Edwards started all 14 games last season. He finished third on the team in tackles (71) and tackles for loss (11.5) in 2011, and was also credited with 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.