Exit Light, Enter Burmeister

Via HokieSports.com

There is a high level of excitement surrounding redshirt junior quarterback Braxton Burmeister. In a year without spring ball, many thought that Hendon Hooker would return as QB1 in 2020 without much of a competition, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The Oregon transfer will play a prominent role for the Hokies this season, so let’s take a look and see what he will bring to the table.

Burmeister finished high school as the #10 ranked dual threat quarterback in the country with a .8941 24/7 composite ranking (Hooker in comparison was an .8903). He also holds the CIF San Diego Section career records in total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and pass completions. These impressive stats lead to a high-quality offer list, including Arizona, Florida, South Carolina, Washington and of course, Oregon.

In his two years at Oregon, Burmeister played in spurts behind now-LA Chargers QB Justin Herbert. As a freshman in 2017, he appeared in six games while starting four, finishing the year with 307 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He also added 2 touchdowns on the ground.

After transferring to Virginia Tech, Braxton was forced (unfairly?) to sit out and redshirt in 2019, but left a strong impression on the his coaching staff and teammates with his speed and athleticism on scout team. His play in camp has been so impressive, that it led to Coach Fuente announcing that both Burmeister and Hooker will play this year. While in a perfect world, Hooker would take the first snap of the season, who knows how things will play out leading up to Saturday. I am looking forward to seeing Burmeister’s athleticism and arm talent on display, whenever the time comes.