—Quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain said he’d like to make a decision on the backup quarterback spot after the Hokies’ Aug. 14 scrimmage. At this point, neither Logan Thomas (Lynchburg, Brookville High) nor Ju-Ju Clayton has shown the consistency necessary to win the job. O’Cain hopes that will change over the next week.

—Sophomore running back David Wilson (Danville, George Washington High) did 10 consecutive no-hand backflips during dead time at media day Saturday, two more than he did during media day last season.

—Lynchburg native Josh Eadie is listed fourth on the depth chart at stud defensive end, and freshman Zack McCray, who like Eadie is from Lynchburg and played at Brookville, is fourth at the other end spot. McCray is wearing No. 80, an odd number for a defensive end. He told me he didn’t pick the number and has no idea why they assigned it to him.

—Starting positions still up for grabs this preseason – tailback (Darren Evans and Ryan Williams are competing for the job, though both are basically co-No. 1s), fullback (Kenny Younger and Josh Oglesby) and defensive tackle (Kwamaine Battle and Antoine Hopkins). Whip linebacker is another volatile position.

—Evans bench pressed 405 pounds during fall testing, breaking a 20-year position record previously held by Jon Jeffries (400 pounds in 1990).

—Other weight lifting position records – Battle (defensive tackle, 475-pound front squat), Telvion Clark (inside linebacker, 455-pound front squat), Vinston Painter (offensive guard, 455-pound front squat), D.J. Coles (wide receiver, 435-pound front squat), Tyrod Taylor (quarterback, 410-pound front squat), Jarrett Boykin (wide receiver, 354-pound power clean) and Wilson (tailback, 341-pound power clean).

—Tech’s new football locker room facility, which is expected to be ready for move in next week, cost $18 million to build. It took approximately 14 months to construct. Media members took a tour of the building today, and it is unbelievably nice. The spacious locker room has TV hookups everywhere, and the lounge is huge. Ryan Williams said it best when he told us players aren’t going to want to leave that place.

—According to Gabbard, Tech coach Frank Beamer asked him which team had the biggest lockers. Gabbard told him Texas, which had 40-inch wide lockers. Beamer told him to make Tech’s bigger. The Hokies’ lockers are 7-feet high and 42-inches wide.

—Tech’s old football locker room will be converted into three separate locker rooms for the men’s soccer, baseball and men’s track teams.

—Beamer on the locker room: “The locker room that we’re in now is the one I dressed in (when I played in the 60s). It’s been renovated about four or five times, but that thing is old. Again, I think it helps the whole athletic department. The locker room we’re in now will be turned over to some other areas so they get more space. We’ve got an area that’s good for our players. It’s what you want them to have. It’s certainly good for recruiting – a lounge on the second floor. You’ve got an academic study area there with computer hookups. When this thing is completed, all the artwork and all these things, it’s just going to be second to none. I think in this business you’ve got to state your desires or your intentions, and I think this dressing room goes a long ways to state our intentions here at Virginia Tech.

—The general contractor for the locker room was Barton Malow Company from Charlottesville, Va. When asked if it concerned him that the company is based in C’Ville, home of in-state rival Virginia, Beamer joked: “A little bit of concern, to be quite honest with you. We’re going to check all of the cracks … Nah, we got the best bid. That’s how the state system works, the best bid. I tell you this, I think they’ve done a terrific job. That dressing room is something else.”

—Kenny Lewis Jr. (Danville, GW) is well liked by most, if not all, of his teammates, so there were many sad players when they found out he decided to hang up his cleats after toiling through a long injury rehab after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in 2008.

“When I came out to practice he wasn’t out there, and that’s when I knew something was up. I think it’s sad the way his career ended, and I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do,” said Wilson.