ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 6, 1996 TAG: 9604090011
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
ONE OF THE BIGGEST surprises of spring practice has been the play of a redshirt freshman.
Rick Lantz, defensive coordinator for Virginia's football team, hoped he could go through spring practice without having to move Jamie Sharper to middle linebacker.
So far, mission accomplished.
Lantz has been pleased by what he's seen from sophomore Wali Rainer and redshirt freshmen Dillon Taylor and Andreas Karelis, especially Taylor.
``Dillon Taylor may be the surprise of the spring,'' Lantz said Friday.
Taylor was rated one of the top five prospects in the state by The Roanoke Times in 1994, when he was a sophomore at Spotswood High School outside Harrisonburg, but no one was sure what position he would play.
The debate continued when Taylor, a linebacker in high school, was measured at 6 feet 3 and 243 pounds when he arrived on campus.
``When we looked at him, we weren't sure he was a linebacker,'' Lantz said. ``We thought, as big as he was, that he might grow into a tackle and become a much better-than-average athlete at that position.''
The Cavaliers thought he might become another Ryan Kuehl, an ex-tight end and linebacker who was one of the anchors of their defensive line from 1991-94.
``Exactly,'' Lantz said, ``but he's [Taylor] restructured his body. I actually said to him, `Are you sick?' He's changed that much. He's shown real quickness that I didn't know he had.''
Taylor was under 230 by the start of spring practice.
``This was a case where [head coach] George Welsh said, `I think Dillon Taylor can be a [middle] linebacker,''' Lantz recounted. ``I said, `Boy, I tell you what, I'm not sure.' We'd only seen him a little bit during the summer or on Mondays or in bowl practices, but George was right. Again.''
Taylor and Karelis were scout-team linebackers last year, while Rainer received substantial time at outside linebacker as a true freshman.
``We came into spring practice saying, `We'll throw three guys in there and hope that two are qualified,''' Lantz said. ``If you move Sharper in there, you're really weakening two positions. Sharper and [James] Farrior are really looking good. Farrior has had a great spring.''
Among the highlights for Lantz this spring has been the development of defensive tackles Tony Dingle and Maurice ``Mo'' Anderson. Dingle played as a true freshman last year, while Anderson, recently in the news as the victim of an alleged attack by basketball recruit Melvin Whitaker, was redshirted.
``It looks to me that those two can be as good as any pair I've ever been around,'' said Lantz, a college coach since 1965. ``That's the strongest position on our defense right now.''
Dingle and Anderson join Todd White, a second-team All-ACC selection last season, and sophomore Johnny Shivers. Shivers was one of UVa's most heralded signees in 1994-95, but needs to become ``a little diagnostic,'' Lantz said. ``He's worried about being perfect.''
UVa is so deep and so talented at defensive tackle that Dingle may get some practice time at defensive end. Fifth-year senior Jon Harris has been sidelined by a quadriceps pull and physically imposing Charles Preston, who hasn't been the big-play man the Cavaliers envisioned, plans to transfer.
A big area of concern is the secondary, particularly the safety spot next to Anthony Poindexter. Early candidates included converted linebacker Andre McNeal and redshirt freshmen Wally Elebge and Marcus Bullett, but Lantz is considering various options.
Fifth-year senior Joe Rowe, on academic suspension this semester, is one possibility. A second involves moving Joe Williams, provided career back-up Sam McKiver is judged capable at Williams' normal position, corner.
Lantz also likes what he sees of redshirt freshman Dwayne Stukes, a high-school All-American.
``Stukes has a chance to be a real player,'' Lantz said. ``We had him on defense, playing corner. They moved him back to wide receiver this week to make sure they were doing the right thing, but I would really like to bring him back and try him at safety.''
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Taylorby CNB