Parker Clements Addresses the Media After Practice on Wednesday

Clements is slated to start at right tackle for the Hokies in 2024.

Oct 9, 2021; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies offensive lineman Parker Clements (70) guards Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Houston Griffith (3) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Parker Clements faced questions from the media after his practice on Wednesday. Media asked him questions about Layth Ghannam, College Football 25, and more.

Here’s everything Clements had to say.

Question: There seems to be a lot of lineup shifting. I can't imagine it involves you at right tackle. What's it like with new people coming in and playing next to you all the time?

Parker Clements: I think it's good overall. When you can play next to multiple guys, that's a very versatile thing. The guys who have been moving around are doing a great job, having a good attitude, coming out here to practice, and doing what they need to do, putting their best foot forward.

Question: Is it like old times a little bit with Kaden coming back to the right guard spot?

Parker Clements: A little bit. I've had to flashback a little with that. I played a lot of snaps next to him back in the day a couple of years ago, so it's pretty cool. At the same time, I had a lot of snaps with Bob too.

Question: How good is that sort of unspoken communication with the guys you play next to, that you just kind of have a sense of what they're going to do?

Parker Clements: Oh yeah, it definitely helps when you've played a lot of snaps with people. You kind of have a chemistry, if you will, that you can imagine. So it helps a lot. Even if you're not really saying it, at the same time they can kind of feel you.

Question: How's Braelin’s communication improved getting the snaps at center? You already know what he can do at left guard, but just his voice at center.

Parker Clements: Oh yeah, he's great at pointing out the IDs. He's been really loud, and that's what we need out of him, so he's doing a great job.

Question: What were your goals over the offseason? What did you try to work on and improve coming into this year?

Parker Clements: You know, you're never going to arrive. We had a guest speaker come in and talk to us. He was actually a former Army Ranger, can't remember exactly his name, but he did a great job giving us a message about how you never arrive, always keep improving. The fundamentals are always going to come first. That's how the play starts—first step, hand placement, hat placement. That's kind of been my motive, and that's what we've been working on the last few weeks, obviously all through camp and spring ball.

Question: You've had a lot of coaches on the O-line since you've been here. What's it like to have Crook back for a second season? How beneficial is that?

Parker Clements: It's definitely nice. I think I've had three—Coach Vance Vice, Coach Rudolph, and now Coach Crook. But it's awesome having one come back. That transition period is a little funky, and you definitely have to earn and buy in trust at the same time with those guys. So it's definitely nice having a guy back so we can get this moving forward.

Question: I know you've got Coach Davis and Coach Fields that also work with you guys too. What's it like to be able to, I see you guys in practice sometimes, splitting up into three different groups and more individual coaching. What is that like from your perspective?

Parker Clements: Oh, it's awesome. A lot of knowledge in that room. Sorry, but a lot of knowledge in the room, and we can split up and maximize our time and our reps out here, so it's great. Get as much work as we can.

Question: What's impressed you the most about Montavious now that he's kind of come in and meshed with your room?

Parker Clements: He's a great guy. I think he's really bought in well. He kind of fit right in as soon as he got here, so we all love him, and he's doing a great job. Like I said, he's a heck of an athlete, and he's really making strides.

Question: After spending so much time at guard here with this group, how have you seen him adjust going back out to play some right tackle?

Parker Clements: Oh, I think he's done well. Personally, I think he's a little better at tackle for sure than guard. I think that was a little weird for him at first, but he's doing a great job. We're both kind of pushing each other, so it's been great having him out there.

Question: For Layth at guard, Is it that you, as someone who's been on the offensive line for some time, do you see him as a good guard versus being a tackle?

Parker Clements: I think anywhere he plays, he'll be great at. He's very athletic, has a very low center of gravity, he's got a great core, and he can really sit on it. He's very powerful, so wherever he is, I think he'll do great, great strides at it. He'll be exceptional.

Question: What's impressed you most about Brody? I know he's over on the left side now. Xavier said that the way he just shoves guys, it doesn't look like he's putting in a lot, but he just knocks guys off their feet and makes it look easy.

Parker Clements: Oh yeah, he's powerful too. I know I keep using that word, but he's got real long arms, God blessed him with that, and he's got a heck of a punch. He's one of those guys that's kind of been a Swiss army knife, you know, bouncing around from right to left side, but he's done a great job. His punch, especially in pass pro, you watch him in one-on-ones—if he gets his hands on you, it's pretty much over, so he's doing a great job.

Question: How much did last year help Brody, getting to start against Pittsburgh, playing a lot of snaps at both left and right guard? How much did that help him going into this offseason?

Parker Clements: Oh, I think that was huge. Getting those game reps does change your demeanor, kind of calms you down in a sense. So you have those reps under your belt, and he's doing a great job putting his best foot forward, coming out every day and competing. That's all we can ask for from him.

Question: What have you learned the most this offseason, this fall camp, going up against the D-line every day in practice?

Parker Clements: Oh yeah, heck of a D-line we got going on right now. A lot of competitors up there—from Cole, Aeneas, KG, KP, and of course we got Fuga back, Tuan—you know, they're all getting after it. They always give us their best every day, and that's what helps us grow. You know, iron sharpens iron.

Question: Xavier said everybody's kind of got a deep bag where you don't know what they're going to come at you with. Is that obviously probably challenging in practice, but kind of nice to know that when you get into a game, you're ready for anything?

Parker Clements: Oh, no doubt. They definitely never come at you with the same move twice. Maybe day-to-day they will, but at least not rep after rep after rep, and that is nice. You get different looks; you're not going to get the same thing in the game over and over and over again, so that is crucial for us.

Question: Are you part of this group that plays video games after practice all the time together?

Parker Clements: I probably don't play the same games as them. I think they're all playing like Warzone and maybe some college football. I played a little college football when it first came out, but I'm more of a, not gonna lie, I'm more of a Fortnite guy. Me and Bob hop on Fortnite sometimes. They got the reload back and the old-school map back.

Question: Did you guys get some fishing in on Lake Day?

Parker Clements: No, a few guys did, but I kind of just wanted to relax, so I got on the boat. I know a few guys did, but I heard Stro caught like three fish or something. I don't know if y'all talked to him yet, but he caught a few.