Sean Glennon, Tyrod Taylor neck-and-neck at Virginia Tech

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Quarterback Sean Glennon is preparing for his fifth season in a Virginia Tech football uniform. He started at least nine games in each of the last two seasons, during which he proved capable of successfully running the Hokies’ offense.

His leadership qualities are such that Tech coach Frank Beamer selected him to represent the team this weekend at the ACC Kickoff at Reynolds Plantation.

But none of that means Glennon, a 6-foot-4, 223-pound senior, will be the Hokies’ starting quarterback this fall. That’s because sophomore Tyrod Taylor is still breathing down his neck.

The quarterback battle is on in Blacksburg, and there’s no indication as to who will win the job outright, or if one man will fill the position on a full-time basis.

Beamer said Monday that both Glennon and Taylor are still equal in the running for the starting spot, even after evaluating the players’ performances from spring practice.

“We don’t know exactly what we’re going to do right now,” Beamer said. “I think all of us would like to get it down to one quarterback, because I think life is simpler (that way).”

That said, Beamer hasn’t yet ruled out a two-quarterback system like the Hokies utilized last year.

They did it successfully last season, save for a poor performance by both players in Tech’s 24-21 Orange Bowl loss to Kansas. It worked in four straight wins leading up to that game, though.

If the Hokies explore the two-quarterback system again, Beamer said they’d do so with a different approach.

Instead of trying to keep things unpredictable for opposing defenses like they did last year, the Hokies would simplify the system by catering plays to each quarterback.

“The more choices you put in there (for the quarterback), the harder it is in the game, I think,” Beamer said. “I thought that was part of the thing a little bit in the Orange Bowl, that they had too many choices.”

Neither player seemed to find his rhythm in the bowl loss. Taylor threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Glennon threw two costly picks as well.

That loss, like the one in the Chick-fil-A Bowl the previous season, served as motivation for Glennon, who put in extra time in the offseason to work on his footwork and passing skills.

Naturally, he thinks the job should be his.

“I’m going to keep working as hard as I can. I fully expect to be out there,” Glennon said.

College quarterbacks tend to blossom in their fifth seasons, and this could be a breakout year for Glennon, who has been solid in his previous seasons under center.

The transition from solid to spectacular has been done in Blacksburg before.

Tech fans will remember Bryan Randall, who struggled at times in three seasons and a redshirt year before turning it on in 2004. He won ACC player of the year that season and led the Hokies to an ACC championship.

Glennon doesn’t lack for confidence. He made strides last season, passing for 1,796 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned MVP honors in Tech’s ACC championship win over Boston College.

Still, it’ll be hard to sit Taylor, who scored 11 touchdowns — five passing and six rushing — in his freshman season last year.

With the Hokies auditioning an all-new wide receiving corps and a new tailback this preseason, Taylor’s dual-threat ability could come in handy.

“Do you need another quarterback that gives you the ability to make plays with his athletic ability in your backfield?” Beamer said. “It’s not like you’ve got a group of wide receivers like we had last year that were experienced, and you had a tailback that was experienced.

“But even with that last year, I thought there was a place for Tyrod.”

As preseason practice approaches — the Hokies get started Aug. 4 — Taylor is still very much in Tech’s plans. Beamer said he has not spoken to him about possibly redshirting.

“I think he’d do whatever we thought was best,” Beamer said. “I think both of them want to play. I think we’re fortunate we have two good quarterbacks. I’m not ready to have that (redshirt) conversation. I want to be very open-minded and see what we see in preseason.”