Virginia Tech Fall Camp Previews: The Defensive Line

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These have been interesting times at Virginia Tech Fall camp. The Hokies’ defense heads into 2026 under new leadership. Brent Pry, come on down!

The situation, of course, is a little strange. Pry, who led the Virginia Tech program for the last three-plus seasons as head coach before being fired last September, has immediately returned in the role of defensive coordinator under new head coach James Franklin. Pry was Franklin’s longtime defensive coordinator before taking the head coaching job in Blacksburg in 2022, and there’s nobody who Franklin would rather have running his defense.

This partnership has yielded positive results in the past, and the successful history between the two coaches could yield strong returns as the Hokies try to ascend back to national relevance. Partnering with Pry on the defensive side of the ball is renowned defensive line coach Sean Spencer, who has coached both with Pry and Franklin in the past at Penn State. He’s never ceased to get the most out of his defensive linemen, and his arrival in Blacksburg should raise the ceiling of Virginia Tech’s front.

There are still plenty of questions being answered in Virginia Tech Fall camp on the defensive line, which has plenty of unproven talent littered on the roster.

Virginia Tech Fall Camp

The Star in the Middle

While there are questions about the state of the defensive line that the staff is working to answer during Virginia Tech Fall camp, there is one certainty right in the middle. Defensive tackle Kemari Copeland was retained by Franklin for his senior season in Blacksburg and is a phenomenal building block in the middle for the 2026 Hokies defense. Copeland recorded 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2025, and was named a preseason All-ACC selection last month. He’s in for a big year, and he’s the motor anchoring the defense. He’s one of a few known commodities on the defensive side of the ball, and is one of the only known commodities on the defensive line.

Who Else Could Emerge on the Interior?

Sophomore Emmett Laws was expected to play a significant role alongside Copeland in the middle of the Virginia Tech defense, but he was injured in the spring with what the program termed a “long-term injury.” He has not participated in on-field activities during Virginia Tech Fall camp, and it would be a surprise if he was healthy enough at any point this season to factor into the equation on defense. In his stead, Virginia Tech is hoping for senior Elhadj Fall to benefit from Brent Pry calling the defense this season. He had his moments in 2025, but is searching for a bit more consistency heading into the new season.

Elsewhere at defensive tackle, Ohio State transfer Eric Mensah will see some playing time. After being buried on the depth chart with the Buckeyes, he chose to transfer to Virginia Tech with three seasons of eligibility remaining. This fall will be the first time that he’s had the playing time available to him to make an impact, and his emergence could prove pivotal, especially with the injury to Laws. Penn State redshirt freshman transfer Randy Adirika has also received rave reviews in Virginia Tech Fall camp, and I’d expect him to be a part of the team’s interior depth on the defensive line as well after appearing in just two games last season for the Nittany Lions before redshirting.

There’s Talent on the Defensive End, But Questions Persist

Heading into Virginia Tech Fall camp, defensive end was one of the team’s biggest question marks. The Hokies seem to be a little bit closer to figuring out the rotation on the edge, but the situation will be one to monitor in the month of September and beyond.

Redshirt junior Aycen Stevens has been the team’s keeper of the Lunch Pail throughout Fall camp, and has taken a leadership role on the defense. He’s expected to start at defensive end after flashing as a reserve over the last couple of seasons, but a lot is riding on his anticipated production. In 25 games over his first two seasons, Stevens tallied 17 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. His next sack will be his first at the college level.

Opposite Stevens, Virginia Tech is expected to begin by starting redshirt sophomore Penn State transfer Mylachi Williams. Like Stevens, he has talent, but has not played much. As a true freshman in 2024 with the Nittany Lions, he redshirted. Last season, he played in four games at Penn State, making one tackle.

Behind Stevens and Williams, expect redshirt junior Jason Abbey to play a role. Abbey has the longest track record of production among the Virginia Tech defensive ends, participating in 28 games across his first three seasons, recording 26 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Beyond the top three options, Virginia Tech’s experience goes from limited to non-existent. Redshirt freshman Penn State transfer Cortez Harris has received rave reviews throughout camp, but he barely played last year. He appeared in just two games before redshirting and following Franklin to Blacksburg. Former blue-chip recruit Javion Hilson is another name to watch in the rotation. The redshirt freshman Missouri transfer tallied one tackle in three appearances last season for the Tigers.

The Season Outlook

The assumption heading into the season is that Virginia Tech’s defensive line will perform at an adequate level due to the unit being under the tutelage of Pry and Spencer. There’s talent – albeit unproven – and the depth remains a question mark. Expect Pry and Spencer to rotate a ton of guys into the fold in the first two weeks of the season, where Virginia Tech will be a significant home favorite against in-state foes VMI and Old Dominion. Those first couple of auditions will at least give fans an idea of what things could look like when the Hokies face tougher competition in Week 3 and beyond.

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