Virginia Tech’s opener against VMI won’t tell anyone much about the Hokies’ rebuilt secondary. That’s not a knock on the defensive backs. It’s just the reality of what’s coming Saturday night.
VMI managed only 11 passing yards last week in a 38-10 loss at Idaho State, and first-year head coach Ashley Ingram brought a triple-option offense with him from Carson-Newman. The Keydets ran the ball 52 times for 229 yards in that game, and that style makes this matchup more about discipline than coverage.
So the real focus belongs on Virginia Tech’s front seven, where a few players will spend the night sorting out mesh points, blockers and cutbacks instead of chasing pass stats.
At the center of it all is Kemari Copeland, the best player on this defense and the one VMI’s offense is built to neutralize. Copeland started all 12 games last season and finished with 48 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception.
That earned him third-team All-ACC honors, and he was the only Hokie on any All-ACC team. Phil Steele named him to his preseason All-ACC first team, and Copeland also broke Virginia Tech’s program bench press record at 510 pounds this offseason.
But those numbers won’t matter much against an offense that gets the ball out before a pass rush can really get going. VMI gave up 33 sacks last season, so Copeland may not pile up much in that column Saturday. His bigger job is uglier and more important: eat blocks, hold ground and make sure the option doesn’t start flowing downhill.
The same goes for linebackers, especially Benji Chambers. The triple option is designed to force the middle linebacker into a guessing game, and that puts a spotlight on the sophomore, who is the youngest starter in Virginia Tech’s linebacker group. He’s lined up with two seniors in Kaleb Spencer and Penn State transfer Keon Wylie, and last season he played in eight games as a true freshman, started six and posted 44 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
For Chambers, this is less about highlights and more about repetition. VMI ran the ball 52 times last week and barely threw, so the communication burden in the middle figures to be constant.
Then there’s Josh Stevens, a name that still needs a defining performance. He has been in Blacksburg since 2023 but hasn’t produced meaningful numbers yet.
After redshirting as a freshman, he’s moved through the edge rotation without a breakout. Still, he picked up the Lunch Pail in the spring and kept it through media day in August, which tells you the staff thinks there’s something there.
Saturday won’t answer every question about Stevens. Against the option, a defensive end has to be correct more than flashy - set the edge, stay home and don’t bite on the fake.
That makes this more of a discipline test than a pass-rush showcase. It also doesn’t tell you much about whether the redshirt junior can get after an ACC quarterback.
And that’s the theme for Virginia Tech’s defense in this one. The secondary shouldn’t see much action. The front seven will be the group under the microscope, and Brent Pry’s first game back at Lane Stadium since Virginia Tech fired him as head coach on Sept. 14, 2025, will hinge on whether that group can keep VMI’s option game from finding a rhythm.
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