Virginia Tech football: Kemari Copeland happy to be back with Brent Pry
· Yahoo Sports
When Kemari Copeland was in his second collegiate season, playing at Iowa Western Community College, there weren’t a ton of Power 4 teams knocking on his door. He had some opportunities, but a chance to return home to Virginia — he’s a Virginia Beach native — played a big role.
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So did former head coach Brent Pry.
The All-ACC defensive tackle was present in Charlotte this week at the 2026 ACC Kickoff and revealed that Pry, his former head coach and now his defensive coordinator, was the only head coach to visit him.
“Yeah, so my relationship with Coach Pry is really good,” Copeland said. “He was actually the only head coach, I was at JUCO before here, he was the only head coach to come see me at JUCO. Our relationship is really good. When he left, it kind of hurt. When I seen that he was coming back, it was actually huge. I had a chance to go to the NFL. He was actually a huge reason I came back. He’s had top 10, top five defenses when he was a defensive coordinator, so I know that we’ll be really good this year.”
Copeland had options this offseason. He could have entered the 2026 NFL Draft, but he could’ve also transferred and received big money elsewhere for his final season. The Hokies took care of him. A third-team All-ACC selection last season, Copeland could land on the first team in 2026.
Copeland also revealed that he’s up to 300 pounds, with some urging from head coach James Franklin. Weighing around 280 pounds last season, Franklin told him it would be better for his NFL chances to add some bulk. We already know how strong Copeland is, but with the added weight, he could be in store for a huge 2026 season.