Everything from Virginia Tech DL Kody Huisman After Wednesday's Practice

Virginia Tech DL Kody Huisman Media Availability: Fall Camp Day 11 pic.twitter.com/2BEwioZLtQ
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) August 13, 2025

On Wednesday, fall camp rolled on for Virginia Tech and the Hokies are close to two weeks away from their season opener against South Carolina. After practice on Wednesday, Virginia Tech DL Kody Huisman spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say:

On how practice has been so far:

"It's been going well. I mean, just adjusting to a new place and everything. I've really enjoyed these coaches and working with them."

On why he entered the portal:

"I really wanted to take another step in my career and try to develop under a new coach in the FBS. And really, just seeing if I can compete at this level and it's been an awesome adjustment for me."

On what made Virginia Tech stand out:

"Just their defensive line play. I watch them and they're a pretty dominant defensive line and I wanted to be a part of that. And just knowing who [defensive line coach J.C. Price is] and wanted to play under him as well."

On how playoff experience with FCS school North Dakota State helped:

"I mean, just playing at North Dakota State. that program, I loved the program and everything, and it was really good for me and they got me a lot of game reps through early games and postseason games. And just having those postseason snaps, you'll be able to figure out how to play after regular season and you just gain a different knowledge for the game being able to play football year-round."

On defensive line coach J.C. Price and his coaching style:

"Just coming out here for the first time, just going around the town with him, he's pointing out places where he used to be when he played here as well. He was more of a personable guy to me and he kind of related to me and I really enjoyed what he had to say about how I play and how it will fit with how we play as a defense here."

On what's it's been like having Price as a coach:

"It's been great. I mean, people have been making some jokes that I look kind of like him back in the day, but you know, there's nothing wrong with that."

On his thoughts about how the Hokies’ scheme fits his playstyle:

"We've been watching a lot of film this summer, kind of on the Vikings' stuff, and I've been wanting to play that type of way."

On where he fits into the equation for the defensive line:

"I think I can play all around on the D-line and that's a strength of mine to be able to know every other position. And I'm sure we'll have a bunch of mix-and-matches this year with me and a couple other players and I'm very excited to see what they choose to do. I think it's going to be a threat whoever we put out there."

On whether he moved around the defensive line at NDSU:

"Last year, I flipped between nose and three tech, just for position depth, stuff like that."

On how fellow defensive lineman Kemari Copeland has helped him and shown him the ropes:

"I mean, [it] really starts this summer. Just getting here this summer and working out with him, man, he can lift in the weight room and that gets me pushing me too as well as an older guy. Watching a young guy lift like that, it really pushed me to lift harder, work harder, and just playing behind him and seeing all what he can do is really drove me up as well."

Q: So, you're going to put 685 on the squat rack like he does?

"Not there. Not quite there, but I'm pushing some weight, too."

On his high IQ, per Coach Price:

"I think I played over 1,000 snaps or so at my last school and I think just from having game reps and being able to study offensive lines and stuff, you take it more from just learning the defensive part of the game and you start learning the offensive side later on throughout your career."

On what there is to do in Pella, Iowa, Huisman's hometown:

"I mean, we got a good festival called Tulip Time. It's in May. It's usually May 1 through 3. It's a three-day festival of the Dutch people. So, they go marching around and a lot of good food."

Q: Isn't that your high school team nickname? The Dutch?

"Yep, Pella Dutch."

On the difference of climate from NDSU to Blacksburg:

"I'd say it's actually warmer there than you guys think might think it is. It gets up there. I mean, you'd be in playing fall camp in the 90s, 95 sometimes, and you know, it's been pretty mild out here this summer. So, it's pretty similar."