Question Marks Persist About Virginia Tech's Defense, Though HC-Turned-DC Brent Pry's Unit Has Cautious Optimism

Virginia Tech football's defensive identity in 2026 will be constructed in a peculiar manner. Brent Pry's back, under a year separated from his ouster as the Hokies' head whistle on Sept. 14, 2025.

"Brent Pry is back with the school that fired him last September as head coach. He’s reunited with Franklin in a coordinator role, a partnership that served both of them well in Happy Valley," Athlon Sports said in its preseason magazine.

Virginia Tech's defense returns less playmakers than its offense, leaning more on transfers, particularly in the secondary. The defensive line returns the most talent, with Kemari Copeland entering his redshirt senior season after a 4.5-sack, 48-tackle season. Copeland is the lone returning 2025 All-ACC nod for the Hokies, having procured Third Team honors last season.

"Weight room stud Kemari Copeland (7.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks in 2025) gives the Hokies a building block on the interior line," the magazine read.

In the safeties room, Quentin Reddish slots in as the main returner, while Tyson Flowers should also start again as the free safety. Flowers, a 5-foot-11, 213-pound safety from Fort Worth, Texas, logged 49 tackles (26 unassisted), two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

It seems like the Hokies' biggest additions on the defensive side of the ball are at corner, though.

"Quentin Reddish returns from a shoulder injury to headline the safeties room, while Tech restocked at corner, adding Jaquez White (Troy) and Kenny Woseley Jr. (Penn State) as transfers and getting Joshua Clarke back from a torn ACL," the magazine read. "Expect the pass defense to improve upon its national ranking of 81st nationally in yards allowed. There are question marks at linebacker and on the front. Sophomore Noah Chambers has hard-hitting upside in the middle, but there are few proven playmakers other than Copeland in the front seven.”

Clarke missed all of the 2025 campaign with the aforementioned torn ACL, an injury that he sustained in 2025 spring ball. White, meanwhile, was named All-Sun Belt Second Team in 2025, after logging 67 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and 14 total passes defended (No. 7 in the nation, No. 3 in Sun Belt. He graded out with a 87.6 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus.

Virginia Tech's 2026 season starts on Saturday, Sept. 5, against VMI at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network — and it'll be the first clash between the two programs in 42 years.

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