'They Believed In Me': Virginia Tech's Aycen Stevens The Current Keeper of The Lunch Pail

BLACKSBURG, Va. — It may not be surprising that a defensive lineman holds Virginia Tech's Lunch Pail at the present moment. Whether it's Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Aeneas Peebles or Kemari Copeland, the Hokies have kept up a recent trend of producing linemen capable of handling the pail.

Still, the name that holds it may be surprising to some: redshirt junior Aycen Stevens. The defensive end was spotlighted by defensive coordinator Brent Pry last week for his effort.

"You notice Aycen in each and every practice, his physicality," Pry said on March 31, four days before Stevens snagged the pail. "He's making plays beyond the line of scrimmage."

According to Stevens, Pry and safeties coach Anthony Midget had decided that no one player deserved it after winter workouts were complete. Midget himself wanted to see more practices, and Stevens eventually took that extra step. He received the pail last Friday.

"They believed in me to take [that extra step]," Stevens said. "It's awesome."

Aycen Stevens currently holds the Lunch Pail. #Hokies pic.twitter.com/AL3altBopI
— Thomas Hughes (@thomashughes_05) April 7, 2026

When Stevens came to Virginia Tech as a wide-eyed freshman, one memory he recalled was of former Hokie Josh Fuga holding the pail. Fuga, Stevens recalled, talked about the impact of receiving the pail, and it left an impact on the then-freshman. It made Stevens want it for himself.

"I told myself that day, 'Man, I'm gonna hold that pail one day, and it's gonna be mine,'" Stevens said.

That day has come.

"When Pry brought me up in front of the whole defense and told me that it was going to be mine for now, it was an unbelievable feeling. I'll never forget it."

Stevens knows he can't stop, though. After all, there's a proverb out there that happiness comes from the journey and not from the destination, the Lunch Pail being the latter in this case.

"I've worked my whole life to get to this point," Stevens said. "I feel like everybody that plays the sport's goal is to make it to the NFL. That's my goal. I got two years left here, and that time's coming. But I'm not where I need to be yet. ... This is a step in the right direction, but it's not the final step."

Stevens redshirted his freshman year (2023) and in his second year, he registered three tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Last year, he put up 14 tackles (three solo), 0.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry. In his 25-game collegiate career, he's never started, though that could change come the 2026 season opener (Sept. 5, VMI).

For Stevens, the road to improvement has been a multi-year process, but one of the factors aiding him especially this season has been new defensive line coach Sean Spencer. Spencer, who previously coached at Texas A&M and the NFL's New York Giants, has leveled up Stevens' game, particularly in pass rush.

"My passion, ability has been going up working with Coach Spencer," Stevens said. "He's really helping me develop that part of my game. Also feel like I've gotten stronger. Playing the run, it's been a stronger suit of mine in the past. But it's growing."

When asked about the specifics, Stevens spotlighted turning the corner on his tackles. Some of the linemen who have helped him in his maturation process included Powell-Ryland and Peebles, who were back in Blacksburg for a brief stint earlier this year.

"I was talking to them, and I was like, 'Man, it's weird being the old guy in the room,'" Stevens said. "... They taught me a lot about playing defensive line. ... Picked out certain things to look for in the offensive line, certain things to know about myself."

Franklin spotlighted Stevens during his April 7 media availability, touching on Stevens' consistency. In Franklin's eyes, Stevens has figured out both what kind of man he is and what kind of football player archetype he fits in. No longer is Stevens a finesse pass rusher. Instead, according to Franklin, he's leaning into his weight (260 pounds) and utilizing his "unbelievable motor" and his ability to be "physical as hell." He's playing to what he is.

"He’s so consistent in his approach, in his mentality and his physicality," Franklin said.

As aforementioned, Spencer has played a large role in that. The defensive line coach had a stint with Stevens' older brother at both Penn State and with the Giants, creating an element of familiarity. Stevens' brother played quarterback, but from the outside-looking-in perspective, Spencer's players loved the coach, according to Stevens' brother.

"I took that as, I'm probably gonna like this guy," Stevens said of his reaction to his brother's statement. "You know, sure enough, he was right."

Beyond the natural improvements, one area that Stevens has strived to maintain is his passion and getting to the ball, disadvantages be damned.

"I always knew that the plays happen around the ball," Stevens said. "Maybe I'm not the most athletic man with the strongest guy in the room, but I know if I can get to the ball, plays are gonna happen. My dad always told me growing up, 'If you get your opportunity, you run with it. You make your plays, they ain't gonna take you off the field.' So, I know plays have him around the ball. So that's where the motor comes from."