Virginia Tech Football 2026 Position Preview: Defensive Line

In part 5 of our Virginia Tech football position-by-position previews, I'll be giving an in-depth look at the Hokies' offensive line unit, previewing the returnees from the 2025 unit and who's new, who's favored to start this year, the biggest question mark surrounding the group and what the bottom line to take away from the unit is.

Previous Installments

Returnees:

Kemari Copeland (r-Sr.): Copeland started all 12 games last season, finishing with 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, including a three-sack effort against California. Copeland is Virginia Tech's lone All-ACC returnee from the 2025 campaign, having earned Third Team nods that season.
Elhadj Fall (r-Sr.): Fall, who came to Virginia Tech after three years at Georgia Southern, tallied 25 tackles (10 solo) and amassed 3.5 tackles for loss, also tacking on 2.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal. Fall likely projects as one of the starting defensive tackles opposite Copeland.
Jason Abbey (r-Jr.): Abbey has played in 29 games in his collegiate career, totaling 25 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The 6-foot-3 junior started one game and should be an essential depth piece for the line this season if he doesn't earn one of the starting end slots.
Aycen Stevens (r-Jr.): Stevens' played in 25 games thus far in his collegiate career, logging 17 total tackles and two quarterback hurries. He earned the Lunch Pail this spring.
Grant Karczewski (r-Jr.): The 6-foot-7, 292-pound lineman has played in three games over as many years, and he has not logged any statistics. As a senior at Western Albemarle High School, he was named Second-Team All-Central at defensive end.
Deric Dandy (r-So.): Dandy played in all 12 games last season primarily on special teams. he made one tackle. At Mount Airy High School (Mount Airy, N.C.), he made 110 tackles, 48 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in his senior season, leading his school to the Class 1A state championship.
Gerard Johnson III (r-So.): The Virginia Beach native has played in three games over the past two years, logging one tackle (vs. Wofford; Sept. 20, 2025).
Andrew Hanchuk (r-So.): Hanchuk hasn't played yet at the collegiate level; he didn't see game action in 2024 and was injured in preseason camp prior to the 2025 campaign. In his senor year of high school at Berea-Midpark (Berea, Ohio), he amassed eight sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
Emmett Laws (r-So.): Laws took on an expanded role in the 2025 season, playing in all 12 games and making 12 tackles, four of which were unassisted. He tallied 1.0 tackles for loss and he logged a sack against South Carolina that resulted in a safety.
Zeke Chinwike (r-Fr.): Chinwike played in one game last season and logged a tackle, utilizing his redshirt. He totaled 40 tackles as a senior at Green Run High School in 2024.
Brett Clatterbaugh (r-Fr.): Clatterbaugh played in four games in 2025, logging three tackles, 1.5 of which were for a loss. In high school, he was a three-time all-state linebacker and registered 143 tackles (and 10 TFLs) as a senior.
Christian Evans (r-Fr.): The 6-foot-2 in-state product played in two games in 2025, but he didn't log any statistics. In his final year of high school at Stone Bridge High School, he amassed 56 tackles, 6.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
Sherrod Henderson (r-Fr.): The 6-foot-2 lineman missed the entirety of the 2025 season due to injury; at Heide Trask (Rocky Point, N.C.) High School, he collected 80 tackles and 11 sacks.

Newcomers:

Samuel Okunlola (r-Sr.): Virginia Tech is Okunlola's third school after stints at Colorado and Pitt. Okunlola played in 15 games with the Panthers from 2022-23, logging 18 tackles, six TFLs and five sacks. In 2024 at Colorado, he logged 30 tackles, eight quarterback hurries, seven TFLs and three sacks; his 2025 season was cut short after one game.
Eric Mensah (r-So.): Mensah spent the last two seasons at Ohio State, though he scarcely played. He logged four games and recorded two tackles in his time with the Buckeyes. Mensah, a in-state product from Stafford, Va., was a unanimous top-12 player in the state; he tallied eight sacks as a junior.
Mylachi Williams (r-So.): Williams played in four games over two seasons at Penn State, making one tackle. The Philadelphia native posted 70 tackles as a high school senior and won a city title in 2023.
Randy Adirika (r-Fr.): One of the many redshirt freshman imports from Penn State, Adirika appeared in two games in 2025 but didn't log any statistics. He posted 30 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior at Miami Central High School and he was named a four-star prospect by Rivals.
Cortez Harris (r-Fr.): Harris, who comes from Penn State, appeared in two games for Penn State last season. He totaled 15 tackles and 6.5 sacks at Riverdale Baptist High School in Maryland in his senior season, thought he sustained a season-ending injury. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 34 edge rusher and No. 13 Maryland product in the 2025 class.
Javion Hilson (r-Fr.): Hilson, a 6-foot-3, 245-pounder, spent last year at Mizzou, where he played in three games and logged one quarterback hurry and one tackle. Rivals rated him as a five-star prospect, and he was named Rivals' top defensive end at the class after logging 202 tackles and 38.5 sacks over his final three seasons of high school ball.
Daniel Jennings (r-Fr.): Jennings did not see the field last season for Penn State; he totaled 10 sacks and 12.5 TFLs as a senior at Princeton High School (Princeton, W. Va.). Jennings was the top-ranked player in the state of West Virginia for the class.
Tyson Harley (Fr.): Harley, another one of Virginia Tech's Maryland prospects, was a three-time All-WCAC selectiion at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. He was slotted as a four-star by Rivals and a three-star by 247Sports and ESPN; he totaled 30 tackles and six sacks as a junior.
Kamren Johnson (Fr.): The three-star prospect was ranked as the No. 127 edge rusher by 247Sports after a 62-tackle, 12-sack, 22-TFL senior season at Green Run High School. The 243-pound lineman was a three-time All-Region 5A honoree during his time in high school.
T-Ron Richardson (Fr.): As a senior at Hopewell High School, Richardson, who hails from Petersburg, Virginia, tallied 71 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, two sacks and a 51-yard pick six en route to an All-Region First Team. He was a consensus top-15 recruit in the state; ESPN ranked him as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the state of Virginia for the 2026 class.
Garrett Witherington (Fr.): Witherington was a four-year starter on the defensive line at Briarwood Christian High School (Birmingham, Ala.), totaling 148 tackles, 15 sacks and a school-record 29 TFLs. Though his senior year was shortened due to injury, he was a unanimous three-star recruit, and ESPN ranked him as the No. 75 defensive tackle in the class.

Who are the projected starters?

I believe that the defensive tackle spots are easier to settle for the starters, since 2025 All-ACC nod Kemari Copeland is a surefire nod for one of the two slots. Elhadj Fall appears to be No. 2 up in the order, while I think that Emmett Laws, Eric Mensah and Randy Adirika should slot in as the next in line.

At defensive end, it feels like Aycen Stevens will be one of the starters after he received buzz during the spring. As for the other spot, I think it could be one of Mylachi Williams, Javion Hilson or Jason Abbey. Hilson seems to have more upside, though Williams has more prior rapport with Franklin from Penn State and more collegiate experience.

Biggest question mark:

Can Virginia Tech generate a consistent pass rush off the edge?

Kemari Copeland gives the Hokies a proven disruptive force on the interior, but the defensive end room enters the season with far more uncertainty. None have established themselves as a consistent ACC-caliber pass rusher. If one or two of those players can emerge as legitimate threats off the edge, Virginia Tech's defensive front could become one of the conference's better units. If not, opposing offenses may be able to devote extra attention to slowing Copeland.

Bottom line:

This group has the ingredients to be one of Virginia Tech's deeper position units. The Hokies return an All-ACC cornerstone in Kemari Copeland, added experienced Power Four transfers, and have no shortage of young talent competing for snaps. While questions remain at defensive end, the overall depth and versatility of the room should allow defensive coordinator Brent Pry to rotate bodies and keep the front fresh. If the edge rush develops as hoped, this defensive line has the potential to be a strength of the 2026 team.

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