Virginia Tech On SI Writers Predict Their Defensive MVPs

Six of Virginia Tech On SI's writers predict who they think will be the Hokies' defensive MVP in 2025.

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Today, six of our writers picked a defensive MVP for Virginia Tech football's upcoming 2025 season. Here's who they picked and some reasoning as to why:

Jackson Caudell: Ben Bell

I think that Bell is going to step in and fill the shoes of APR nicely. Will he have as many total sacks as APR did? Maybe not, but I think that Bell is a guy that is not being talked about enough and will be a constant presence in Virginia Tech games this season.

James Duncan: Arias Nash

Senior defensive lineman Arias Nash is a fascinating player to look at on this Hokies’ defense. Transferring from Mercer, Nash made 53 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. He has an difficult, task in front of him of replacing Aeneas Peebles, who qualified for the All-ACC First Team last year. However, head coach Brent Pry has had plenty of success developing players who shined at smaller schools, then continu that on a bigger stage.

Brett Holmes: Ben Bell

Sacks are embedded into Virginia Tech's culture. Ben Bell is the heir apparent to Antwaun Powell-Ryland, and he's hungrier than ever. Bell is coming off a 2024 to forget, playing in only four games due to injury. He was on pace to dominate like he did in 2023, however. Bell put his name on the map with an All-Sun Belt Second Team season in 2023. He finished top 10 in the country in sacks with 10. Playing in every game with seven starts, Bell also registered 57 tackles (32 solo), 16.0 TFLs, and 6 quarterback hurries. Production like Powell-Ryland's is nearly impossible to replicate. The former Bobcat, however, is Sam Siefkes's ace when pressuring the quarterback.

Luke Hubbard: Ben Bell

The Hokies lost Antuwan Powell-Ryland Jr., who recorded 16 sacks in 2024, this offseason. One of the guys they brought in to replace him was Texas State DE Ben Bell, who missed time in 2024, but totaled 10 sacks in 2023. All we've heard out of camp is that Bell has been a beast, and I think he could end up with 10+ sacks this year.

Thomas Hughes: Kemari Copeland

On his HokieSports page, Copeland, in 2022 with Army West Point, "deadlifted 650 pounds with a 675-pound squat and 400-pound bench press." He also holds the program squat record for Virginia Tech, having squatted 605 pounds for ten repetitions. In 2023, he recorded 38 tackles and four and a half sacks; in four games with the Hokies last year, he registered six tackles before going down for the remainder of the year with a torn tricep injury. Copeland is back, however, with a fire. The defensive tackle held Tech's Lunch Pail for six months, according to Tech Sideline's Andy Bitter, before ceding it late in the summer to Caleb Woodson.

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Kaden Reinhard: Kemari Copeland

The Hokies' defense often brings energy and power on its defensive line that disrupts even the best college offenses. I believe Kemari Copeland will create the most high-impact plays for this Tech defense in 2025 and will be the team's defensive MVP. A torn tricep sidelined Copeland after four games last season, and he has come back stronger and more explosive than ever. Copeland, at Army West Point two years ago, was a pivotal contributing force to its defensive line, recording 38 tackles — nine of which were behind the line of scrimmage — and four and a half sacks. With defensive line coach JC Price and a year to recover from injury, look for Copeland to emerge as the squad’s most impactful player.

TOTAL VOTE COUNT:

Ben Bell - 3 (Jackson, Brett, Luke)

Kemari Copeland - 2 (Thomas, Kaden)

Arias Nash - 1 (James)