What Could Brent Pry's Defense Look Like in 2026?
In this story:
An unexpected return in early December has put the Hokies in a rare position. Brent Pry was brought back to Virginia Tech by James Franklin under the same role he fulfilled with Franklin at Penn State.
BREAKING: James Franklin and Virginia Tech are hiring former HC Brent Pry as defensive coordinator, @PeteNakos reports🦃https://t.co/zX1oSoOZAy https://t.co/1b9cyi7c92 pic.twitter.com/xmedJa4BYq
— On3 (@On3sports) December 7, 2025
While Pry won't be sitting at the same desk, there's no re-acclamation in store for him. Many of the players he recruited over the last couple of years strongly supported him during his time in Blacksburg. This move not only ensures a seamless transition between the new regimes but also increases Franklin's chance of retaining talent.
That doesn't mean the entire team is going to stay together. The nature of seasons such as 2025 will have players pondering a fresh start. For Pry, a demotion on the staff directory made end up being a saving grace. He gets to return to calling plays with a unit he'll be relatively familiar with, with a coach whom he thrived under. These factors will play a major role in this defense's identity, something that was in the air in 2025.
Happy Valley Dominance
To go forward with a prospect of what this defense will look like under Pry, let's go back to the job that won him his first head coaching gig. In 2016, Brent Pry took over as defensive coordinator at Penn State. Before that, he served as co-defensive coordinator with the Nittany Lions and at Vanderbilt.
His first year as DC resulted in one of the Big Ten's best defenses. They finished second in scoring defense and only allowed more than 20 points in a game three times. 2018 emphasized the pressure Pry could bring and simulate, with a nation-leading 3.62 sacks per game. The pass rush was complemented with a stifling secondary that finished with 13 interceptions and allowed a 53.6 completion rate.
2019 was the cherry on top of the Happy Valley sundae. The Nittany Lions finished eighth in scoring defense and fifth in rushing defense. They lived in the backfield with a second-straight season averaging over 3 sacks per game, with 3.46, and led the nation in forced fumbles. He produced talent at an extremely high level, highlighted by one of the greatest edge rushers ever to play the game in Micah Parsons.
Faced Paced Defense
Schematically, nothing has been confirmed. Pry has always liked his defense to push the pace of the game. He was most comfortable with base 4-3 and 4-2-5 nickel schemes. These defensive formations excel in controlling the field from sideline-to-sideline. Not only does the defensive line have an enhanced priority to pressure the quarterback, but the plays themselves must simulate increased pressure for the unit to force negative offensive plays.
Versatility is also something Pry needed on his defense. Taking a look back at Micah Parsons in college would make one think he's a Swiss Army Knife instead of a pure edge rusher. Pry deployed himself as both an on-ball and off-ball linebacker, experimenting with lining Parsons and other players at the position in the nickel instead of a cornerback. He lined up outside and inside when rushing the passer and was involved in stunts so fast the offense couldn't identify them. That is a level of versatility the Hokies did not see on defense.
Chris Marve handled play calling on defense for the majority of Pry's tenure. While the emphasis on pressuring the quarterback remained, Marve failed to win the turnover margin like Pry did at Penn State. He deployed similar packages, emphasizing a lot of four-lineman looks and five defensive backs. This resulted in inconsistent play against the run. Taking away a linebcker alows the offense to focus on winning the trenches above all else. Pry mixed up his personnel enough to limit the number of adjustments offenses could make throughout the game. Marve's strongest season still resulted in a top-20 scoring defense. The schematic similarities show this defense can be a familiar and effective game plan. The variation ofpersonnell will be key when differentiating Pry's defense from the Hokies' previous units.
Can the Hokies' Trust a Failed Investment?
All of his Penn State numbers are exciting, but it's the same profile Virginia Tech bought in on when hiring him as head coach. The big difference now is the mindset under which this program operates.
The pressure of coaching any Power Four program is immense and can distract a coach from what got them the job in the first place. Now that Pry is returning as a play caller, he may be able to truly be the coach he's capable of being. He's not the man that the team falls back on, yet he can still be a powerful voice within the locker room. Pry knows the northeast recruiting base better than most coordinators in the ACC. The scheme he'll introduce won't be far off from the ones he had both as head coach and as coordinator at Penn State. It's not as flashy a move as the Franklin hiring, but it's one of the more sensible choices that were available for the Hokies.
More Virginia Tech Hokies News
Brett Holmes has been covering the Hokies as a Sports Media & Analytics student at the school for the past two years. Alongside writing, he works behind the scenes as a production assistant for Virginia Tech's athletic production organization Hokie Vision. In his free time, he produces his own podcast, Holmes Field Advantage, on his YouTube. You can find him on X @_BrettHolmes
Follow _BrettHolmes