2026 VT Position Previews: 'Coach Chaos' Brings Renewed Juice to Defensive Line

The most important addition to Virginia Tech’s defensive line room this offseason was not a player, but rather a coach. James Franklin and Brent Pry decided to reunite with their old friend Sean Spencer, better known as “Coach Chaos”. Spencer coached alongside Franklin and Pry at both Vanderbilt and Penn State, developing several NFL talents, including Carl Nassib and Yetur Gross-Matos. Spencer also comes to Blacksburg with NFL experience, having spent two seasons with the New York Giants. At his most recent stop, Texas A&M, Spencer helped develop Shemar Stewart into a first-round draft pick, and also coached Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner, who were both picked in the second round of the 2025 draft. Spencer will now be tasked with revamping a Hokie defensive line unit that had just 19 sacks a year ago, ranking 110th in the country. Spencer will have an intriguing mix of talent to work with, inheriting two returning defensive tackles that will be the leaders of the unit, and a stable of talented but unproven pass rushers. Depth at this position will be critical to rotate fresh bodies throughout games, and both Spencer and Pry have been pushing many of the young players hard to step up and challenge the veterans.

With that, let’s take a closer look at the players that will have the biggest impact up front for the Hokies’ defense this fall:

The Returners

Pry and Spencer have reiterated throughout the offseason that they believe six defensive ends can compete for playing time. One of the ends that has received the most praise from coaches is Aycen Stevens. Stevens, a redshirt junior, has seen limited playing time during his first three years in Blacksburg, only registering one sack. However, Coach Franklin lauded Stevens as an extremely consistent player who is comfortable with his playing style. Stevens does not win on the edge with speed or explosiveness, but rather by using his size and power to overwhelm offensive tackles. Pry echoed the praise, saying Stevens has been a standout performer this offseason, citing his physicality as the reason. At a stout 6-5, 260 lbs, Stevens should be a solid option on early downs due to his ability to set a physical edge in the run game and not be moved easily by blockers, but his development as a pass rusher will decide how much action he’ll be able to see on critical downs this season. 

Stevens did not suit up in the Spring Game due to injury, which opened the door for some other ends to make their mark during the exhibition. Three returning Hokies: Deric Dandy, Sherrod Henderson, and Zeke Chinwike all got significant reps in the game. Pry singled out Dandy as a guy who has made “great strides” this offseason after primarily playing on special teams a year ago. Based on conversations with coaches and limited glimpses at practice, Dandy finds himself firmly in the mix to earn playing time this season. The path to the field may be a little bit tougher for Henderson and Chinwike. As a pair of redshirt freshman, their lack of experience will likely mean an uphill climb in a talented room. However, much of this position group remains unproven to this point, so a great Fall Camp can still change everything. Regardless, Henderson and Chinwike represent young, developmental players that will hopefully make a big impact down the road. 

At defensive tackle, the Hokies will be anchored, both literally and figuratively, by Kemari Copeland. After being tempted by transfer offers from other schools, and potentially a jump to the NFL, Copeland decided to stay in Blacksburg for another season. The allure of working with a coach like Sean Spencer, who has coached at the NFL level and produced several NFL players from the college game, was too good to pass up. Copeland certainly has all the physical tools to be a dominant player at the next level; his impressive weightlifting numbers will tell you that.

Last season, Copeland also finished his first healthy campaign with the Hokies, racking up 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks, with three of those sacks coming in one game against Cal.

Now, Sean Spencer is working on refining Copeland’s game and learning the sport at a deeper level. If Copeland can combine his god-given ability with Spencer’s in-depth knowledge of the game, the sky is the limit for his potential. Copeland will be a frequent flyer on Preseason All-ACC and potentially All-American watchlists, so now it’s on him to live up to those expectations this season.

Copeland will be joined in the middle of the defensive line by Elhadj Fall, a Georgia Southern transfer who started six games last season for the Hokies. Fall flashed his ability as a pass-rushing tackle last year, recording 2.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries. He also forced a fumble and even blocked a field goal against Georgia Tech. Spencer says he thinks Fall has a chance to surprise a lot of people this season with his quickness. Spencer teased that in this system, defensive linemen will move and stunt a lot, which plays excellently into Fall’s strength, which is his speed and ability to win one-on-one battles with offensive linemen. 

Copeland and Fall will make an excellent starting duo for the Hokies’ defensive line, and their strengths as players should complement each other well. However, behind those top two, Brent Pry says he is still waiting for other players to come along and challenge the projected starters. Unfortunately, one of the biggest contenders for depth at defensive tackle, Emmett Laws, is struggling with injury. Pry referred to Laws’ injury as a “challenging situation” and gave no timetable for his return. The Hokies will now have to look elsewhere on the roster for depth inside, and one of the surprise names we heard coming out of spring ball was Gerard Johnson. Johnson was rated as a four-star prospect and the number four overall recruit from Virginia by On3. After hardly seeing any action during his first two seasons at Virginia Tech, it appears he has taken a step forward this offseason to firmly plant himself in the defensive tackle competition. 

The New Guys

The Hokies also dipped into the transfer portal to reinforce their ranks up front, bringing in multiple very talented players from premier programs to fill out the room. While this group may be talented, they again do not come with a lot of experience, meaning they will be asked to grow up quickly this fall.

Perhaps the most talented newcomer is Javion Hilson, who comes to Virginia Tech after spending a season at Missouri. Hilson was a top 100 recruit in the country coming out of Cocoa, Florida, and was even rated a five-star prospect by Rivals. Hilson only saw 31 snaps last year at Mizzou, and will now be asked to take on a much bigger role for the Hokies. Pry says that Hilson has great quickness and is a very natural pass rusher, but is still raw as an every-down defensive end. This means we could see more of Hilson in obvious passing situations, where he can pin his ears back and just go after the quarterback. If he can develop in the run game, however, he could quickly turn into one of the most disruptive players on this defense. 

Hilson is joined in this transfer class by a pair of former Nittany Lions who followed James Franklin from Penn State to Virginia Tech. Cortez Harris was a top-300 recruit who redshirted last season, but Brent Pry says Harris had a really good spring and should contribute come the fall. Unfortunately, Harris had to miss the Spring Game due to injury, so we’ll have to wait until September to see him in action. Mylachi Williams played in four games last year for Penn State, only recording one tackle. However, he has been routinely working with the first group of defensive linemen during team drills and in the Spring Game, making him a leading candidate to secure a starting role, or at the very least sizable playing time. At 6-3, 253 lbs, he possesses great size at the defensive end spot and should be a big contributor on Saturdays. 

The Hokies will also sport a pair of newcomers at defensive tackle. Both Randy Adirika and Eric Mensah have been challenged by Coach Pry this offseason to step up and provide the depth that Virginia Tech sorely needs in the middle. Adirika arrives in Blacksburg from Penn State, where he redshirted in 2025. Meanwhile, Mensah transfers in from Ohio State, where he struggled with injuries a season ago. Pry mentioned that both these players are making strides, but still have a long way to go. Mensah was productive in the Spring Game; however, applying pressure to the quarterback multiple times throughout the afternoon. 

The Hokies feature a lot of options and talent along the defensive line, with an experienced and capable coach leading the way. Spencer will have his work cut out for him this fall, getting this mostly inexperienced group ready to play on Saturdays. When Virginia Tech opens Fall Camp in a few weeks, it will be interesting to see how the rotations have shifted over the summer and who’s stepping up to give the Hokies more depth. If Pry can roll 8-10 defensive linemen, the fresh legs and depth could help to overcome the lack of a standout pass rusher like Antwaun Powell-Ryland. However, the Hokies are hopeful that one of these young defensive ends can step up to the level of APR, giving them a dangerous combination when coupled with the two veteran defensive tackles in the middle.