Kemari Copeland focused on greatness at Va Tech

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech defensive tackle Kemari Copeland is back on the practice field this spring, grinding through drills under the lights in Blacksburg with a single goal in mind: greatness. A recent session captured the 6-foot-3, 305-pound lineman exploding off the snap, hands fast and feet churning, every rep a statement of intent.

Last fall, Copeland’s season became a crucible. Over a nine-game stretch, the redshirt sophomore absorbed a cascade of off-field complications—family matters, academic deadlines, minor injuries—that would derail most athletes. Yet he never missed a practice and finished the year among Tech’s most consistent interior defenders, a quiet anchor on a unit seeking identity.

“Distractions came in bunches,” Copeland said after a recent workout, choosing his words carefully. “I learned to lock in on what I can control—my effort, my technique, my mindset.”

Head coach Brent Pry has noticed the transformation. Pry, who inherited the program in December 2021, praised Copeland’s winter conditioning scores and his willingness to mentor younger linemen. “Kemari has flipped the script,” Pry said. “He’s not just surviving anymore; he’s setting the standard.”

With spring ball in full swing, Copeland is penciled in as the starting three-technique. The coaching staff has simplified the defensive scheme to emphasize his first-step quickness and leverage, hoping to turn last year’s attrition into this year’s advantage. Each practice rep is filmed, clipped, and reviewed within hours; Copeland routinely stays late to watch himself alongside defensive line coach Pierson Prioleau.

Teammates feed off his urgency. Senior linebacker Jayden McDonald noted that Copeland’s post-practice stretching routine has become a team-wide ritual. “When your big dog is out there touching his toes ten minutes longer than anyone else, you follow,” McDonald said.

The path ahead is steep. Tech opens the 2024 season against a Power-Five non-conference opponent and faces a league slate that includes preseason favorites Florida State and Miami. Copeland, however, refuses to glance past the next drill. “Greatness isn’t a destination,” he said. “It’s the next rep, the next play, the next day.”

For a program eager to return to national relevance, Copeland’s focus could be the catalyst. If spring glimpses translate to autumn Saturdays, Blacksburg may once again echo with cheers triggered by a disruptive defensive front, and the quiet tackle from Raleigh might become the face of the turnaround.