Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 73-3vs VMI | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 44-21vs Old Dominion | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#13
Kemari Copeland
Senior defensive lineman on Virginia Tech's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 290 lb · Virginia Beach, VA · Floyd E. Kellam
CFB Index 72 · #87 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceReturning to Virginia Tech for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
1 TFL · 2 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 0.5 TFL, 1 tackles, vs VMI
Statement game7 tackles · 3 TFL · 3 sacksvs California (FBS) · W 42-34
Top 1% sacks game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Virginia Tech's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 2-star recruit to Army in 2021.
In Their Words
189 windows · 2026 fan posts
kemari×813.1virginia×15.6tech×11.9
Kemari Copeland
Wins his gap play after play. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Jeff Monken, Brent Pry and James Franklin. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-ACC. The receipt: 1 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Old Dominion — Week 2, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2021
- Signed with Army2-star out of Floyd Kellam
2024
- Signed with Virginia Tech3-star out of Iowa Western
202512 games
The role got bigger.
- All-ACCthird
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-ACC
All-ACC mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Brent Pry → James Franklin. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Army6-6HC: Jeff Monken · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2024Virginia Tech6-7HC: Brent Pry · Run-leaning
2025Virginia Tech3-9HC: Brent Pry · Run-leaning
2026Virginia Tech2-0HC: James Franklin · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
James Franklin
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot to repeat All-ACC
Based on 2025: #12 of 73 ACC DLs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Virginia Tech | 2 | -- | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Virginia Tech | 48 | 12 | 8.0 | 4.5 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Army | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 58 | 15 | 9.5 | 4.5 | -- | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 73–3
vs VMI
1 TOT · 0 TFL
Dominant 70-point win at home against VMI.
With Q. Brown — 6 rec · 109 yds · 1 TD · E. Grunkemeyer — 224 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · 6 rush yds (2 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Virginia Tech
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Virginia Tech
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +2 net (29 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Virginia Tech · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #27 · 2026 recruiting class #30
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Edward Vesterinen’s 2023 season.
89%match
Matches Edward on
TFL rate
Sack rate
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Edward Vesterinen's junior season at West Virginia (2023).
Matches Edward on
Weight
TFL rate
Hurry rate
Differs from Edward on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Kemari Copeland
The defensive line · Virginia Tech
- #13Kemari Copeland8 tackles for loss · 2025
- #94Elhadj Fall3.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #31Jason Abbey2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #99Emmett Laws1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #44Brett Clatterbaugh1 tackle for loss · 2025
19 more on the roster · Virginia Tech team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology