Injuries are rapidly accumulating for the Virginia Tech football team. On Tuesday, the defensive line faced a significant setback when a transfer revealed that his 2024 season has come to an end due to injury.
A transfer from Iowa Western Community College, was starting to make his mark in the Hokies’ lineup early in the season. However, he shared on Instagram that he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a torn tricep that needs surgery.
He sustained his injury during the game against Rutgers on September 21, after only four plays. He missed last Friday’s 38-34 defeat to Miami and will now redshirt for the remainder of the season, having already played the maximum four games allowed by NCAA rules. He chose Virginia Tech over offers from Arkansas, Tennessee, Auburn, Central Florida, Arizona State, North Carolina State, and Kansas.
As a highly sought-after defensive lineman in the transfer portal, Copeland’s commitment was a significant win for Brent Pry. He impressed coaches with his performance in the spring, and over the summer, he garnered attention after achieving a record-breaking squat.
This is a setback for the Hokies’ defensive tackle unit, which now includes Duke transfer Aeneas Peebles, Oklahoma transfer Kelvin Gilliam, Josh Fuga, and Wilfried Pene, all listed on this week’s depth chart for their ACC game against Stanford on Saturday afternoon.
In the four games he played this season, Copeland recorded six tackles, with three of those coming in the season opener against Vanderbilt, a 34-27 overtime loss, and another three in a 37-17 victory over Old Dominion on September 14. Fortunately, Coach Pry has enough depth at tackle to manage Copeland’s absence for the rest of the season, and the future looks promising for him in Blacksburg.
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