Injuries have been plentiful for the Virginia Tech football team through the first four weeks of the season, with each passing week seemingly bringing in one more player on both offense and defense.
On Monday, head coach Brent Pry spoke to the media a day earlier than usual as the Hokies play a short week game at Miami on Friday night. As per usual, the third-year head coach touched on a few topics, including injuries, and there were some pretty big updates, with mixed results.
Defensively, linebacker Kelly Lawson is “day-to-day” and is expected to be limited this week after playing just four snaps against Rutgers, Pry said. The Hokies’ linebackers have been strong this season, but missing Lawson for an extended period of time would be a blow. Another linebacker, Jaeden McDonald, is “unlikely” to play against the Hurricanes, but it would be another big loss.
The injury news didn’t improve on Tuesday, with Pry saying defensive tackle Kemari Copeland is “unlikely to play” and left guard Reiss Ghanam will also be out. Those two injuries add to an already injured line, especially an offensive line that has struggled since Game 1 at Vanderbilt.
Copeland’s absence will put added pressure on the remaining tackles and make it harder for them to match up with Miami quarterback Cam Ward and running back Damien Martinez. The Hurricanes have been a powerhouse on offense through the first month, and a big part of that is the ground game, so Copeland’s absence will hurt.
Offensively, Jennings, Draughn and Teuton are all battling injuries while Kangnam is on injured reserve, putting him at a disadvantage heading into Miami. After the Hurricanes game, the Hokies will travel to Stanford before having a much-needed bye week to rest key players.
