Kemari Copeland rose to fame in 2024 after obliterating Virginia Tech’s squat record by deadlifting an astounding 605 pounds — for 10 reps! And while the Hokies defensive lineman’s strong performance in the gym is building a solid foundation for football, he’s also working on the finer details like his strategy and body weight for Saturdays this season — and hopefully Sundays in the NFL.
M&F sat down with the exciting lineman to learn more about his love of lifting and how he’s using the offseason to get ready for 2026 and beyond. And as he describes it, it was a family affair.
With three football-playing brothers and a father in the Navy, Copeland He never lacked a strong male presence to spur him into action. However, being part of a Navy family meant a lot of commuting for this young athlete who showed promise as a star linebacker back at Floyd E. Kellam High School. He began his college football career in 2022, for Army West Point, but would soon transfer to Iowa Western Community College to seek more minutes on the field.
“You have to be confident,” he says M&F. “Because you don’t really know, when you walk into the recruiting gate, there’s so many unknowns. There’s kids that were falling, kids that can’t find a home, so I kind of had to bet on myself and be like: I can prove to college scouts that I’m the player that I say I am, and I did that and I did.”
One of the reasons it all worked out is that Copeland was able to resist the temptations of college life to better himself as a player.
“The way my mom raised us, we were never able to make ends meet because we were soldiers,” Copeland explains. However, while life as a military family provided the young man with self-control, the constant movement made it difficult to find friends. So when Covid hit, he decided to use an even longer period of solitude to cement his relationship with the gym.
“They say hard work pays off, so I went as hard as I could during Covid to try and catch up with people, and that’s where it really took off,” Copeland confesses, explaining that he would be replicating a push/pull split. “I’ve never actually told anyone about it, but I just looked up a random workout routine and Big Man on Campus (from Steve Cook) came about,” he shares. “It was kind of my escape. I just wanted to be the best footballer I could be and I love working out so it was the best of both worlds.”
Kemari Copeland Relives Virginia Tech Squat Records
Signing with Virginia Tech in 2023, Copeland had already helped Iowa Western win the NJCAA Division I National Championship, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact in the Hokies weight room, repeating a record 10 squats at 605 pounds. “I knew I could do it,” he reflects, noting that at just 19 years old he had already squatted 1 deadlift of 675kg. However, Copeland recalls having to go to a “dark place” in his early 20s to achieve his 605-pound, double-digit rep feat. “I almost passed out afterwards, but I made it,” he says.
Copeland’s Herculean strength is one thing, but it’s telling M&F that he is now focusing on form and technique in order to develop further as a player. “After that squat record, it doesn’t make sense to build up and go higher in weight,” he notes. “As a footballer, you just need to get a lot stronger.”
Kamari Copeland looks at the details ahead of the 2026 season
In addition to the traditional back squat, Copeland has also practiced the front squat with straps at Virginia Tech. “So our coaches want us to do a lot of moves based on trying to have a stronger net strength,” he explains. “Building on explosive movements. So strap front squats work at the end of the power clean, where you have to get under it, squat, and stand up.” Copeland says the straps also help those with stiff shoulders or wrists because the elbow is farther from the bar.
When it comes to fueling his ferocious defensive line activities, Copeland says his nutritional priority is protein, and he tries to consume about 1 gram per pound of body weight, which means he eats about 280 to 300 grams of protein a day, mostly from whole foods like chicken, beans and rice — supplemented with shakes. The defensive tackle also takes vitamin D to boost his bone density. That’s critical, he says, because Copeland’s body takes regular hits on the field. “I would say, as a D-lineman, we’re always bent over and we’re always hitting somebody. So as far as what hurts the most, the next day, my fingers are jamming. You’re using your knees, your ankles and just constantly butting heads with other guys.”
For recovery, the Hokies get regular massage treatments, and Copeland is a huge fan of hot saunas. “We’ll have a game on Saturday, then we’ll have Sunday off, then Monday is our repair day,” explains the balladeer. Of course, the best way to deal with an injury is to prevent it in the first place. “If I don’t stretch beforehand, my lower back will be really tight,” says Copeland. “I stretch my hip flexors, my glutes, my hamstrings, my quads, and I try to make sure my whole lower body is relaxed.”
Copeland says he uses the foam roller to gain flexibility and that, having stayed consistent with his training, he’s excited for what’s to come in 2026. “I want to know as much information as the offense,” he shares, noting that he’s studied film to build his strategic IQ. The Hokies Number #13 he says he’s also upping his cardio to trim about ten pounds off his frame.
In his limited downtime, Copeland pursues his passion for creating social media content. “Ever since I was 8 or 9 years old, I’ve just been making silly little crazy videos,” he jokes. “I have a TikTok channel that I grew to 150,000 followers. I just love making content.” But right now, the upcoming season takes precedence, and then there’s the prospect of gaining interest from the NFL. “I try to take it day by day,” shares Copeland. “I was projected to be drafted last year, but I decided to come back and play my senior year and increase my draft stock. I’m definitely going to the NFL Draft next year, and hopefully it’s a good pick, so we’ll see.”
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