The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472609
JULY/AUGUST 2022 ■ 35 Solid Line BY MATT CARTER N C State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson has a combination of experience and versatility up front, leaving him with a good feeling about the potential of the de- fensive line. "We've got five guys that have played in games and started games," Gibson noted. The Wolfpack did not lose much from the defense, but the lone lineman to start all 12 games a season ago — Daniel Joseph — exhausted his eligibility. Joseph led all NC State linemen a season ago with 5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. However, first-team All-ACC super senior Cory Durden is back. Durden filled in for an injured fourth-year redshirt sophomore C.J. Clark in Week 4 and immediately shined against Clemson. He finished the year leading all interior conference linemen with 23 pressures, per ESPN's David Hale. Although Durden arrived as a potential inside or outside player on the Wolfpack's three-man front, Gibson said he will focus on nose tackle this year. "C.J. could be a move guy," Gibson explained. "Davin Vann could be a move guy. They can play multiple spots for us." Vann, a third-year sophomore, started the final three games of the regu- lar season for an injured fourth-year junior Savion Jackson, who was first string for the first nine weeks. Jackson had 23 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, while Vann added 26 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 4 sacks. Clark, who was injured during a noncontact practice drill pre- paring for the showdown with Clemson, should be ready for the fall. He had 8 tackles and 3 QB hurries before getting hurt. DEFENSIVE LINE SPOTLIGHT PLAYER JUNIOR SAVION JACKSON Jersey No. 9 has a special meaning at NC State, especially on the defensive line. Mario Williams was the first D-lineman to shine wearing the number. For three seasons, on his way to becoming the first overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft, Williams terrorized opposing backfields, setting school records for career tackles for loss and sacks. Those marks held up for 12 years until Bradley Chubb, who switched from No. 49 to 9 midway through his career, broke them. Chubb was the winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for best defender in college football in 2017 and went sixth overall in the 2018 draft. Now, Savion Jackson, a fourth-year junior, gets his chance to wear No. 9. "I am honored that Coach [Dave] Do - eren believes in me enough to give me the jersey number that was worn by two NC State legends," Jackson stated. "After speaking with Bradley Chubb, I know it's not just a number, it's a legacy. "I have been passed the torch, and it's my responsibility to uphold the standards that come with that." PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTERS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 48 Cory Durden R-Sr. 6-4 305 Newberry, Fla. 9 Savion Jackson Jr. 6-2 290 Clayton, N.C. 45 Davin Vann So. 6-2 295 Cary, N.C. RESERVES No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 5 C.J. Clark R-So. 6-3 300 New London, N.C. 0 Joshua Harris R-So. 6-4 325 Roxboro, N.C. 58 Travali Price R-Fr. 6-4 265 Lincolnton, N.C. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 46 Nick Campbell Fr. 6-4 290 Minneola, Fla. 44 Brandon Cleveland Fr. 6-4 290 Tampa, Fla. 98 D.J. Jackson Fr. 6-1 290 Sumter, S.C. 97 Claude Larkins R-Fr. 6-4 282 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 56 Zyun Reeves R-Fr. 6-7 265 Winston-Salem, N.C. Positional Grades ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTERS ★★★ NC State returns a first-team All-ACC performer in super senior Cory Durden, who is on both the Athlon (second) and Phil Steele (third) 2022 preseason All-ACC squads. Durden is complemented by experienced and productive returning players such as fourth-year junior Savion Jackson and third-year sophomore Davin Vann. EXPERIENCE ★★★ Five players who started at least one game in 2021 on the defensive line are back. Three of those players — Durden, Jackson and fourth-year redshirt sopho- more C.J. Clark — had also started games prior to last year (Durden at Florida State). DEPTH ★★1/2 If there is a question mark about the defensive line, depth on the outside may be one. The transfers of Terrell Dawkins to South Carolina and Ibrahim Kante to Buffalo have left NC State less experienced on the edge. Clark may have to move around more after being a nose tackle last season. Redshirt freshman Travali Price showed promise last season and was named a Co-Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ If healthy, NC State should have a three-man front that will hold up in ACC games and allow an elite linebacker corps to fly around and make plays behind them. BY THE NUMBERS 3 Where ESPN's David Hale ranks NC State's defen- sive line in the ACC. 7 On3 Consensus four-stars on the NC State defen- sive line, including every projected starter, plus class of 2022 signee Brandon Cleveland. 28 Prior seasons coaching defensive line for Wolfpack coach Charley Wiles, who is in his third year in Raleigh. Wiles coached D-line at Virginia Tech from 1996-2019 and also led the defensive ends at Murray State from 1990-91. SAVION JACKSON PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS