The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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MAY/JUNE 2025 ■ 41 Warren's level of energy is a good start- ing point. "I told them when I got here, no matter what you did in the past, you have an op- portunity to rebuild yourself right now," Warren said. "If you're a great player, you have to prove it. If you were bad, you have to prove you're going to be bad. It's an open competition. The jobs are open. Their enthusiasm and hunger are going to push them to earn reps or lose reps." From a player's perspective, War- ren's desire to operate at a high level of intensity is welcome. Redshirt se- nior Renté Hinton, who has bounced between safety and cornerback during his tenure in Raleigh, appreciates War- ren's approach. "He brings a lot of energy," said Hin- ton, who is listed as a safety this year. "With him, you never know what to ex- pect, but he's a good coach." Accepting The Challenge Hinton was one of the top leaders in Warren's room this spring. He was one of the first players to meet with the new position coach in a one-on-one setting after he was hired in January, and Hin- ton has tried to expand his leadership skills on the field. He isn't the loudest person, but Hin- ton led both by example and with his voice in the Pack's morning workouts and on the practice field. That was a welcome sight for Warren, who was ea- ger to see which players would step for- ward with the nickel and safety rooms looking to replace all three starters from a year ago. "I think Renté has done a really good job at being a vocal leader, a leader by the way he works and acts and being a second coach on the sideline when something goes wrong," Warren said. "I think he's taken a mature stance to help our defense get better and to help our program get better." In addition to Hinton's strong show- ing this spring, Georgia State transfer JJ Johnson received rave reviews, while Barnhardt, Brown, Myers and redshirt sophomore Daemon Fagan all are push- ing for more playing time this fall. So far, it seems that NC State's de- fensive backs have taken Warren's chal- lenge and run with it. He's brought pas- sion to the group, and they appeared to match his intensity on the grass practice fields just yards away from Carter-Fin- ley Stadium. "These kids, one thing they want to be is coached," Warren said. "They want to work hard. They're tough, and that makes my job easier because they've got a lot of 'want to.' I'm not prodding guys to do anything. They've got open eyes, open ears, and their notebooks are ready. They're being sponges right now." ■ " He brings a lot of energy. With him, you never know what to expect, but he's a good coach." Safety Renté Hinton, on Warren