The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 ■ 31 nod on The Wolfpacker's freaks list in his lone season with NC State. 4. LB Sean Brown In Brown's three seasons as a safety and one year as a linebacker, his athleticism has stood out. It allowed him to make a smooth transition to the second level of NC State's defense last year, when he became the team's leading tackler with a career-best 94 total stops. Despite adding nearly 20 pounds since his safety days, Brown still moves like a defensive back. That's a dangerous combi- nation for a linebacker at 6-0, 225 pounds — one that the Wolfpack hopes will help Brown take a step forward in his second season at the position full time. Brown logged the team's second-fast- est pro agility (3.97) while also posting its fifth-best vertical jump (38.6 inches) to go with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, 520-pound max squat, 365-pound max bench and 325-pound max clean. "To see what he can do at 225 pounds … he's pretty explosive," Burnette said. "He's definitely a freak." That freakish set of attributes not only propelled Brown into The Wolfpacker's rankings, it also earned him a spot on Feldman's Freaks List at No. 75. 3. CB Jamel Johnson Johnson is a prime example of NC State's player-development prowess. When he arrived on campus in January, the Temple transfer could only do seven reps at 225 pounds on the bench press. But when it came time to test in mid-July, he performed 14 reps. Johnson was also the Wolf- pack's top performer in the pro agility drill with a blazing-fast 3.93. That time tied the program record set by former wide receiver Thayer Thomas. Johnson was one of only two players to go under four seconds this offseason, and the senior also posted the fourth- fastest 40 with a 4.40 Johnson's improvement is a byproduct of his work ethic in the weight room. He attacked every day with the same intensity, and it has paid off. The 5-11, 196-pound defensive back will be a critical piece of NC State's secondary this fall with his track speed on the back end. 2. OT Jacarrius Peak NC State doesn't have to look far to re- place left tackle Anthony Belton, who was a second-round NFL Draft pick by the Green Bay Packers. The Wolfpack is shift- ing Peak to the critical position. A redshirt junior who was No. 31 on The Athletic's Freaks List this summer, Peak tested extremely well. He posted a 4.86 40-yard dash, while running a 4.37 pro agility, which would have been the best mark of any offensive lineman at the NFL Combine this past year. Plus, he added the second-best squat (585), third-best clean (350) and fourth-best bench press (400) of anyone on the team. Factor in his 31.5-inch vertical and 9-foot-3 broad jump at 308 pounds, and Peak has the traits to become one of the ACC's best offensive linemen. "He's super athletic," Burnette said. "He can jump out of the gym." 1. RB Duke Scott The player who generated the most buzz this offseason with a standout perfor- mance in the weight room was Scott. The redshirt freshman running back turned heads with his testing at the end of the summer weight program, signaling a pos- sible breakout campaign. Listed at 5-10, 215 pounds, Scott posted NC State's top clean at 375, outperforming several of the Pack's strongest players, including Peak. He also logged the second-fastest 40- yard dash (4.35) with a 4.32 pro agility and an impressive 550-pound squat. For Burnette, who has witnessed a great deal in his more than two de- cades around college football, Scott is a unique player, one who is likely to continue to excel in weight room test- ing in the future. "I think Duke will easily shatter the clean record," Burnette said. "He'll easily be squatting over 600 pounds. Just put it like this: Duke, he's special. There's no doubt in my mind that ev- eryone on the team believes he's go- ing to be a guy that helps open up the playbook and run game." The Stockbridge, Ga., native is set to be the Wolfpack's No. 2 running back this fall behind redshirt sophomore Hollywood Smothers. His ability to test at an extremely high level is ex- pected to pay off with his downhill running as NC State's bruiser in the backfield during the 2025 campaign. Scott was also named to The Athlet- ic's Freaks List, checking in at No. 66, his first time on the annual ranking of the top athletes in college football. ■ NC State's 'Freaks List' Testing Numbers Player 40 Pro Agility Vertical Squat Bench Clean Sean Brown, R-Sr. 4.47 3.97 38.6 520 365 325 Jamel Johnson, Sr. 4.40 3.93 35 405 315 315 JJ Johnson, Gr. 4.58 4.11 38.9 455 335 — Jacarrius Peak, R-Jr. 4.86 4.37 31.5 585 400 350 Duke Scott, R-Fr. 4.35 4.32 37.4 550 335 375 Linebacker Sean Brown turned in the Pack's second-fastest time in the pro agility drill (3.97 seconds) while also ranking fifth in the vertical jump (38.6 inches). PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS