The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542201
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 ■ 31 3. Senior cornerback Jamel John- son's game-winning tackle vs. East Carolina. It seemed as if ECU was going to tie the score. The Pirates put together a 12-play, 61-yard drive in just over five minutes to get inside the Wolfpack's 10-yard line. But on fourth- and-1, it was Johnson who made the winning tackle when ECU tried a screen pass to keep its drive alive. Instead, the veteran defensive back was able to post a tackle for loss to allow the Wolfpack to open the season with a 24-17 win. Offensive Breakout Player Although Bailey entered the year as the starting quarterback — and remained in that role all season — Wilson was still able to make a sizable impact on the 2025 season. He didn't throw much, just 5 attempts against FCS Campbell, but the first-year quarterback served as the Wolfpack's go-to short-yardage rusher in his first collegiate season. The Columbia, S.C., native logged 39 carries for 145 yards and a team-best 9 rushing touchdowns this season. He also picked up 25 total first downs with his legs, with only five of his attempts failing to yield either a touchdown or a fresh set of downs. Defensive Breakout Player Injuries forced NC State's secondary to be reshuffled with eight different combi- nations between safety and nickel. Red- shirt freshman Asaad Brown began the year competing for the starting nickel spot, but once the safety room began los- ing players to injury, he started to cross- train at both positions. Luckily for the Pack, Brown was able to slide into the safety room when needed. He moved into the starting lineup at strong safety in September and remained there across the final nine regular-sea- son games. Brown posted 57 total tackles with an interception and 2 pass break- ups, becoming a critical part of the de- fensive backfield and setting himself up for an even bigger 2026 campaign. Best Interview After NC State earned its sixth win of the season by beating Florida State, 21-11, in the penultimate regular-season game, Doeren was reflective and appre- ciative in his postgame press conference. "There is no quit here," he said. "Hopefully, you know by now, my teams don't do that. Eleven bowl games in my 13 years, six out of seven against Florida State, we've done some good work. To be in a bowl game with this team, I'm fired up, man. "It's a great group of guys, they're phenomenal kids. I'm just thankful to them for believing. Just believing and wanting to win, wanting to be coached, wanting to hang in there, wanting to find a way to put better stuff on film, listening and being coachable. "I'm thankful to the fans that haven't given up. They keep showing up, sell- ing out games and cheering for our guys. That's what it should be. These are your kids, and you should do everything you can to help them because they're giving you everything they've got." ■ Backup quarterback Will Wilson scored 4 of his 9 touchdowns this season in a single game, NC State's 42-19 romp over North Carolina. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS