The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544864
TRACKING THE PACK 12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Justin Joly, Brandon Cleveland Selected In NFL Draft NC State has sent two more players to the professional ranks, with tight end Justin Joly and defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland both being selected on Day 3 of the NFL Draft April 25 in Pittsburgh. Joly was chosen by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round (No. 152 overall), while Cleve- land went in the seventh round (No. 229 overall) to the Las Vegas Raiders. Joly's selection was yet another step in a steep ascent. Coming out of New Rochelle (N.Y.) Iona Prep, he had been the No. 2,113 overall recruit, per Rivals, but he went on to become an All-ACC player at NC State, catching 92 passes for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons with the Pack after starting his career at Connecticut. Listed at 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, Joly turned heads at the Senior Bowl, earning MVP honors at his position group. With his selection by the Broncos, he became the first NC State tight end to be picked since Anthony Hill was a fourth-rounder in 2009. "This is something that you tell your- self when you're a little kid," Joly said. "Some people believe in you, some people don't. But as long as you've got faith in yourself, you're capable of doing it. I feel like I'm living through that." Like Joly, Cleveland was an underval- ued recruit coming out of Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day. The three-star prospect had to wait his turn at NC State, serving as a backup his first two seasons before earning the starting nose tackle spot as a junior. The 6-4, 315-pound Cleveland went on to start 26 consecutive games his last two seasons, seeing action on 1,078 defensive snaps. Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Ath- letic described Cleveland as "more plug- ger than playmaker, with the leverage and play strength to control the point of at- tack. He might not have enough upside for some schemes, but he can fight for a rotational spot patrolling the A-gaps." In addition to Cleveland and Joly, seven former Wolfpack players signed free agent contracts following the draft: lineback- ers Sean Brown (Tennessee Titans), Cian Slone (Las Vegas Raiders) and Caden Fordham (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), defen- sive end Sabastian Harsh (Houston Tex- ans), cornerback Devon Marshall (Jack- sonville Jaguars), tight end Cody Hardy (New Orleans Saints) and wide receiver Wesley Grimes (San Francisco 49ers). Joe Thuney To Join Ring Of Honor Over the past decade, Joe Thuney has established himself as one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL, but it all started during his four-year playing ca- reer at NC State. Now, Thuney is set to be enshrined in the Wolfpack's Ring of Honor in Carter- Finley Stadium. NC State announced on April 7 that the four-time Super Bowl champ will become the 14th member of that elite group. The date of his in- duction was to be determined after the NFL released its 2026 schedule on May 14. Thuney is getting set for his second season with the Chicago Bears after pre- vious career stops at New England and Kansas City. "Joe was the true definition of a team player during his time at NC State," coach Dave Doeren said. "He was willing to start wherever he was needed, and he excelled at each position. He established a standard on the Wolfpack offensive line that players for the last decade have worked to live up to, which is one reason we've had two offensive linemen drafted in the first round since then and have six on NFL rosters today." Thuney's NFL résumé is impeccable. He has been a part of six Super Bowl teams, winning championships with both the Patriots and Chiefs. He's a five- time All-Pro and in 2025 was named winner of the league's inaugural Protec- tor of the Year award. Before moving on to the pros, the Cen- terville, Ohio, native was a first-team All-American as a senior in 2015, the first NC State offensive lineman to receive that distinction in nearly 40 years. Scheduling Issues Scuttle Texas Tech Trip With the ACC moving to a nine-game conference schedule for the 2026 sea- son and beyond, NC State football has had to cancel home-and-home series against Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. Now, another nonconference game against a Power Four opponent has been taken off the books. In April, NC State canceled its return trip to Texas Tech, which was sched- uled for Sept. 17, 2027, in order to get next year's nonconference slate down to three games. The first game of that series was played on Sept. 18, 2022, with the Wolfpack defeating the Red Raiders, 27- 14, at Carter-Finley Stadium. NC State must pay a buyout penalty of $1 million to remove its trip to Lubbock from the calendar. NC State still has work to do in rec- onciling future nonconference sched- ules with the expanded ACC slate. The Wolfpack has four nonconference games scheduled for 2028 — road trips to East Carolina and Appalachian State, and home games versus Vanderbilt and Campbell. To get the full schedule down to 12 games, one of those nonconference matchups will have to be canceled or postponed. — Noah Fleischman ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK Joly became the first NC State tight end since 2009 to be drafted when he was chosen by Denver in the fifth round. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS