The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545830
JULY/AUGUST 2026 ■ 33 DEVELOPED AND READY BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN I f it weren't for bad luck, NC State's secondary wouldn't have had any last year. The Wolfpack suffered a devastating run of injuries and was forced to use eight combinations of nickels and safeties to get through the season. While it was far from an ideal situation at the time, last season's difficulties did have a posi- tive effect in that they forced a number of players to mature quickly. "You can't infuse experience into your team; they have to get experience by play- ing," head coach Dave Doeren said. "There are a lot of guys who have played ball." The safety spots were hit particularly hard, resulting in sophomores Ronnie Royal III, Brody Barnhardt and Asaad Brown Jr. all earning starts. They're back for their respective ju- nior seasons, while current sophomore Tristan Teasdell has returned after making five starts of his own down the stretch. The young group combined to post 159 tackles, 3 interceptions and 3 passes defended. Doeren has confidence in all four safeties, though he did note that Royal has "probably been playing better than all of them when you look at the body of work from the spring." To bolster its contingent of returning safeties, the Wolfpack plucked Penn State transfer King Mack out of the portal. Mack, a senior, is the only player in NC State's safety corps with three years of collegiate experience. He's coming off a career-best campaign, with 58 total tackles, an interception and 3 passes defended for the Nittany Lions last fall. "He's super positive, great energy, appreciative, excited," Do- eren said. "I'm glad he's here. He's a fun kid to coach." At cornerback, meanwhile, NC State is confident in the room it has built. Senior Brian Nelson II logged 29 total tackles and 6 passes defended last year and has continued to shine in the off- season. Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said Nelson "has made a huge jump from last year. He's really played well." At the opposite spot, NC State expects to start Georgia trans- fer Ondre Evans. A consensus four-star recruit in the 2024 cycle, Evans is looking to play his first meaningful college snaps after redshirting his freshman year and recovering from an in- jury last season. Additionally, the Wolfpack likes graduate Jackson Vick at ei- ther nickel or cornerback, while junior college transfer Dy'Lan Johnson and sophomore Caden Gordon are two other quality options to line up at cornerback. ❱ ❱ ❱ DEFENSIVE BACKS PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTERS No. Pos. Name Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown 20 CB Ondre Evans Jr. 6-0 187 Franklin, Tenn. 7 CB Brian Nelson II Sr. 6-0 197 Pearland, Texas 22 Nickel Jackson Vick Gr. 6-0 190 Bailey, N.C. 4 S King Mack Sr. 5-10 195 Miami, Fla. 2 S Ronnie Royal III Jr. 5-9 185 Gulf Shores, Ala. BACKUPS 28 CB Dy'Lan Johnson So. 6-4 185 Baldwyn, Miss. 10 CB Ty White Jr. 5-10 176 Buford, Ga. 6 Nickel Asaad Brown Jr. Jr. 6-0 199 Chesapeake, Va. 8 Nickel Isaiah Crowell Gr. 5-11 185 Kernersville, N.C. 3 S Tristan Teasdell So. 5-11 190 Leesburg, Va. WAITING IN THE WINGS 12 CB Caden Gordon So. 6-1 194 Lake Worth, Fla. 14 CB Jaren Sensabaugh Jr. 6-1 190 Nashville, Tenn. 27 CB Cam Strong So. 6-0 183 Anderson, S.C. 24 CB Michael Tate Sr. 6-2 180 Jacksonville, N.C. 29 S Brody Barnhardt Jr. 6-0 190 Cornelius, N.C. SPOTLIGHT PLAYER SENIOR CORNERBACK BRIAN NELSON II When Nelson committed to NC State last offseason, he was the top-ranked cornerback available follow- ing a standout performance as a sophomore at North Texas. He spent his debut season with the Wolfpack as part of a three-man cornerback rotation, and it ap- pears to have set him up well for the 2026 campaign. "He's always had a great skill set. He's big, strong, fast, and could cover," defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said. "I think he's just more confident. He played at the Power Four level for the first time last year. He's more comfortable within the scheme." BY THE NUMBERS 23 Total yards after the catch that safety Tristan Teasdell conceded — on 6 receptions allowed — in seven game appearances as a freshman. 102nd Ondre Evans' spot in the Rivals Industry Ranking among all prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle. 669 Total defensive snaps King Mack played in his first three seasons at the college level — two at Penn State and one at Alabama. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE FOOTBALL ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTERS ★★★ NC State has a blend of new faces and returning talent on the top line of its depth chart. Junior cornerback Ondre Evans is the only projected first-teamer who hasn't started yet at the college level, but his blue-chip pedigree will assist in the transi- tion. EXPERIENCE ★★★ The silver lining to last season's injury problems in the secondary is that plenty of younger defensive backs saw action. The Wolfpack's short-term pain has turned into a long-term gain. DEPTH ★★★ The Pack's depth is in a good spot going into the 2026 season. While NC State would certainly like to avoid a repeat of last year, the secondary is built to withstand anything thrown its way. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ NC State has confidence in its secondary. The Pack has several combinations it could deploy, providing options for the coaching staff. Better still, most of this year's defensive backs have more than one season of eligibility left, meaning the founda- tion will only grow stronger over time. BRIAN NELSON II