The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/223560
Defensive end, though, is a question mark. Redshirt junior Art Norman started and produced 30 tackles, nine tackles for loss and a team-high 4.5 sacks. Redshirt sophomore Mike Rose flashed some potential and ended the season with 18 tackles, four stops for loss and two sacks. Also back will be redshirt freshman Drew Davis, who converted from linebacker during the season. Davis finished with 20 tackles and three stops behind the line of scrimmage. Linebacker Along with defensive end, linebacker is one of the most significant question marks on defense that will need to be resolved. NCSU should feel comfortable with junior Brandon Pittman coming back. He emerged as the weakside backer in the fall and had some of the Pack's best individual efforts. He finished 2013 with 62 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks. The Future Of The Defense Here are three players that redshirted this fall who could impact NC State's defense in 2014. Linebacker Jerod Fernandez Holding onto Fernandez in the 2013 recruiting class was a top priority for the new staff when they arrived in Raleigh. Fernandez, who was a three-star prospect from Lake Mary (Fla.) High, had lined up official visits to Duke, Pittsburgh and Rutgers. The Pack, however, was able to convince Fernandez during an in-home visit to cancel those plans to remain firm with NCSU. NC State could reap the benefits of that next fall. NCSU needs to find a middle linebacker in 2014, and Fernandez could figure into the equation. Defensive tackle Kenton Gibbs How well Gibbs' classmate and fellow defensive tackle Monty Nelson played this fall could be an indicator of Gibbs' potential. Had Gibbs not had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, he would likely not even have been on this list. "He was going to start and hurt his Achilles tendon," head coach Dave Doeren noted. "I'm hoping he has a safe and full recovery from that. He's walking around. The kid is 300 pounds and ripped up. He's everything you want in a leader and work ethic, and [he's] tough. He could really help our D-line next year." Linebacker Artemis Robinson For now, Robinson may be better known as former NCSU All-ACC linebacker Terrell Manning's younger brother. In time, he is hoping to create his own identity. Given the depth chart at linebacker, he could get to work on that sooner rather than later. Robinson was a tackling machine in high school. He had 151 tackles as a senior for Laurinburg (N.C.) Scotland County High, helping the Scots reach the 4-A state semifinals in the playoffs. — Matt Carter NC State, however, loses middle linebacker Robert Caldwell, who led State with 105 tackles and 14.5 hits for loss en route to honorable mention All-ACC honors. Also gone is strongside backer D.J. Green, who was third on the team with 65 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, and had the Wolfpack's lone defensive touchdown of the season when he scored on a pick-six against Central Michigan Sept. 28. NC State will have some experienced options back to compete for jobs. Rodman Noel, a junior and part-time starter in 2012, backed up Green. Noel had 24 tackles this season. Sophomore M.J. Salahuddin battled Pittman for the weakside job until Pittman grabbed it midway through the year. Salahuddin finished with 25 stops and two tackles for loss. Those two may be challenged by a trio of redshirting freshmen that have earned praise from coaches during the fall. Jerod Fernandez and Artemis Robinson, the younger brother of former NCSU linebacker Terrell Manning, could compete for time in the middle or at the weakside spot. Josh Jones, who moved from safety to linebacker after arriving in Raleigh, may be a factor at the strongside slot. Safety Redshirt sophomore Hakim Jones may have entrenched himself as a frontline player after a solid first season starting. Jones was fifth on the team with 61 tackles, picked off two passes and led State with eight passes broken up. Who lines up alongside Jones is another major question mark. Jarvis Byrd began the season as the starter before tearing his ACL against Wake Forest Oct. 5. Dontae Johnson slid over from corner to safety to replace Byrd, but Johnson is also a senior. The backups this year were a pair of redshirt sophomores in Tim Buckley and Josh Stanley, both of whom began their respective careers as walk-ons, with Buckley playing at Penn State before transferring to NCSU. Stanley had seven tackles and an interception, while Buckley piled up 25 tackles and developed into one of the Wolfpack's better special teams players. True freshman Dravious Wright could be a wild card. He had four tackles this year, mostly on special teams. Class of 2014 commitment Kalen McCain from Durham (N.C.) Hillside High will also be enrolled for the spring semester. McCain is a threestar recruit according to Rivals.com. He had originally committed to Virginia Tech last spring before switching to State in the summer. Georgia Tech and Louisville also offered McCain. Redshirt sophomore safety Hakim Jones led the team with eight passes broken up, ranked fifth on the team with 61 tackles and also notched two interceptions. photo by ken martin Redshirt freshmen Josh Sessoms and J.J. Jones struggled to find playing time in 2013, but they will battle to get on the depth chart this spring. Cornerback NC State has two young, promising corners returning. Juston Burris was promoted from nickel back in 2012 to starter this year and responded with 54 tackles (one for loss), an interception and six passes broken up. On the other side of the field, freshman Jack Tocho became a starter after Johnson moved from corner to safety. Tocho intercepted a pair of passes against Syracuse Oct. 12 in his first career start, and he finished the season with 25 tackles and three passes broken up to go with his two picks. Depth will need to be found. Redshirt freshmen Marchez Coates and Niles Clark played sparingly. Coates was almost exclusively used on special teams and garnered five tackles, and Clark contributed two tackles and two passes broken up. Sean Paul made the field as a true freshman and played, like Clark, almost exclusively on special teams. He had two assisted tackles. ■ 42 ■ the wolfpacker 40,42.2014 FB Defense.indd 42 12/5/13 3:40 PM