The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/337646
88 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL 2014 Quick Facts Position Coach: Dave Huxtable (2nd season) Returning Starter: Brandon Pittman (9 career starts) Starters Lost: D.J. Green (18) and Robert Caldwell (11) FYI: Athlon ranked the unit 13th out of 14 teams in the ACC … Pittman and Rodman Noel and M.J. Salahuddin — each of whom were safeties at various points during their high school careers — all played special teams during their freshman year and avoided getting redshirted … Rivals.com rated Noel as a four- star prospect, and Pittman and Salahuddin both were three-star recruits … Noel had originally committed to Maryland before switching to NC State … Noel is the middle brother of three athletes, joining older brother Jim Noel, a former starting safety for Boston College, and younger brother Nerlens Noel, who was a one-and-done center for Kentucky basketball (Nerlens was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but missed last season after undergoing ACL surgery in college) … Redshirt freshman middle linebacker Artemis Robinson was a Rivals. com three-star prospect in the class of 2013 and played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas … Freshman middle linebacker Coult Culler of Wilmington (N.C.) Laney is the son of former Clemson lineman Breck Culler … Freshman outside linebacker Airius Moore, who will sign with NC State Aug. 1, tallied 74 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception, while also rushing for 272 yards and six touchdowns on 53 carries as a senior at Beavercreek (Ohio) High. ■ By The Numbers 4 Former NC State linebackers who played in the NFL last year — Audie Cole (Minnesota Vikings), Nate Irving (Denver Broncos), Terrell Manning (formerly of San Diego Chargers) and Stephen Tulloch (Detroit Lions). Also, former NCSU defensive end Manny Lawson played outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. 5 Sacks by linebackers last year, with returning senior Brandon Pittman leading the way with three. 81 National ranking for NC State's rush defense (180.2 yards allowed per game) last year. Getting To Know: Jerod Fernandez Most freshmen are not fans of redshirting, and they often speak of how difficult it is af- ter being stars in high school to working with the scout team their first years in college. Linebacker Jerod Fernandez is not one of those freshmen. He embraced his redshirt experience. "I adjusted to it," Fernandez explained. "I actually liked redshirting. It was good to watch and learn, and it helped me adjust to the college game from high school." That's not to say that everything about redshirting was enjoyable. Game day at Carter-Finley Stadium, Fernandez ad - mitted, left him anxious to get back on the field. "It was a great experience being on a sideline of a college game compared to high school, but it was also like: 'I can't wait to play next year,'" he said. The fact that Fernandez was even at Carter-Finley on Saturdays last year was almost put in jeopardy when the staff that he originally committed to was let go after the 2012 season. The key word there is "almost." In the end, Fernandez's loyalty to NC State was too strong. "I didn't commit to a staff, I commit - ted to a school," he said. "I liked the school, and I like where I'm at." It also helped that Dave Doeren hired Dave Huxtable as his linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. "He recruited me when he was at Pitt," Fernandez recalled. "He ended up coming here, so it was a done deal." One of the biggest benefits of red - shirting for Fernandez was he felt that he became a more mature person. He admittedly got a little homesick being away from Lake Mary, Fla., but he adjusted. "I do a lot of things for myself now," he noted. "I don't have to rely on people." Off the field, Fernandez lost a lot of body fat, and he has replaced it with muscle on his 6-1, 231-pound frame. He feels that he is faster and more flexible than he has ever been. After earning the co-Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year award last fall, Fernan - dez feels ready to make his impact. "I am more in the mix now instead of being on the side working on the scout team," he noted. "I feel like I've got more on my shoulders now and in the competition. "I just want to contribute and help the team out as much as I can, and play my role." — Matt Carter Year Name Tackles 2013 Robert Caldwell, LB 105 2012 Earl Wolff, S 145 2011 Audie Cole, LB 132 2010 Nate Irving, LB 97 Audie Cole, LB 97 2009 Audie Cole, LB 85 Year Name Tackles 2008 Ray Michel, LB 102 2007 DaJuan Morgan, S 117 2006 Pat Lowery, LB 109 2005 Stephen Tulloch, LB 134 2004 Oliver Hoyte, LB 93 NC State's Leading Tacklers The Past Decade Linebacker Roster STARTERS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 39 Brandon Pittman Sr. 6-2 218 Raleigh The former Leesville Road High standout emerged down the stretch for the Wolfpack, amassing 37 of his 62 tackles over the last four games. Pittman has started nine games and played in 31, and has 112 career tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. 42 M.J. Salahuddin Jr. 6-2 223 Fayetteville, N.C. Salahuddin started five of 12 games he played in, while splitting time with Pittman last year. He had a season-high nine tackles against Clemson and finished with 25 on the season. He only played eight snaps from scrimmage over the last four games, but had six contests where he played at least 30 snaps. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 4 Jerod Fernandez R-Fr. 6-1 231 Lake Mary, Fla. The former Rivals.com three-star prospect had a team-high 11 tackles at the Kay Yow Spring Game April 12. He also earned Co-Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year honors in 2013. 5 Rodman Noel Sr. 6-4 220 Everett, Mass. The rangy former strong safety has amassed 62 tackles, seven tackles for loss and one sack in 37 games played at NC State. He started five games in his sophomore year, but backed up D.J. Green last year. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 43 Coult Culler Fr. 6-5 230 Wilmington, N.C. The prep tackling machine from Laney High racked up 135 stops in 11 games his senior year, and he had 139 his junior year. Culler earned all-state honors from the Associated Press. 33 Ty Linton Fr. 6-2 235 Weddington, N.C. Linton signed with North Carolina out of Charlotte Christian in the class of 2010, but elected to play minor league baseball after the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him. The walk-on has his college scholarship paid for as part of his original deal with the Diamondbacks. He injured his knee during the spring and is expected to redshirt. 58 Airius Moore Fr. 6-0 220 Beavercreek, Ohio Moore was originally slotted to attend Indiana, but he switched to NC State on National Signing Day and elected to "blueshirt," which means he will sign Aug. 1. Rivals.com rated him as a three-star prospect, the No. 27 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 39 player in Ohio. 37 Quinton Patterson R-Fr. 6-0 229 Shelby, N.C. Played both linebacker and fullback in high school, and after a year at fullback looks to have landed at linebacker this season. 45 Artemis Robinson R-Fr. 6-1 210 Laurinburg, N.C. Robinson, who is the younger brother of former NC State star outside linebacker Terrell Manning, redshirted last year. He had 240 tackles — 153 his senior year — while at Scotland County High, helping the Scots go 48-2. 46 Ernie Robinson R-So. 6-1 229 Laurinburg, N.C. Robinson is a walk-on from Scotland County High. 48 Bryan Smith R-Fr. 6-2 241 Oxford, N.C. Smith is a walk-on from Oxford Webb High, who redshirted last year. 36 Max Stoffer Fr. 6-3 220 Nashville, Tenn. The walk-on from Father Ryan High had 351 tackles his last three years, including 141 his senior year. He earned all-state honors. Fernandez was the co-recipient of the Wolfpack's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year award in 2013. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 86-88.LBs.indd 88 6/27/14 11:50 AM