The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/337646
90 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL 2014 BY RYAN TICE N C State has always had an outstanding tradition of defensive backs, dating back to Fred Combs (the Pack's first All- American at the position in 1967). As recently as 2012, the squad boasted five secondary members — David Amerson, Brandan Bishop, Dontae Johnson, C.J. Wilson and Earl Wolff — who are now playing in the NFL. There aren't many who know the history better than Wolfpack safeties coach Clayton White, who came to State as an oversized prep safety and then played linebacker from 1997-2000. He lined up alongside some of the program's greats, such as safeties Terrence Holt and Adrian Wilson. "I tell my guys that for me, it's deeper than football," he said. "It goes way back to the first college football game I ever attended — it was at NC State. I remember watching William Strong, Dewayne Washington, Ricky Bell and all of those guys. "It just goes on and on — at least every other year, there was a good set of NC State defensive backs. But those five guys that are in the league now are gone, so who is the next group? That question I'll let those guys decide, but I give them the whole history of NC State DBs and let them know somebody needs to be next." The defensive backs performed admirably last season, finishing fifth in the ACC with an average of 219.3 passing yards allowed per game. Those respectable results were despite just one starter coming back from 2012 and a major loss five games into the campaign — the unit suffered greatly when senior free safety Jarvis Byrd tore his ACL. The injury forced cornerback Dontae Johnson back to safety, while true freshman Jack Tocho went from being the nickel back to a full-time starter at corner. That trial by fire now becomes a posi- tive for Tocho and the rest of the second- ary players that had to step up. Byrd also returns for a sixth year, meaning that Johnson is the only player who started in the secondary last season and is not on the roster this fall. The Pack is moving to a 4-2-5 base defense, but White prefers to just say that they are utilizing the 4-3 nickel package. "It's the third-down defense, the spread defense, which means you have to cover more and get a little more speed on the field," he explained. "It's still a 4-3 to me, so nothing has really changed, but we have more options that we can do with the defense when you have an extra cover guy out there." White has also been sure to let the secondary know that they are now the veteran group of the defense, and he expects them to perform like it. During the opening part of last season since the coach didn't know his guys and they didn't know him, he just remembered telling them over and over to get back so they wouldn't get beat deep. Now, it's time to make plays and join the school's storied tradition. "I always tell them, 'The Earls, the Davids, the Dontaes, those guys are gone,'" White said. "It's time for somebody to step into that role and be an NC State defensive back. There have always been good defensive backs here, that's been the trend since I can remember." ■ Quick Facts Position Coach: George Barlow (cornerbacks, 1st season) and Clayton White (safeties, 2nd season) Returning Starters: CB Juston Burris (17 career starts), S Hakim Jones (12), S Jarvis Byrd (8) and CB Jack Tocho (7) Starter Lost: CB/S Dontae Johnson (28) FYI: NC State's 12 interceptions last year were its fewest since the 2010 season (nine) … Nine of those picks were by defensive backs, and players who combined for five return to the secondary this fall … The Wolfpack secondary was ranked ninth in the ACC by Athlon … Jones is the younger brother of former NCSU linebacker Ernest Jones, who was the program's second-leading tackler in 2007 … Jones notched five passes broken up last year against eventual national champion Florida State, which boasted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston … Tocho was one of just two true freshmen to start a game on defense last fall … In his first start against Syracuse, Tocho picked off two passes and returned them for a total of 50 yards be - fore going down with an injury after 35 snaps … Tocho, a Charlotte native, was named the ACC Rookie of the Week for his impressive debut … Redshirt junior safety Tim Buckley redshirted at Penn State as a walk-on in 2011 and then transferred to NCSU after the NCAA sanctions against the Nittany Lions were announced. ■ By The Numbers 19 Passes broken up in his career by Juston Burris, to go along with four intercep- tions; both marks pace the returning players. 37 Starts by returning defensive backs in 2013 — Burris and Hakim Jones started all 12 games, while Jack Tocho opened seven contests, Jarvis Byrd five and Tim Buckley one. 219.3 Average passing yards per game by opponents in 2013, which ranked 47th nationally. ■ Preseason Analysis **** Among country's best; *** Among ACC's best; ** Solid or has potential; * Too unproven Starters ** NC State should be fine at cornerback with redshirt junior Juston Burris and sophomore Jack Tocho back after holding down the outside for most of last year. Redshirt junior safety Hakim Jones proved capable of continuing NC State's secondary tradition last year, but two others must emerge in the 4-2-5. The aforementioned trio needs to be more consistent, but the tools are there. Experience ** There is probably more experience than one would expect based on the age of the players. Burris, Jones, sixth-year senior safety Jarvis Byrd and redshirt junior safety Tim Buckley are the only guys in their third year of eligibility or later, but all except one contributor from last year's secondary is back. This group played a lot last year. Depth * At the end of the spring, the only backups who had any game experience were redshirt sophomore cornerback Niles Clark, a veteran of 90 defensive snaps, and sophomore safety Dravious Wright, who appeared in every contest on special teams but played defense in just three games. There are talented youngsters on the roster, but they must prove themselves. Overall grade ** NC State should take a jump to the next level in terms of pass defense in 2014. There are simply too many key players back with enough experience that improvements need to be seen. If they can do that, it might be tough to move the ball through the air on the Pack, especially if a youngster or two proves to be ready now. DEFENSIVE BACKS STRONG TRADITION Five NCSU Defensive Backs From 2012 Are Now In The NFL — Who Is Next In Line? Last season, redshirt junior cornerback Juston Burris started all 12 games, ranked sixth on the squad in tackles (54) and broke up a team- high 11 passes. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Year-By-Year Interception Totals Return Year Int. Yards 2013 12 146 2012 16 192 2011 27 381 2010 9 164 2009 8 65 2008 18 197 2007 10 58 2006 7 121 2005 13 199 2004 9 138 90-92.DBs.indd 90 6/27/14 12:20 PM