The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JANUARY 2015 ■ 37 against Florida State — but has been stel- lar since what he termed "a wake-up call." The youngster logged at least 37 snaps — something he never did in the first five contests — in each of the final seven games and totaled 34 tackles, including 7.5 behind the line of scrimmage. "I planned to just work my butt off after I got here and see where I'd be at during the season," he said. "I planned on playing, and I guess it's been a good start. "Each week I've just gotten better, and I want to keep on getting better." Linebacker Airius Moore While Hill was greatly aided by en- rolling early — it allowed him to gain 40 pounds before the season started — Moore is the complete opposite. The true fresh- man joined the Pack's class with a Na- tional Signing Day flip from Indiana, thanks to a seldom-used blueshirt. That means the 6-0, 220-pounder did not sign with the rest of the class or take an official visit to Raleigh. However, he arrived at the start of fall camp, and like Hill, it did not take long before he caught the coaches' eyes. "He got here Thursday night, and we reported on Friday," Huxtable remembered. "Right away, I knew he was going to be something special because he's a quick learner. He was thirsty for learning, and you knew he was a guy that just wanted it. "We had him in camp last summer and you could see the skills that he had, but he has been a surprise with how quick he has been able to pick things up. He's a freshman playing Mike linebacker, making calls, and I never see him flinch." Not surprisingly, Moore was one of the last youngsters to emerge. He played in every game, but was lim- ited to 18 snaps or less in the first seven tilts. When Fernandez was suspended against Louisville, he played every defensive snap and emerged as a playmaker. Moore led the team with eight tackles, including two for loss and a sack, and returned a fumble for a 76-yard touchdown — but the play was reversed after an official review determined that the ball carrier was down. He started the next three games in the middle and at least tied for the team lead in tackles in each of those contests. Moore never expected to be in the role he earned as a rookie, but the immediate playing time let him know that he made the right choice, despite his unique path to NC State. "I thought I was just going to be a spe- cial teams guy," he admitted. "I'm defi- nitely thankful for the position I'm in. I'm blessed for this opportunity, and I tried to take advantage of it." Linebacker Jerod Fernandez Fernandez admitted that he had no prob- lem redshirting his first year on campus and waiting for his turn in the middle of the defense. It was tough to not play in a game for the entire season, but he knew that he would eventually claim a major role. After junior M.J. Salahuddin was injured and lost for the year in fall camp, the de- mands increased on the 6-0, 224-pounder. He started in his first-ever college appear- ance and quickly made an impression with 12-tackle efforts against Old Dominion and Presbyterian. Last season's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year then showed he was more than just a tackling machine on the national stage against No. 1 Florida State, the team he and his family grew up rooting for. The Sunshine State native picked off reigning Heisman Trophy-winner Jameis Winston twice and was named ACC Line- backer of the Week. In his first game after the Louisville sus- pension, he came off the bench to make three tackles, including a sack, and forced a fumble against Syracuse. The following week against Georgia Tech, he returned to the starting lineup and led the team in tackles with 10 — the fifth time he shared or owned that mark this year. He is one of just two Football Bowl Sub- division rookies to lead his squad in stops (76) and even received a vote for ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. The one-two punch of Moore and Fernandez could be one the Pack defense relies on a lot over the next three seasons; Huxtable noted both are "true Mike linebackers," who always seek contact. "Airius is a great player," Fernandez said. "Airius busts his behind in practice; he makes me work harder and I make him work harder. We both learn from each other." Safety Josh Jones Like Fernandez, Jones was sus- pended for the Louisville contest, but eventually regained his starting spot at strong safety, where he thrived af- ter playing linebacker while he red- shirted in 2013. Huxtable has seen him make a seamless transition to the backline. "He's long, athletic, has great range and can run," the coach noted. "I think it's a great position for him, and I've really seen him get better and better. He has matured a lot, which has helped him with his game." Jones paced the squad with three interceptions, ranked second with six passes broken up and 40 solo tackles, and was fourth with 53 total stops during the regular season. Fernandez was the only first-year player who logged more starts and snaps than Jones — the safety opened seven games and logged 615 plays, while Fernandez totaled nine and 620, re- spectively. Football coaches never like to look ahead to the future, but Huxtable can't help but smile when thinking about what the defense could be- come based on the youngsters' early returns. "I'm pleased with how those young guys have done, and they're just going to con- tinue to get better," he said. "There are so many young kids playing, and with this experience that they're getting now, they're just going to continue to grow as players, as men and as leaders in this program. "They're going to be really good players for us in the future if they continue to work hard." ■ Linebacker Jerod Fernandez is one of just two Football Bowl Subdivision rookies to lead his squad in stops this fall, notching 76 in 11 games played. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN