The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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110 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WOLFPACK FOOTBALL more space around him, but he's confident the change is the right move. He has been working hard at getting the new position down and explained last year's experience provides a strong base to build off of. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well since I know that I played last year," he said. "I have to make sure that I play to a high level so that other people can play at a high level as well. "There are a lot of people on our team who are young and people who have played have to step up and be leaders, be a little more vocal. This year, I talk a lot more than I did last year. I just feel more comfortable with the defense because I know it that much better." The biggest advantage is that both Fer- nandez and Moore have experience making the defensive calls as the unit's quarter- back. They will also benefit from a back seven that lost only one starter in Noel, so the unit should be much more comfortable in year two of the 4-2-5 base alignment. "We both know the defense and now it's two voices that you hear," Moore ex- plained. "On defense, communication is everything. If you communicate then ev- erybody knows where everybody else is going to be and it helps you play faster. I think it's really going to help us out a lot. "I think we're getting better and bet- ter. We just have to continue to get better through the fall as well, and then we'll see what the season brings." Moore noted that even though he and Fernandez competed for playing time last year, there were never any hard feelings. Each was thankful for the other pushing him, and that is a mindset shared through- out the linebacker group, which has wel- comed the nickel backs working with them at every practice this spring. "There's a lot of really good linebackers out there and we're just trying to get better every single day," Moore said. "I think the nickels are happy to get to work with us. I know [starter Dravious Wright] and a lot of the nickels like to be physical so working with us is going to help them do what they want to do. "I think they do [add to the competition at linebacker]. Everybody shows a lot of energy and that's really helping the whole group get better. It's a blend of speed, power and everything else, so I think them being with us definitely will help." That position group has also been the beneficiary of several early enrollees with nickel James Smith-Williams, as well as linebackers Riley Nicholson and Freddie Phillips Jr.. Moore has also been impressed by another new arrival in redshirt sopho- more walk-on Ford Howell, a former Wake Forest scholarship player who spent last year at Iowa Western Community College. Just like his approach to Fernandez last year, Moore does not hesitate to lend a helping hand. It wasn't even 12 months ago when he was in their position. "They're all doing really well and work- ing hard to get better," he said. "I think that's pretty much what the group is doing. "I feel like to make the team get better, you have to help everybody else around you. That's going to make the competition that much better. They're all really hungry for knowledge so we all watch film after practices and scrimmages." — Ryan Tice Coult Culler Settles In At New Position The last time NC State redshirt freshman Coult Culler played in a game that counted, he was a 6-5, 230-pound middle linebacker for Wilmington (N.C.) Laney in the fall of 2013. Culler has changed drastically since those days, evoking some comparisons to former NC State defensive tackle J.R. Sweezy, who is now a starting guard for the Seattle Seahawks. Sweezy arrived at NC State at middle linebacker, just like Culler. Culler was known as a tackling machine and a Rivals.com three-star prospect in high school, and he quickly committed to NC State during the recruiting process. He battled a concussion while sitting out this past fall, and has transformed into a listed OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. QB 12 Jacoby Brissett 6-4 235 5th-Sr. 2 Jalan McClendon 6-5 212 R-Fr. HB 10 Shadrach Thornton 6-1 218 Sr. or 21 Matt Dayes 5-9 203 Jr. FB 28 Jaylen Samuels 5-11 236 So. 36 Max Stoffer 6-1 230 R-Fr. WR 15 Johnathan Alston 6-0 203 Jr. 80 Elliott Davis 6-1 185 R-Fr. WR 13 Bra'Lon Cherry 5-11 191 Jr. 85 Jumichael Ramos 6-2 200 Jr. TE 86 David J. Grinnage 6-5 265 R-Jr. 48 Cole Cook 6-6 250 So. LT 53 Tyler Jones 6-3 300 R-Fr. 74 Emanuel McGirt Jr. 6-6 295 Fr. LG 54 Joe Thuney 6-5 295 5th-Sr. 56 Bryce Kennedy 6-3 305 R-Jr. C 60 Quinton Schooley 6-4 298 Sr. 59 John Tu'uta 6-3 280 R-Jr. RG 50 Tony Adams 6-2 300 So. 70 Terronne Prescod 6-5 338 R-Fr. RT 71 Alex Barr 6-8 318 5th-Sr. 66 Will Richardson 6-6 303 R-Fr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. DE 90 Mike Rose 6-3 270 5th-Sr. 45 Darian Roseboro 6-4 287 Fr. DE 49 Bradley Chubb 6-4 260 So. 87 Pharoah McKever 6-6 260 R-So. DT 35 Kentavius Street 6-2 290 So. 93 Justin Jones 6-2 300 So. DT 98 B.J. Hill 6-4 300 So. 94 Monty Nelson 6-2 310 Jr. WLB 58 Airius Moore 6-0 232 So. 46 Ernie Robinson III 6-1 229 R-Jr. MLB 4 Jerod Fernandez 6-0 231 R-So. 44 Ford Howell 6-1 240 R-So. CB 29 Jack Tocho 6-0 198 Jr. 25 Niles Clark 5-11 186 R-Jr. CB 11 Juston Burris 6-1 207 5th-Sr. 30 Mike Stevens 5-11 190 So. Nick 8 Dravious Wright 5-10 208 Jr. 10 Freddie Phillips Jr. 6-1 200 Fr. FS 20 Hakim Jones 6-2 205 5th-Sr. 31 Germaine Pratt 6-3 234 So. SS 2 Josh Jones 6-2 215 R-So. 24 Shawn Boone 5-10 194 So. Projected 2015 NC State Depth Chart Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. K 92 Kyle Bambard 5-8 190 Fr. or 97 Jackson Maples 5-10 195 R-Fr. P 90 A.J. Cole III 6-4 238 Fr. 47 William Stephenson 6-3 195 R-Jr. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. LS 57 Tyler Griffiths 6-2 230 Fr. 52 Ben Garnett 6-0 238 R-Jr. SPECIAL TEAMS Last year during his true freshman campaign, Moore started four games and registered 37 tackles. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN