The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/535299
82 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2015 BY MATT CARTER T ypically, the prospect of starting a pair of sophomores in the heart of a 4-2-5 defense would not be especially enticing. Defen- sive coordinator and linebackers coach Dave Huxtable is not deterred, though. Like much of the defense, the linebackers may be young, but as Huxtable noted: "Those young guys have playing experience." Redshirt sophomore Jerod Fernandez leads the way. He started 10 games during his rookie cam- paign and led all linebackers with 78 tackles, includ- ing three for loss. He also picked off a pair of passes against ACC champion Florida State and broke up two more passes during the season. His effort impressed college football guru Phil Steele enough to earn Fernandez a spot on Steele's first-team Freshman All-America squad. "He had a really good spring," Huxtable said. "I see Jerod becoming a leader for us on the defense. He's very passionate about the game, plays really hard and really understands the defense well." At the beginning of spring practices, sophomore Bradley Chubb was lining up alongside Fernandez. Chubb, though, was moved to de- fensive end, and sophomore Airius Moore was moved into the starting weakside linebacker spot. Moore was a revelation last year. He was technically a blue-shirt recruit, which meant he did not arrive over the summer with the other class of 2014 signees. Instead, the one-time Indiana commitment showed up at the first day of preseason camp and technically as a walk- on who would earn a scholarship in the fall. Thus Moore was the truest of the true freshmen at NC State last year, but the missed time did not hinder him. He started four games for the Pack, and compiled 37 tackles, 3.5 stops for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. "Airius is just a good football player," Huxtable summarized. "One of the things that sets Airius apart from some others is just how smart he is. He moved from Mike to Will linebacker and didn't miss a beat. He works extremely hard off the field, takes a lot of pride in what he does and did an outstanding job at that Will position. "I think having Jerod and Airius together really gives us a strong one-two punch at the linebacker position." LINEBACKERS PROGRESSING FORWARD Two Sophomores Hope To Build Off Freshman Campaigns And Anchor The Corps Linebackers Roster STARTERS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 4 Jerod Fernandez R-So. 6-0 231 Lake Mary, Fla. Was named a first-team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele's, plus received second- team honors from Athlon and honorable mention accolades from College Football News, after tallying 78 tackles and two interceptions last fall. 58 Airius Moore So. 6-0 232 Beavercreek, Ohio Went from true freshman who did not arrive until first day of fall camp last year to start - ing four games and making 37 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and a sack. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 44 Ford Howell R-So. 6-1 240 Memphis, Tenn. One of the surprises from spring after transferring in as a preferred walk-on from Iowa Western C.C., where he had 67 tackles, including seven for loss, and helped Iowa Western reach the NJCAA championship game. 46 Ernie Robinson III R-Jr. 6-1 229 Laurinburg, N.C. Former walk-on impressed defensive coaches in spring after getting on the field via special teams last fall. 42 M.J. Salahuddin R-Jr. 6-2 227 Fayetteville, N.C. Salahuddin started five games in 2013, but missed last season while redshirting with a knee injury that required surgery. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 32 Riley Nicholson Fr. 6-0 229 Kissimmee, Fla. Hard-hitting early enrollee forced 10 fumbles in his last two seasons for state powerhouse Osceola High and impressed during spring drills, emerging as a candidate to get onto the two-deep. 52 Cole Nigro Fr. 6-1 220 Raleigh Walking on in the fall after a standout career at Sanderson High. 50 Artemis Robinson R-Fr. 6-0 225 Laurinburg, N.C. The younger brother of former NC State star outside linebacker Terrell Manning, he has labored through injuries since arriving, including missing last season after having shoulder surgery. 48 Bryan Smith R-So. 6-2 248 Oxford, N.C. Walk-on played his high school football at Webb High. 39 James Smith-Williams Fr. 6-4 220 Raleigh Athletic early enrollee made 146 tackles, including 36 for loss and 19 sacks, as a senior at Millbrook High. Quick Facts Position Coach: Dave Huxtable (3rd season) Returning Starter: Jerod Fernandez (10 career starts) Starters Lost: Rodman Noel (17) FYI: Athlon ranked the unit eighth out of 14 teams in the ACC … Phil Steele's tabbed Fernandez as preseason fourth-team All-ACC … One of sophomore Airius Moore's high school coaches at Beavercreek (Ohio) High was former NC State wide receiver Tramain Hall … Redshirt sophomore Ford Howell verbally commit- ted to NC State during the summer before his senior season at University School in Memphis, Tenn., before he switched his pledge to Wake Forest … Redshirt junior Ernie Robinson earned a scholarship last fall after walking on to NC State … Freshman Riley Nicholson was a two-time first-team all-state selection by the As- sociated Press and was named the Central Florida Defensive Player of the Year last fall by The Orlando Sentinel … Freshman James Smith-Williams, who tied a Raleigh Millbrook High School record for sacks in a season with 19, posted an impressive unweighted grade-point average of 3.9 in high school and an ACT score of 30 … Redshirt sophomore Artemis Robinson, younger brother of former NCSU and NFL linebacker Terrell Manning, has not played since his senior season of high school at Laurinburg (N.C.) Scotland in the fall of 2012, when he posted tallied 153 tackles. ■ By The Numbers 14 Starts combined last season for red- shirt sophomore Jerod Fernandez and sophomore Airius Moore. 56.7 Average rushing yards allowed by Wolfpack defense in the final three games of the season. 78 Number of tackles by Fernandez last season, most of any linebacker on the roster. "I see Jerod becoming a leader for us on the defense. He's very passionate about the game, plays really hard and really understands the defense well." ■ Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Dave Huxtable on Jerod Fernandez