The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/699450
68 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2016 "Again, it's the consistency that we have to get." From a position and personnel stand- point, where do you feel good about the defense and where are you concerned? "I really feel we have a strong defensive line group. [Junior] B.J. Hill has been starting since he was a freshman, has a lot of games under his belt, and is bigger and stronger. [Junior] Justin Jones played as a young kid, and he's older now. [Junior] Bradley Chubb played as a youngster, and now he's older and stronger. [Junior] Kentavius Street played as a true freshman. Now he's a veteran. "Darian Roseboro played as a true fresh- man last year. Now he's a veteran. I expect those freshman mistakes to be eliminated. [Senior] Monty Nelson is back healthy — he played and started as a true freshman. "Eurndraus Bryant played last year as a true freshman. He's not a freshman anymore, he's a veteran. He's had a fall camp, season and spring practice. "Across that defensive line we've got a lot of guys that have played as freshmen, but are now no longer freshmen but juniors and sophomores. I think we have good depth there now. "At the linebacker position, Jerod Fernan- dez started as a redshirt freshman and has been a starter now for two years. He's going into his junior year as a two-year starter, so I expect better play from him. Airius Moore started as a true freshman, and he's going into his junior year. I expect better play from him. "Riley Nicholson was a true freshman last year, and started three or four games. I ex- pect to see better play from Riley. [Redshirt junior] Ford Howell is a walk-on who played sparingly last year, but is in our two deep. "I think we have good experience coming back at linebacker, but the depth concerns me. After our two deep, they are just a bunch of youngsters again. "At our corner position, [junior] Mike Stevens played and became a starter as a young kid. He's no longer a youngster. He's a veteran now, and I expect good things from him. Jack Tocho became a starter as a fresh- man and is now a senior. He's played a lot of football. "Mike and Jack at the two corner posi- tions both have a lot of football in them, and I expect really solid play from them now. We have to build some depth there because there is going to be some inexperience after those two guys. That's a concern for me. "At the safety position, Josh Jones started as a redshirt freshman and is now a junior. Some of those mistakes that he's made that created some big plays and allowed some big plays, now I expect those plays to be dead plays. Josh had a really good spring, and I'm very excited about him. "[Junior] Shawn Boone at the strong safety position played some last year as a young kid and had a really good spring. He's a very smart football player, and I'm very excited about him. "If you look at our depth there, Jarius Morehead is a redshirt freshman and [red- shirt sophomore] Dexter Wright is a kid that doesn't have a lot of experience other than special teams. "From linebacker to our secondary, I ex- pect that first group that has played a lot to be very, very solid. Our younger guys have to be ready to come in and give us some football. "At the nickel position, Dravious Wright has been playing there for three years. We moved Niles Clark out there last year, and Niles did a good job for us. They are both seniors, so I feel really good about our nickel position. "My whole point in all of this is I am very excited about the whole group of guys be- cause they have played a lot of football. I think they both know and understand their mistakes, and I expect better play. We just have to con- tinue to develop some of the younger guys who are going to be in the two deep." What are your expectations for the defense this fall? "For a lot of those guys this should be their first year really playing, but they've been playing for two years. We are a more mature group. Our football IQ is better, and our confidence is better just knowing and understanding the system. "I think they have some pride about them- selves and know there were times we played really good football last year, but we gave up too many big plays. We've watched those and discussed them. I think they are eager to go out there and play." How is your knee doing after offseason knee replacement surgery? "I was just bone on bone. They showed me the X-ray of my knee before and then they showed me the X-ray of my knee now, and there is so much space now between where the X-ray before it was just bone on bone all over. "Now you can see a good separation in there." ■ Redshirt junior safety Josh Jones is one of many on the defense who have been playing since their freshman season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN