The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/73006
2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW right now. We'll see — the question is still out on him." The rest of the supporting roles in the sec- ondary are far less certain and likely to be occupied by young players. At corner, redshirt junior Rashard Smith, who has made seven career starts (three last year) and 32 career tackles, is expected to make a permanent move to wide receiver after playing both ways last year. That leaves redshirt freshmen Juston Burris (6-1, 193) and Tyrrell Burriss (5-11, 177) as the top con- tenders to make the two-deep. Reed seemed especially high on Burris. "He's got all the physical, athletic tools to be a good corner," Reed said. "He just doesn't have a lot of game experience. My job this year is to put him out there and let him get baptized. "Juston Burris is a young man who has a Senior safety Brandan Bishop has picked off a total of nine passes the last two years, includ- ing five in 2011. PHOTO BY ERIC LUSK especially in the Louisville game. "I like Dontae. He's not much of a talker. He's just going to come, work, do his job, and that's it. I like that. With all the competition and things I have in my secondary, I know his game is going to be raised another level now. He's a year older, a little wiser. I'm expecting big things out of him, too." Johnson made 30 tackles last season, in- cluding three sacks, and three passes broken up. All three of his sacks came within the final four games of the year. The corners may also get additional com- petition from redshirt junior Jarvis Byrd, who was projected to start last season before he tore his ACL during summer workouts and missed the entire year. This came after he missed all of 2010 with a similar injury. Before the ACL tears, Byrd (5-11, 186) played as a true freshman in 2009 and flashed his potential, especially as a physical, sound- tackling corner. In five games, he recorded 18 tackles and caused a fumble before tearing his ACL in the season finale against UNC, forcing him to miss the next season. Byrd, a four-star recruit in the 2009 class, is hoping to regain his prior form. Reed ad- mitted he has never had a player come off a pair of ACL injuries. "I know personally it's not the physical aspect, it's more of the mental, being able to trust that the knees are sound," Reed said. "It's something that he's going to have to get over. He's going to have to start to exemplify the speed and quickness that made him a starter as a true freshman. "I know this as far as his physicality, it won't change, because that's something that's embedded in his DNA. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does. He's working hard 82 ■ THE WOLFPACKER lot of potential." Burris actually almost played at corner as a true freshman. He made the initial two- deep depth chart at the start of the season, but Burris never made it to the field after going through what Reed called a "very, very, very inconsistent" fall. "He's a young man that has to refocus him- self on what he's here for, and once he does I think he will be a player that will contribute for us," Reed added. A pair of three-star freshmen join the fold ||||||| QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Mike Reed (6th season) this fall in Niles Clark (5-10, 173) from Las- siter High in Marietta, Ga., and Marchez Coates (5-11, 172) from McDonough High in Pomfret, Md. Reed liked Clark's consistency in high school and his experience going up against top receivers from the metro-Atlanta area. During a three-week stretch in the state playoffs, Clark went up against Carlos Burse, a 2012 Vanderbilt commitment; Amba Etta- Tawo, a Maryland class of 2011 signee; and Blake Tibbs, a Georgia 2011 recruiting class member. Clark held Burse and Tibbs to three catches each and Etta-Tawo to a single reception. He also intercepted passes against Tibbs and Etta-Tawo, returning the Tibbs pick for a score. Meanwhile, Coates has already shown Reed the kind of passion he likes. "Fifteen minutes with Marchez, 13 min- utes is talking about football," Reed said, adding that they stay in contact on an al- most daily basis. "The other two minutes is something about conditioning or related to technique. "He's a guy that loves the game of football, a guy that wants to be the best, wants guys around him to play up to his caliber." A sleeper at corner could be walk-on Josh Stanley, who Reed noted had the second-best score in a points system he uses during spring 10 in the country, while Lindy's viewed them as the No. 2 unit nationally behind only LSU … Athlon projected the defensive backs group to be No. 3 in the conference … Junior cornerback David Amerson was on the first-team preseason All-America squads compiled by Athlon, Lindy's and Phil Steele's … Amerson is also listed as the top cor- ner in the country and No. 3 NFL draft prospect by Phil Steele's, and the No. 2 CB in the land, the No. 19 overall player nationally and third-best NFL talent in the ACC by Lindy's … Phil Steele's named redshirt junior Earl Wolff as the No. 22 strong safety nationally and a third-team All-ACC pick, while Athlon tabbed him as a first-team All- ACC selection and Lindy's had him as a second-team All-ACC performer and the No. 11 safety in the country … Phil Steele's also listed junior Brandan Bishop as the No. 24 free safety in the land and a third-team all-conference pick … Phil Steele's ranked NC State's secondary No. 26 in pass efficiency defense in 2011 … Incoming freshman Niles Clark was ranked as the No. 65 cornerback in the country in the 2012 class by Rivals.com after making 45 tackles (23 solo and 1.5 for loss) as a senior, to go along with nine passes broken up, four interceptions and a fumble recovery. He helped Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter High reach the state semifinals in Class AAAAA for the first time in school history … Marchez Coates was rated as the No. 16 class of 2012 recruit from the state of Maryland by Rivals.com after notching 78 tackles (35 solo), nine passes broken up and a pair of interceptions as a senior … Jarnor Jones, who hopes to walk on to the basketball team at State, had 51 tackles (33 solo), an interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown as a senior, and he was listed as the No. 58 recruit in Georgia by Rivals.com … Josh Sessoms made the 3-A all-state team for NCPreps.com after making 79 tackles (30 solo) as a senior, to go along with two interceptions, six passes broken up and a fumble recovery. Rivals.com listed him as a three-star recruit. Earl Wolff (30) Starters Lost: None Projected Starters: Amerson, Bishop, Wilson and Wolff Top Reserves: CB Juston Burris, CB Jarvis Byrd (3), S/CB Dontae Johnson (3) and S Hakim Jones Waiting Their Turn: CB Tyrrell Burriss Newcomers: CB Niles Clark, CB Marchez Coates, S J.J. Jones and S Josh Sessoms Moved In: Hakim Jones from LB Moved Out: Rodman Noel to LB, Rashard Smith to WR Other Departures: CB/S Justin Byers (graduated), S Donald Coleman (transfer), CB Gary Grant (dismissed) and S Dean Haynes (transfer) FYI: Phil Steele's 2012 College Football Preview ranked the Pack's defensive backs as the best in the ACC and No. Returning Starters: CB David Amerson (22 career starts), CB C.J. Wilson (29), S Brandan Bishop (33) and S