The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/846301
JULY 2017 ■ 93 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 DEFENSIVE LINE families well and they're really good people." Chubb emerged his junior year, playing himself into speculation that he could enter the NFL Draft. He made the wise decision to return to NC State and could be in line for a dominant wire-to-wire senior season. Chubb had 10.5 sacks last year, but they came in bunches — three against Notre Dame and two apiece against Wake Forest and Syracuse. Being more consistent — he had six games without a sack and a seventh with just half a sack — could take Chubb to another level. Patrick calls him the "bell cow" of the defense. "Nobody is more electric in the country than Bradley Chubb is when he steps onto that field," Patrick said. "He has an uncanny ability to beat blocks. "Michael Jordan had the ability to make others around him great. Chubb has the ability to make others around him great because of how he deals with them, how he works with them and how he plays with them." Street and Roseboro were both Rivals.com four-star top-100 recruits in their respective classes. Street bounced back and forth between tackle and end his first two years, before settling down on the latter. Street set new career highs with nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks among his 30 tackles last year. "Street is going to do his job and do it well," Patrick said. "Pound for pound, he's the strongest player on our team. He's 280 pounds and can run 4.58, 4.62 [in the 40-yard dash], vertical jump 40 inches almost, bench 360 pounds and squat more than anybody." Roseboro pushed Street for snaps all throughout last year and oozes long-term potential. He ended the 2016 season with 25 tack- les, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks — he had three versus Old Dominion. Roseboro was once projected to excel at defensive tackle, but has settled in at defensive end. "He has the ability and football IQ to play either end position," Patrick said. "Nobody is going to outwork him." The Jones-Hill duo combined for 82 tackles and four sacks last Defensive End Roster STARTERS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 9 Bradley Chubb Sr. 6-4 275 Marietta, Ga. Enjoyed a breakout campaign with 58 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles last year. Ranks 12th in school history with 34 tackles for loss and is 10th with 16 sacks in 37 career games. 35 Kentavius Street Sr. 6-2 284 Greenville, N.C. Rotated between tackle and end in his career, but settled on the latter last year. Posted 30 tackles, nine stops for loss, 5.5 sacks and one fumble recovery in 2016. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 95 Tyrone Riley R-So. 6-6 285 Savannah, Ga. Broke into the rotation at Clemson and followed up with a career-high five tackles and a sack the next week at Louisville. Finished with nine stops, two tackles for loss and one sack in 132 plays. 45 Darian Roseboro Jr. 6-4 287 Lincolnton, N.C. Blossomed with 25 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 457 plays last year. Amassed three sacks among six tackles in the win over Old Dominion. 39 James Smith-Williams R-So. 6-4 258 Raleigh The converted linebacker played in eight games last year before being sidelined with an injury. Had 13 tackles and half a sack in 148 snaps. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 54 Davion Allred 5th-Sr. 6-0 228 Raleigh Walk-on from nearby Millbrook High. 69 Evin Bellamy R-So. 6-2 220 Leland, N.C. Walk-on from North Brunswick High. 94 Kevince Brown Fr. 6-6 242 Winter Park, Fla. Could eventually grow into a tackle. Posted 55 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a senior at Winter Park High. 55 Deonte Holden R-Jr. 6-4 240 Landover, Md. Redshirted his first year in Raleigh, and then missed his second year due to injury. Was also limited last year, seeing action in only one game. 52 Ibrahim Kante Fr. 6-5 235 New York Graduated from Bronx (N.Y.) Cardinal Hayes in 2015, but elected to spend a post- graduate year at Trinity-Pawling School in New York. Notched 25 total stops, nine tackles for loss and four sacks in five games. 97 Xavier Lyas Fr. 6-4 215 Plant City, Fla. Enrolled at NC State for spring practice. Compiled 65 tackles, three sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles his senior year. 37 Jessie Malit Fr. 6-3 215 Concord, N.C. Walk-on from Cox Mill High, where he had 171 career tackles and 22 sacks. 44 Bryan Smith 5th-Sr. 6-2 259 Oxford, N.C. Walk-on from Oxford-Webb High. Defensive Tackle Roster STARTERS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 98 B.J. Hill Sr. 6-4 315 Oakboro, N.C. In 31 career starts has accumulated 130 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and six sacks. Contributed 39 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and two fumbles recoveries last year. 27 Justin Jones Sr. 6-2 312 Austell, Ga. Named honorable mention All-ACC after recording 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and one blocked kick. Has started 16 of 36 games and has 83 career stops, including 13 tackles for loss and five sacks. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 91 Eurndraus Bryant Jr. 6-1 325 North Charleston, S.C. Registered 13 tackles and three stops for loss in 321 snaps last year. 90 Ben "Shug" Frazier R-Fr. 6-3 316 Buford, Ga. Rated as the No. 45 player in Georgia and the No. 33 defensive tackle in the 2016 class by Rivals.com. Redshirted last year. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 73 Grant Gibson Fr. 6-1 295 Charlotte Actually played more center and offensive guard than defensive tackle for power - house Mallard Creek High. Contributed to three North Carolina 4AA state titles and was team captain his senior year. 96 Dante Johnson Fr. 6-3 248 Apopka, Fla. Had a dominant senior year at Wekiva High, tallying 104 tackles, 36 stops for loss and 16 sacks after bouncing back from an ACL injury his junior campaign. 99 Quentez Johnson R-So. 6-2 308 Ellenwood, Ga. Former Rivals.com three-star prospect that was tabbed as the No. 65 player in Georgia and the No. 48 defensive tackle in the 2015 class by Rivals.com. 92 Larrell Murchison Jr. 6-4 270 Elizabethtown, N.C. Junior college addition who received interest from SEC and Big 12 schools. Tallied 41 total stops, 17.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks for 9-0 Louisburg (N.C.) College. ■ By The Numbers 7 Sacks by junior defensive end Darian Roseboro as a sophomore, the second most by a second-year player in school history behind Carl Reeves' 10.5 quarterback takedowns during his sophomore campaign in 1992. 10 Sacks needed by NC State senior defensive end Bradley Chubb to surpass Mario Williams for the all-time school record. Chubb enters his final campaign with 16, which ranks 10th in program history. 16 Chubb's ranking among returning college football players by Pro Football Fo- cus, which stood fifth among ACC players. PFF had Chubb graded 84.3 percent versus run and 83.0 percent as a pass rusher.