NC State
Wolfpack
Preview 2008 - Defense
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2008 CFN NC State
Preview |
2008 NC State
Offense
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2008 NC State
Defense |
2008 NC State
Depth Chart
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2007 CFN NC State Preview |
2006 CFN
NC State
Preview
What you need to know:
There are
plenty of holes
to plug on a
defense that
ranked No. 11 in
the ACC and ran
out of gas in
November. The
casualties are
everywhere,
hindering the
staff’s quest to
become more
physical in run
defense and
generate a
greater number
of takeaways.
While the Pack
will be
challenged by
the departures
of five key
members of the
front seven, it
gets back DE
Willie Young and
DT Alan-Michael
Cash, a pair of
playmakers with
all-conference
skills.
Graduation was
particularly
harsh on the
linebackers,
which lose all
three starters
and three of the
team’s top five
tacklers. S
DaJuan Morgan
left early for
the NFL,
creating an
opportunity for
redshirt
freshmen Justin
Byers and
Jimmaul
Simmons.
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Returning
Leaders
Tackles: Jeremy Gray, 62
Sacks: Willie
Young, 6
Interceptions: Jeremy Gray, 3
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Star of the defense:
Junior DE Willie Young
Player who has to step up and become a star:
Sophomore CB DeAndre Morgan
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore LB
Nate Irving
Best pro prospect: Young
Top three all-star candidates: 1)
Young, 2) Junior DT Alan-Michael Cash, 3) Irving
Strength of the defense: The line
Weakness of the defense: Stopping
the run, the back seven
Defensive Line
Projected Starters: The line will
be built around juniors Alan-Michael Cash
and Willie Young, an inside-outside
tandem with All-ACC potential. Cash was quietly
terrific in his first year as the starter,
leading the linemen with 50 tackles and adding
6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 13
quarterback pressures. Very quick and explosive
at 6-1 and 286 pounds, he possesses the strength
to support the run and the lateral speed to
harass the quarterback like a third defensive
end.
At 6-5 and 230 pounds, Young has the size and
the speed of an outside linebacker, often
blowing past tackles, especially when lined up
at the weakside. After splitting time with
Littleton Wright, he permanently moved into the
lineup, finishing an impressive season with 48
tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, and two
dozen quarterback pressures. Somehow he was left
off the All-ACC team, which is unlikely to
happen a second straight year.
The strongside defensive end will be powerful
sophomore Markus Kuhn, a 6-4, 280-pound
product of Germany coming off an impressive
first season. Extremely strong in the upper
body, he’s an every-down player, debuting with
33 tackles, five tackles for loss, and a sack,
despite only playing about 25 snaps a game.
The replacement for DeMario Pressley at the
other tackle position is 6-2, 281-pound senior
Antoine Holmes, who played both end and
tackle in his first season removed from
Lackawanna Junior College. He’s primed for a
productive final season after delivering 20
tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks
in just nine games.
Projected Top Reserves: After
following his dad to Raleigh and sitting out
last season, 6-1, 278-pound senior Keith
Willis, Jr. is poised to provide depth at
tackle for the Wolfpack. At Boston College, he
played in 23 games, displaying the quickness to
shoot the gap and make plays for minus yards. He
provides valuable experience and a feel for the
game that comes with having a father who’s also
the defensive line coach.
Filling out the rotation at defensive end is
6-2, 253-pound sophomore Audi Augustin,
Kuhn’s backup at weakside. Flashing a good burst
off the snap, he got in on 81 snaps as a backup
defensive lineman and was a regular on special
teams.
Watch Out For ... this group to
give weekly fits to opposing offensive lines.
All of the key members of the two-deep are quick
and regularly get penetration. Yes, Pressley
will be missed, but maybe not as much as
originally believed.
Strength: Creating pressure. From
Young and Cash on the first team to Augustin and
Willis on the second unit, the linemen use their
hands well and have the quick feet to zoom past
lumbering linemen. With penetration coming from
the ends and the tackles, doubling one player
will be like picking your poison.
Weakness: Run defense. State
finished last in the ACC against the run,
allowing 186 yards a game on the ground. Things
don’t figure to get a whole lot better after
losing Pressley, a fifth round selection of the
New Orleans Saints.
Outlook: This unit should wind up
being the strength of the defense, delivering
two players who’ll get strong consideration for
postseason honors. If Young and Cash get more
help from Kuhn and Holmes, it’ll be a boon to a
back seven that could spend most of the year
trying to find its way.
Rating: 7.5
Linebackers
Projected Starters: All three of
last year’s starters are no longer on campus,
putting the defense in a position to completely
rebuild the corps of linebackers. The foundation
of the group for the next few years will be 6-1,
225-pound sophomore Nate Irving, who
moved into the lineup late in the year and
finished with 52 tackles, seven tackles for
loss, and a sack. An instinctive defender who
got better as the season progressed, his stock
will soar now that he’s a year older and wiser.
The favorite to be flanking Irving at strongside
is converted safety Robbie Leonard, a
6-0, 205-pound senior who plays much bigger than
his size. One of the scrappiest players on the
defense, he needs to be more than just a big
hitter on special teams and an inspiration to
the rest of his teammates.
In the middle for now will be 6-0, 224-pound
junior Ray Michel, a steady career backup
with 24 games of experience. Instinctive and
hard-hitting, he had 43 tackles and two tackles
for loss, while contributing on special teams.
If he holds off the competition, his knack for
being around the ball will lead to huge numbers
in this defense.
Projected Top Reserves: It’s only a
matter of time before 6-2, 225-pound freshman
Dwayne Maddox is a starter and an important
part of the defense. He graduated from high
school early in order to participate in
offseason conditioning and spring practice,
quickly rising to the two-hole behind Michel.
Quick to shed blockers and get to the ball, he
has outstanding football instincts for such a
young player.
Behind Irving on the weakside is 5-11, 200-pound
sophomore Thomas Barnes, an undersized
player who packs a punch like a strong safety.
One of the few true freshmen to play a year ago,
he got in on 168 plays, making 15 stops, 2.5
tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Watch Out For ... Maddox to continue
his ascent up the depth charts. This is a unit
that’s looking for dynamic playmakers capable of
supporting the run. Once he gets more reps,
he’ll be a defensive mainstay.
Strength: Irving. With NC State
fighting for a spot in the postseason down the
stretch, he played his best football, playing
stingy run defense and showing a knack for
getting into the backfield. He’ll be even more
productive in his second season.
Weakness: Strongside. Graduations
took a particularly big bite from the outside
spots. Leonard is a feel-good story, but at just
over 200 pounds, it won’t feel so good when he
gets matched up with a tight end or a pulling
guard.
Outlook: Losing three starters
always hurts, particularly when too few of the
successors have special qualities. Irving and
Maddox have a chance to be very good in time,
but both are still young and largely surrounded
by mediocrity.
Rating: 6
Secondary
Projected Starters: Very quietly,
the Pack did a nice job in pass defense last
year, finishing 28th nationally with
little star power. To maintain that trend,
someone needs to step up and fill the void left
by S DaJuan Morgan’s early departure. Senior
J.C. Neal is the new veteran among the
safeties, a versatile 5-11, 195-pounder who has
literally cross-trained everywhere in the
secondary. He filled in nicely when injuries
cropped up last year, starting six games and
making 40 tackles. Because of the diversity of
his experience, he’s comfortable in pass
coverage or stepping in run support.
Coming out of spring, the leader at the other
safety spot was 6-0, 185-pound redshirt freshman
Justin Byers. Very fast and quick to pick
up his assignments, he, like Neal, possesses the
versatility to play multiple positions in the
defensive backfield.
State’s top cover corner is senior Jeremy
Gray, a two-time letterwinner entering his
second season as a starter. At 6-2 and 188
pounds, he’s difficult to expose over the top
and flashes the toughness to be a solid tackler
in the open field. In the most extensive action
of his career, he started seven games,
delivering 62 tackles and a team-high three
picks.
Unlike Gray, sophomore DeAndre Morgan
lacks ideal size at 5-10 and 170 pounds, but
compensates with blazing speed and a feisty
demeanor in traffic. He flew up the depth chart
last fall, eventually starting the final games
and chipping in 31 tackles and eight pass
breakups. The younger brother of DaJuan Morgan,
he has a high ceiling as an eventual lockdown
corner.
Projected Top Reserves: Although
sophomore Javon Walker may be listed as a
reserve heading into summer, he has all of the
characteristics of a starter. The 6-0,
197-pounder was just beginning to heat up last
fall when he tore his ACL in the upset of Miami.
His season ended prematurely with 46 tackles and
a stack of rave reviews from the coaching staff.
He missed the spring, but should be 100% in
August, at which time he’ll make a strong push
for one of the starting safety spots.
The staff is banking on 5-11, 190-pound freshman
Dominique Ellis being a quick study and
the first cornerback to come off the bench.
Originally a member of the 2007 recruiting
class, he didn’t qualify until earlier this
year. An aggressive defender with good speed, he
remains raw, which is unlikely to change right
away.
Watch Out For ... the coaches to
consider moving Neal to corner to bolster depth.
Once Walker is healthy and redshirt freshman
Jimmaul Simmons gets up to speed, the Pack
will have decent potential at safety. At corner,
a more natural position for Neal, the secondary
is hurting for experienced bodies.
Strength: The future. Walker,
Morgan, Byers, Simmons, and are all
underclassmen vying for playing time early in
their careers, and all good enough to be productive
members of the defensive backfield for the next
three or four years.
Weakness: Depth at corner. As it
stands right now, the Pack will head into the
season with two backups, Ellis and junior
Koyal George, who have virtually no
experience at this level. Pray for better health
this year, State fans.
Outlook: The pass defense held up
well a year ago, but part of that was because
teams knew they could just run the ball down
State’s throat. This year’s group may not be so
fortunate, as opposing coordinators get wise to
the fact that it’s a pedestrian and beatable
unit. After making just 17 over the last 24
games, a few more picks from the Pack would be
nice.
Rating: 6.5
Special Teams
Projected Starters: After
delivering mixed results a year ago, the
Wolfpack special teams is looking for more
consistency and a couple of capable return men
this fall. It’ll be tougher than expected to
replace PK Steven Hauschka, who nailed 16-of-18
field goal attempts in his final season. Filling
his shoes will be sophomore Josh Czajkowski,
last year’s backup and one of the nation’s top
prep kickers of 2006. A dead-on kicker in high
school, he’ll have to deliver pressure kicks for
an offense needing all the help it can get.
Senior Bradley Pierson has the edge at
punter, but he’ll need to elevate his game to
hold off the challenge of junior Jeff Ruiz.
A former walk-on, Pierson averaged an ACC-low
37.2 yards a punt last year, earning a
scholarship, but little else in his debut.
Ruiz, on the other hand, is a former
junior-college All-American, who redshirted with
the Pack in his first season. With a year of
experience under his belt, he’s back to mount
another challenge for Pierson’s job.
Yet another obstacle for assistant Jerry
Petercuskie will be to find a successor for
Darrell Blackman, one of the nation’s top
kickoff and punt returners. The two names that
continue to surface as replacements are also key
cogs on offense, juniors Jamelle Eugene
and Donald Bowens.
Watch Out For ... Ruiz. He was
actually ahead of Pierson heading into last
summer, but couldn’t hold on and wound up using
the season as an apprenticeship. He has the
stronger leg and an opportunity to unseat a
vulnerable incumbent.
Strength: The punt coverage team.
Despite getting so-so support from the punter,
NC State led the country in punt coverage
defense, allowing a ridiculous 3.1 yards a
return.
Weakness: A sure-thing in the
kicking game. Who knew Hauschka was going to be
so difficult to replace? He was rock-solid in
his only season on the job, putting pressure on
Czajkowski to carry the torch.
Outlook: There’ll be lots of
uncertainty on this unit, ranging from the new
kicker and return men to the shaky situation at
punter. If the program is going to make a move
in the standings, it needs to start doing the
little things better, starting here.
Rating: 6