NC State fifth-year senior cornerback Juston Burris already has degree and is poised to be a three-years starter for his hometown college.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pounder, who attended Raleigh Broughton High, has become the elder statesman in the secondary. It's a role he is comfortable in.

Burris is well aware that his time in a Wolfpack uniform is ticking down, and this is his "last" preseason camp in the hot heat of August. He isn't thinking too far down the road, but he's thinking football 24/7 until school starts next Wednesday.

"It is long days, but we are getting better and playing football and doing what we love, so it's great," Burris said. "We are here from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. at night, so it's long days. You just have to be focused.

"When we are in camp, it is all football. You can push everything else out of your life."

Burris finished 15th on the Wolfpack with 29 tackles (22 solo), and added an interception against rivals North Carolina and five passes broken up. Burris started every game for the second straight year, and his 30 career starts out of 38 games lead the returning players. Burris has amassed 126 tackles, 19 passes broken up and four interceptions in his NCSU career.

"We had a senior meeting where they talked about how this is the last one [season]," Burris said. "For some of us, it could be our last time playing football. Who knows what will happen this season. We've been hammering it in since my freshman year to play like it is your last play."

Burris did start to split time during the second half of the season, with redshirt junior Niles Clark or sophomore Mike Stevens getting more snaps.

"My intensity is a lot higher now," Burris said. "It's my last one and I'm just out here busting my butt every day. I don't want any of that [splitting time]."

Cornerbacks need short-term memory skills, but Burris did study his film from last year, plus the first two opponents of this season — Troy (Sept. 5) and Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 13).

"We have watched a lot of Troy recently, but you still need to go watch games from last year, and see the receivers coming back in the ACC," Burris said. "We try and watch that and get better on their releases."

Freshmen safeties Freddie Phillips and Jarius Morehead have joined the secondary, but the 22-year-old Burris pointed out that sophomore cornerbacks Troy Vincent, Jr. and Mike Stevens are the ones with the lively, youthful personalities in the group.

"The young guys are pushing the first-teamers," said Burris, who said he immediately learned from future NFL safety Earl Wolff when he first arrived at NCSU. "The guys who make me laugh are Troy and Mike. They are young and silly, but not immature. They just keep camp alive."

Burris said his family and friends are already making it a point to see him play in as many games as possible this season. The contest at Virginia Tech on Oct. 9 will also have a good contingent.

"Everybody is trying to come to every game, but my biggest one will be at Virginia Tech because my parents are from up there in the mountains," Burris said. "I'll think I'll have to get 50-60 tickets for that one."

Burris graduated in sports management last December, and will get a second degree in business administration this upcoming spring.

"Hopefully, the league [NFL] works out, but I'd like to go to law school or go get my MBA," Burris said. "I've been looking into data analytics and sports analytics. I'm in information technology, and that's my concentration right now. We'll see what happens."