NC State will soon be starting fall camp and gearing up for the season opener at Connecticut at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31.
The Wolfpack Central will start taking a look at the position groups going into fall camp and summarize where NC State stands. Today, the two safety and nickel position is previewed.
Safties/nickel
NC State has a lot of options at the two safety positions and nickel after losing three players to graduation.
Safeties Tanner Ingle and Cyrus Fagan, along with nickel Tyler Baker-Williams have departed the program. Baker-Williams could only play six games last year.
Even with the experienced trio gone, NC State has had enough opportunities the last two years to get both senior Jakeen Harris and junior Devan Boykin ready, and they played a variety of sports in the secondary.
The 5-10, 195-pound Harris had 20 tackles, two interceptions and two passes broken up in 11 contests last year.
The 5-10, 192-pound Boykin has played both free safety and nickel, and has been a band-aid wherever needed. Injuries and a suspension helped devastate the nickel position last year, leaving cornerback Derrek Pitts playing the spot to finish off the season.
Boykin had 20 tackles, one interception, three passes defended and half a tackle for loss in 11 games last year.
Old Dominion graduate transfer Robert Kennedy — who also played previously at East Carolina and Lackawanna C.C. in Scranton, Pa. — also could challenge for the starting nickel spot. The 5-10, 193-pounder had 52 tackles and an interception.
Redshirt sophomore strong safety Sean Brown could be the hardest hitter in the secondary. The 6-0, 205-pounder could win the safety sport and then push Boykin into a battle with Kennedy at nickel. Brown had 18 tackles in 13 games last year.
Projected starters: Redshirt sophomore strong safety Sean Brown, senior free safety Jakeen Harris and junior nickel Devan Boykin.
Projected backups: Junior free safety Bishop Fitzgerald, senior strong safety Rakeim Ashford and senior nickel Robert Kennedy.
Comments: Junior college transfer Bishop Fitzgerald has created a lot of excitement behind the scenes, but didn’t arrive until this summer. The 6-0, 190-pounder from Coffeyville (Kan.) C.C. has quality instincts and could be a ballhawk in the secondary. It will be interesting to see how soon he challenges for a key role. He had 50 tackles and six interceptions last year for his 8-3 squad.
Former junior college transfer Rakeim Ashford, a senior, has proven he can contribute when called upon. The 6-1, 195-pounder could be in the mix at one of the two safety spots as NC State figures out the three best players. He had 10 tackles in 13 games.
Fifth-year senior Darius Edmundson is another former junior college transfer, who did well in the spring game. Edmundson, and redshirt freshmen Isaiah Crowell and Jackson Vick could supply depth at various spots, with Vick having a cornerback background. Ashford, Edmundson, Crowell and Vick could be the cornerstones of NC State’s coverage units on special teams.
Freshman safety Daemon Fagan was a Rivals.com four-star prospect coming out of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage High. The 6-3, 180-pounder has unusual length for the position.
Safety Zack Myers is another four-star freshman, but the Arden (N.C.) Christ School standout hurt his knee during his senior season. He enrolled early this spring.
Positional previews
Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line
Defensive line | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties/nickel | Special teams
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