Quavaris Crouch was a true blue chip prospect in the 2019 class. There was a time when Crouch was considered a five-star and potential top player in the country.

He was a 6-foot-3, 220-pound standout on both sides of the football for Harding High in Charlotte. As a junior, he helped lead Harding, not a traditional powerhouse in Charlotte much less the state, to a feel-good 4-A state title by rushing for 3,246 yards and 33 touchdowns on offense and making 48 tackles and 14 sacks on defense.

Crouch, now starting at linebacker for Tennessee, was not the only member of his family to shine on that Harding team, however. A lesser-known defensive back named Malik Dunlap was Crouch’s older brother.

Dunlap led an under-the-radar recruitment before committing to NC State. Despite being older, Dunlap was used to Crouch’s attention casting a bit of a shadow.

“I feel like he had an edge on me our whole life,” Dunlap said. “…It made me work harder to keep up with my brother. I felt like he motivated me to be a better player because he got all the attention early, being the No. 1 player in the nation.”

That work is paying off, but perhaps not without some growing pains.

Due to injuries last season, Dunlap was inserted into the starting lineup for NC State for five of the last six games. He had 20 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and seven pass breakups on the season.

Through four games in 2020, Dunlap has shown noticeable improvement, a fact singled out by head coach Dave Doeren, among others.

“I feel like [2019 season] helped me cause last year I was playing, I was talented but I didn’t feel like I was playing with confidence,” Dunlap said. “I feel like I was just out there trying to make a play. This year, by me going through all that last [year], I know what to expect so I play with more confidence and everything slows down for me.”

A confident Dunlap has the potential to be a weapon for NC State’s defense. A major reason why is that Dunlap is unusually large for a corner — 6-foot-4, 220 pounds.

Dunlap credits working out with his brother for helping him cultivate a unique skillset.

“My whole life, me and my brother … we were always bigger than everybody else,” Dunlap recalled. “I would work out with little guys, so I learned all the little stuff.”

Dunlap has eight tackles, including a sack, and a team-high five pass breakups in four games this year. He is third in the ACC in PBUs.

Each week, Dunlap and Crouch talk to find out how each other is doing. Each passing update from Dunlap is likely to show how much he is starting to make a name for himself.

——

• Talk about it inside The Wolves' Den

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker

• Like us on Facebook