With the 2021 NC State football season coming into view, The Wolfpacker is using Pro Football Focus (PFF) ratings to rank the 25 best players on the Wolfpack's roster.
The rankings are based on last season's PFF ratings, and the rankings only include players who played at least 100 snaps least season on offense or defense — with the exception of specialists. In case you missed it, catch up with Nos. 1-5 in the rankings, here:
Ranking NC State's best 25 players ahead of '21 by PFF rating: Nos. 6-10
Ranking NC State's best 25 players ahead of '21 by PFF rating: Nos. 11-15
Ranking NC State's best 25 players ahead of '21 by PFF rating: Nos. 16-20
Ranking NC State's best 25 players ahead of '21 by PFF rating: Nos. 21-25
No. 5— Redshirt junior center Grant Gibson
PFF Offense Grade: 78.5
Junior Grant Gibson has been the Pack's starting center in every game since the beginning of the 2019 season. He played in every regular season offensive snap in 2020 and started in the Gator Bowl before suffering an injury in the first half.
Now he's back as NC State's top-graded pass protector and one of the Wolfpack's preseason All-American candidates. Gibson earned preseason second-team All-American honors by PFF and Sporting News.
Earlier this summer, PFF named Gibson the third-best returning interior offensive lineman in college football in 2021.
