Spring football practice for NC State will start today, with the spring game at 1 p.m. April 9 at Carter-Finley Stadium. The ACC Network will show the game at 7 p.m.
The Wolfpack Central will start taking a look at the position groups this spring and summarize where NC State stands. Up next is the secondary.
Related links: Quarterbacks preview | Offensive line preview | Running backs preview | Tight ends preview | Defensive line preview | Linebackers preview
Defensive backs
NC State returns six players who have at least five starts in the secondary last year.
Cornerbacks Derrik Pitts (11 starts) and Shyheim Battle (nine), safeties Tanner Ingle (11), Jakeen Harris (seven) and Devan Boykin (five), and nickel Tyler Baker-Williams (10), all return for NC State.
The hard-hitting Ingle was a first-team All-ACC selection. The 5-10, 186-pounder had 82 tackles, four passes broken up and one interception last year. He has 227 tackles for his career in 43 games (37 starts). He had a career-high 13 tackles at Florida State, and topped double figures in three contests.
NC State will have three options at safety opposite Ingle.
Boykin started the season coming off the bench, but moved into the starting lineup for good for a four-game stretch before getting hurt before the North Carolina game. The 5-10, 187-pounder finished with five starts in 11 games and had 24 tackles and four passes broken up. He played at least 28 snaps in seven contests.
The 5-10, 190-pound Harris started six of the first seven games, and then got the start against UNC at safety. He finished with 38 tackles, one sack and one interception, which happened against Louisiana Tech.
Boykin and Harris filled in for the injured Cyrus Fagan. The FSU transfer suffered a season ending injury against Mississippi State. He had come off the bench against USF, but started against the Bulldogs. He had 41 tackles and an interception in eight games (five starts) for Florida State in 2019.
The well-travelled Pitts ended up being the perfect fit at NC State. The former West Virginia and Marshall player started 11 of 12 games last year and had 43 tackles, two interceptions and six passes broken up. The physical 6-1, 193-pounder has played in 43 career games since 2017.
The 6-2, 185-pound Battle solidified himself in his third year at NC State, earning honorable mention All-ACC. The redshirt sophomore started nine of 12 games and had 28 tackles, two interceptions and six passes broken up. He had interceptions against both Louisville and Wake Forest.
The 6-0, 205-pound Baker-Williams has started 23 of 40 games since 2018 at nickel. The junior from Raleigh was an honorable mention All-ACC selection, after tallying 32 tackles, four passes broken up, two interceptions, three tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries. The 6-0, 209-pounder missed the Florida State game and UNC contest due to injuries.
Projected starters: Cornerbacks Derrik Pitts, a senior, and junior Shyheim Battle; safeties Tanner Ingle, a senior, and sophomore Devan Boykin; Nickel senior Tyler Baker-Williams.
Projected backups: Nickel — sophomore Joshua Pierre-Louis; Safeties — senior Cyrus Fagan and junior Jakeen Harris; Cornerbacks — sophomore Aydan White and redshirt junior Teshaun Smith.
Comments: A pair of former junior college transfers provide depth at safety.
Junior college transfer Rakeim Ashford, a sophomore, played in 12 games last year, with six appearances at safety. He had seven tackles in 46 plays.
The 6-0, 175-pound Darius Edmundson redshirted last year after making the move from Louisburg (N.C.) J.C. The redshirt junior has played two games since his senior year at Bailey (N.C.) Southern Nash.
Baker-Williams missed a pair of games at nickel, which opened the door for Joshua Pierre-Louis to earn two starts. The 5-10, 175-pound sophomore had 17 tackles, two passes broken up and an interception at Florida State.
Two wildcards in the secondary if they are healthy are redshirt sophomore cornerback Cecil Powell and redshirt junior cornerback Teshaun Smith.
Smith has missed most of the last three years due to injuries. He played 58 snaps in five games last year. Powell missed all of last year due to injuries.
Sophomore cornerback Aydan White filled in and started a pair of games last year. He had 11 tackles, five passes broken up and an interception, which came against Louisiana Tech in 252 snaps last year.
Redshirt freshman Sean Brown, Jalen Frazier, Chase Hattley, Nate Evans and Nehki Meredith will try and find a niche. Also, early enrollees Isaiah Crowell and Jackson Vick are in for the spring.
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