8/1/2019 football Edit

The Wolfpacker pre-camp projected depth chart: Defense

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

With fall camp starting Friday, here is an updated look at our projected depth chart for the defense. Earlier Thursday, we took our best guess at the offense.

Here it is for the defense:

Defensive end — Starters: R-Sr. James Smith-Williams and R-So. Xavier Lyas; Reserves: R-So. Ibrahim Kante and 6th-Sr. Deonte Holden

Smith-Williams had 37 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and six sacks, in 12 games last year. (Ken Martin)

It seems a given that Smith-Williams will start for the Wolfpack. He leads all returning players with six sacks in 2018 and was awarded the coveted No. 1 jersey for this season.

The rest of the depth chart at defensive end is quietly one of the most wide open competitions of preseason camp. We switched Holden (9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2018) with Lyas (2.5 sacks) from our post-spring projection, but there are any number of possibilities that could unfold here.

That includes a couple of names not mentioned above getting a chance to crack the two deep — a pair of promising rookies in redshirt freshman Joseph Boletepeli and freshman Savion Jackson, the latter of whom enrolled early.

Defensive tackle — Starters: R-Sr. Larrell Murchison and So. Alim McNeill; Reserves: R-Jr. Val Martin and R-Fr. Derrick Eason

Murchison had eight tackles for loss and four sacks last year. (Ken Martin/The Wolfpacker)

Like defensive end, it seems a given that Murchison, who had 34 tackles with eight of them for loss and four sacks in 2018, will be a starter. The rest of the depth chart is more fluid, although not as much as the edge.

Promising sophomore Alim McNeill, who had 24 tackles with 5.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks last fall, was a presumed frontrunner exiting last season, but redshirt junior Val Martin blossomed last spring in his second year after transferring in from Iowa Western Community College and is prominently in the mix to start.

Expectations are high for a lot of the young defensive tackles — Eason and early enrollees Joshua Harris and C.J. Clark, although the latter missed the spring.

Linebackers: Starters: R-So. Isaiah Moore and Jr. Louis Acceus; Reserves: R-Jr. Brock Miller and Fr. Drake Thomas

Moore (41) and Acceus (2) are two of several linebackers in the mix on the depth chart. (Ken Martin/The Wolfpacker)

Linebacker also has numerous possibilities. We made a couple of changes from our post-spring depth chart. We've switched Miller and Acceus at weakside linebacker and added Thomas, an early enrollee, to backup Moore at middle linebacker. Thomas earned strong reviews from both defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable and head coach Dave Doeren.

That said, it's wide open, although odds are good that Moore (69 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks in 2018) is a starter. Not listed are redshirt freshmen C.J. Hart Jr. and Payton Wilson, both of whom are strong possibilities to find themselves on the depth chart.

Cornerbacks — Starters: Sr. Nick McCloud and Jr. Chris Ingram; Reserves: So. Teshaun Smith and Sr. Kishawn Miller

McCloud is returning as a starter. (Ken Martin/The Wolfpacker)

Like linebacker this is a position that has good possibilities for NC State. McCloud and Ingram return as starters, but Smith was pushing to get into the lineup by the end of last season. Cornerbacks coach George Barlow also said that Miller had as productive a spring as any defensive back — safeties and nickels included.

McCloud ended last year with 51 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions, while Ingram had a team-high nine pass breakups. Smith had 11 tackles and a pick that came against archrival UNC.

Yet there are wildcards like redshirt freshman Taiyon Palmer and Malik Dunlap and freshman Shyheim Battle that might also be poised to make noise.

Safeties — Starters: R-Sr. Jarius Morehead and Sr. Tim Kidd-Glass; Reserves: R-Jr. Isaiah Stallings and So. Tanner Ingle

Morehead had a team high three interceptions a year ago. (Ken Martin/The Wolfpacker)

After making 81 tackles and a team-best three interceptions (including one pick six) in 2018, Morehead is a good bet to retain his starting position. Backing him is more of an open conversation. We went with Stallings, but watch for sophomore De'Von Graves, who moved over from corner and could challenge him.

The other safety position is wide-open between Kidd-Glass and Ingle. Kidd-Glass had 31 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and a sack, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups in 2018. Ingle, playing nickel, added 44 tackles, including three for loss, and two forced fumbles.

Freshman Jakeen Harris, who may also be in the mix at nickel, and early enrollee Khalid Martin would also like to get into the mix on the depth chart.

Nickel — Starter: R-Sr. Stephen Griffin; Reserve: So. Tyler Baker-Williams

Griffin, a former Tennessee transfer, started six games for the Pack last year. (Ken Martin/The Wolfpacker)

We did not make any changes here. Griffin started the final six games last year and had 41 tackles and five pass breakups. The Tennessee transfer is hoping for better health this preseason camp than a year ago when a leg injury dramatically slowed his readiness for the 2018 campaign.

Baker-Williams slid over from safety in the spring and quickly impressed the coaches. He then had an impressive three pass breakups in the spring game.

Early enrollee Jalen Frazier (three tackles and a PBU in the spring game) and the aforementioned Harris at safety both could also be players to watch for depth.