NC State’s Davin Vann continues to grow as a leader, pass rusher

When NC State defensive end Davin Vann accepted the No. 1 jersey from Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren before last season, a new set of responsibilities came with the fresh threads. 

The number, which cannot be selected and only given out by the coaching staff, is worn by a player that “exhibits an elite work ethic and practice and training habits, while also leading his teammates.” Usually, the player with the No. 1 on their chest is a leader, one to be looked to for guidance and to push the program’s standards higher. 

Vann, who is back in the No. 1 for the second straight season, had to learn what that meant. There were some responsibilities that came with the uniform that he would have to do, whether he liked it or not. Leading the Pack was at the top of the list, and it forced him to push himself personally within the program. 

Now, as he enters his final collegiate season after turning down an opportunity of entering the NFL Draft after his breakout season in 2023, Vann is focused on improving the mental side of his game, both as an athlete and a person. 

“I just needed to grow personally — mentally and emotionally,” Vann said of returning to NC State for his fifth year. “That was the biggest thing for me. I don’t think I was ready to start real life yet. After I made the decision, having that weight off my shoulders and not having to stress about that yet is a really good thing for me.”

Vann has embraced his role on the defense, and likely will be looked at as the Wolfpack’s leading voice without linebacker Payton Wilson in the fold. But it was not just an easy thing to walk into. 

Instead, Vann had to grow into his role as a leader, and it seems to have paid dividends. 

“The best players seem to be your best leaders at times, whether they talk or not,” NC State defensive line coach Charley Wiles said. “Guys that make plays, the other dudes are going to listen. He had to grow emotionally to be prepared in the talking part. His play certainly has been elevated to where he’s thrust into this leadership role, but him being emotional and sometimes in his career getting frustrated and that coming out, he’s really worked hard on that part of his leadership.

“Now, he’s got more patience,” Wiles continued. “He understands he was that young kid at one point in his career. I think he’s learned how to deliver the message.”

An important voice 

As Vann has grown off the field, he has figured out ways to help him have the right mindset going into practice or a workout. It starts every morning with positive words of affirmation that he recites. He also takes a few moments to work on his breathing, creating a clear focus of what he wants to accomplish that day. 

For Vann personally, that has been key in his development. 

“It just starts, for me personally, just my mentality,” Vann said. “What do I think when I wake up? … Just trying to find the small things to help boost my game.”

That shift in thinking — and growth as a human outside of football — mirrored former NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb’s development, Doeren noted.

“His ability to get out of his comfort zone and speak when he needs to speak, those are the growth areas that you see with Davin,” Doeren said. “He’s in a really good place. He’s got peace right now and he’s got a good routine. He’s bought into the things off the field that he needs to do to get his mind to where he wants it.”

While Vann has become a key piece of the Wolfpack’s defense in a leadership role, his presence on the gridiron has been just as palpable over the last three seasons. He has consistently improved his numbers year after year, churning out career-best campaigns in succession.

Vann’s 2023 season was his most dominant — 42 total tackles with 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble — yet he only garnered a third team All-ACC selection. 

Wiles, who has coached Vann since his redshirt freshman season, was astonished that the league’s “most disruptive pass rusher” was overlooked. But that seemed to leave a chip on Vann’s shoulder, another reason for his return to Raleigh. 

And, well, one more season with Vann in his position group was music to Wiles’ ears. 

“We need him on this football team for our success,” Wiles said. “I love being around the kid, I like coaching him. Obviously I’ve had a lot of guys in my room over the years, but he’s certainly going to be in that top portion of favorite people to coach. He’s smart. When a guy can take coaching from the video and take it to the field, you see him work on his deficiencies and see them get better, that’s just special. Not everybody can do that. You can never take that for granted.”

Tools for success

Vann has continued to improve his pass rush techniques over the offseason and is looking for another dominant season on the Wolfpack’s three-man front. But instead of speaking on his own improvement on the field, Vann’s leadership skills seemed to poke out. 

“The threat of three defensive linemen out there at a time, it’s not just one guy, we’re working as a unit,” Vann said of NC State’s defensive line group. “That’s something we’re stressing this year, not having an offensive line be able to just handle one guy the whole game. They’ve got to worry about everybody.”

While the unit as a whole is expected to be strong within Pack defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 scheme, Vann is among the best to play on the edge within it, in Wiles’ eyes.

“The disruption and I think the production from an interior position … and you go out and have six sacks from a defensive tackle position, that’s pretty darn strong,” Wiles said of Vann. “The instincts that come with the number of reps that he’s gotten over the years, his production on the stat sheet has grown each year. … Any game you can pull off the 13 games that we played, there’s production, man. There’s disruption. And he’s just gotten better.”

Vann has set himself up for another breakthrough season with the Wolfpack, and whether he decides to pursue the NFL afterwards or begin a career outside of football, Wiles believed that the evolution he’s seen in the pass rusher will set him up for prosperity in any stage of life.

“Davin is talented and he’s worked hard for that,” Wiles said. “It was there, it was unrealized. Collectively everybody in this building has been involved in that development. … He’s equipped and ready to go attack anything once he leaves NC State. There’s hopefully a lot of success out there waiting on him, but he’s in the position now he’s got all the tools he needs to have success.”

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