NC State football countdown to 2023 kickoff: 11

The NC State football season opener for 2023 is at Connecticut on Aug. 31 — or 11 days away. TheWolfpacker.com’s countdown for the season looks at the significance of the number 11 in Pack history.

NC State Football And The No. 11

• One of the most recognizable players on the NC State football roster wears No. 11: fifth-year redshirt junior linebacker Payton Wilson.

In the three seasons Wilson has been healthy, he has made a big impact for NC State. That included in 2020, when Wilson led the ACC with 108 tackles despite missing two games. That included 11.5 hits for loss and 3.5 sacks, and Wilson also added two interceptions.

Unfortunately for NC State, Wilson has also dealt with injuries. He tore his ACL as a senior at Orange High School in Hillsborough, N.C., and then suffered a similar injury after his arrival in Raleigh that forced him to redshirt in 2018. Then in 2021, Wilson injured his shoulder in Week Two at Mississippi State and was lost for the remainder of the season.

When healthy, Wilson is one of the premier linebackers in the ACC. He was recently selected as one of the biggest “freaks” in the country by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. A big season this fall will help Wilson become a high NFL Draft pick.

• The other player who wears No. 11 is one of the most intriguing freshmen in the NC State football recruiting class of 2023. Tight end/receiver Javonte “Juice” Vereen represented a rare get from the traditionally talented Havelock (N.C.) High program in the eastern part of the state. He was well-regarded, checking in at No. 318 nationally and No. 10 in the state of North Carolina according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Vereen enrolled early and made a quick impression, putting him in line to be a potential true freshman contributor for NC State. His combination of size (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) and athleticism should allow new Wolfpack offensive coordinator Robert Anae a variety of creative ways to utilize his talent.

• One of the most famous players to wear No. 11 for NC State football is quarterback Dave Buckey, who was the first-ever Wolfpack signal caller to go over 4,000 career passing yards.

From 1972-75, Buckey completed 303 of 524 passes for 4,004 yards and 22 touchdowns. Buckey’s 8.18 yards per pass attempt is still the highest all-time mark in NC State history, and his completion percentage of 57.8 percent is tied with Russell Wilson for seventh best.

His passing efficiency rating of 133.12 is sixth best all-time for the Pack.

Buckey finished his first season in Raleigh winning Offensive MVP of the 1972 Peach Bowl and ended his time selected first-team All-ACC. NC State’s record over those four seasons, all coached by Lou Holtz, was 33-12-3.

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