NC State football positional power rankings: Defense

Now that the NC State football spring practices are a wrap, TheWolfpacker.com delivers its positional power rankings for each side of the football. We conclude with the defense under coordinator Tony Gibson, who is entering his fourth season at the helm.

1. Cornerback — Fifth-year redshirt junior Shyheim Battle’s pick six on the spring game helped confirm that potent starting duo that Battle and returning All-ACC honoree Aydan White, a fourth-year junior, make for NC State.

However, the position may have found the depth that was the question mark pre-spring after a good first impression from two mid-year newcomers: junior college transfer Rente Hinton and early enrollee Brandon Cisse. If super senior Teshaun Smith can stay healthy, the Wolfpack should have the necessary depth to go with the frontline talent.

2. Defensive line – Defensive line was a close second to cornerback on the positional power rankings for the NC State defense.

The depth on the end is particularly noteworthy. Between super senior Savion Jackson, fourth-year junior Davin Vann, redshirt juniors Red Hibbler and Noah Potter, redshirt sophomore Travali Price and sophomore Brandon Cleveland, NC State has six players for the two spots.

Jackson and Vann are returning starters, although Jackson will be coming back from a knee injury. Cleveland and Price are younger players who flashed considerable potential in 2022, and Hibbler (junior college) and Potter (transfer from Cincinnati) are old newcomers who have already proven to be a boost.

The question is more on the interior where fifth-year redshirt junior C.J. Clark is expected to start at nose tackle, but the depth is unproven.

3. Safety/nickel — This is a position that may have strength in numbers for NC State football. Old Dominion transfer Robert Kennedy has provided a boost at nickel, where the Pack could also start fourth-year junior Devan Boykin.

Boykin could also factor in at safety, where super senior Jakeen Harris has extensive starting experience. Super senior Rakeim Ashford adds additional experience and played well in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Maryland. Redshirt sophomore Sean Brown was a special teams standout who may be primed for a larger role.

Then there is the addition in the summer of top junior college prospect Bishop Fitzgerald.

The question is will these players take the step from beyond being capable performers into some of the conference’s best, like safety Tanner Ingle and nickel Tyler Baker-Williams were the past few years.

4. Linebacker — Super senior and all-conference performer Payton Wilson is an excellent starting point, but can the rest of the unit elevate its play to mitigate the losses of Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas, who teamed with Wilson to form one of the best trios in the country.

Fourth-year junior Devon Betty likely takes over in the middle and has been well-groomed for this role, but now comes the prove it moment.

Super senior Jaylon Scott has extensive experience and can be a reliable option, but will he become a playmaker for the NC State defense? Younger linebackers like redshirt sophomores Caden Fordham and Jordan Poole and early enrollee Kamal Bonner have impressive athleticism, but they are unproven in game settings.

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