NC State depth chart for Wake Forest: Defense/ST

The No. 20/21 NC State football team has officially released the depth chart for Saturday evening vs. No. 19/20 Wake Forest. The defense and special teams depth chart can be seen below.

Click here to view the NC State depth chart on offense.

NC State Football Defense Depth Chart

Right End

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
5	C.J. Clark	R-So.	6-3, 300	New London, N.C.
58	Travali Price	R-Fr.	6-4, 265	Lincolnton, N.C.

The big news here is that fourth-year junior Savion Jackson is out for the season with a knee injury. Jackson has been one of NC State’s most consistent defensive lineman with 15 tackles (6 solo), including 3 for loss. He’s broken up a pass and added 2 quarterback hurries.

Clark started in Jackson’s place vs. Virginia Tech. Clark has 9 tackles (3 solo and 2 sacks) plus a pass breakup and 2 quarterback hurries.

Price has 8 tackles (1 solo), including 1 for loss and assisting on a sack, while recovering a fumble and adding 4 quarterback hurries. He had a pair of pressures vs. Virginia Tech.

Nose Tackle

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
48	Cory Durden	R-Sr.	6-4, 305	Newberry, Fla.
OR 0	Joshua Harris	R-So.	6-4, 325	Roxboro, N.C.

Durden had 12 tackles (5 solo and 1.5 for loss) and 4 quarterback hurries through 8 weeks (all starts), while Harris also has 7 hits (1 solo), including registering his first career sack in the NC State win over Connecticut and having 2 overall tackles for loss. Harris also has a QB hurry.

Left End

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
45	Davin Vann	So.	6-2, 295	Cary, N.C.
44	Brandon Cleveland	Fr.	6-4, 290	Tampa, Fla.

Vann, who has started all 8 games, has 19 tackles (9 solo) and had a strip sack in the UConn victory among his 4.5 overall tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks this season. He also has 5 hurries.

In a change on the depth chart, Cleveland has been elevated to replace redshirt freshman Claude Larkins. Cleveland has only played in the Connecticut game this season.

SAM Linebacker

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
32	Drake Thomas	Jr.	6-0, 230	Wake Forest, N.C.
27	Jayland Parker	R-Fr.	6-1, 215	Macon, Ga.

Thomas leads the team with 58 tackles (26 solo, 5.5 for loss and 1 sack). He has also broken up 3 passes and has a team-high 9 quarterback hurries. He was named the ACC Linebacker of the Week after having 14 tackles vs. Florida State.

MIKE Linebacker

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
1	Isaiah Moore	R-Sr.	6-2, 232	Chester, Va.
26	Devon Betty	So.	6-1, 225	Carver Ranches, Fla.

Moore has 41 tackles (22 solo, 7.5 for loss and 1 sack) and 3 QB hurries in 8 starts since his return from a torn ACL for NC State.

Betty had 7 tackles, assisting on 1 for loss, and 2 hurries in backup action.

WILL Linebacker

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
11	Payton Wilson	R-Jr.	6-4, 230	Hillsborough, N.C.
2	Jaylon Scott	Jr.	6-1, 225	Shelby, N.C.

Wilson missed the Charleston Southern game for NC State, and he returned for Week 3 to lead the team with 10 tackles, including assisting on 1 for a loss, vs. Texas Tech. For the year, Wilson has 48 tackles (19 solo, 4.5 for loss and 2 sacks) and 4 QB hurries. He has started all 7 games he’s played and also broken up a pass.

Scott, who started the game Wilson missed, has 15 tackles (7 solo and assisting on 1 for loss) and a pair of quarterback hurries.

Left Cornerback

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
3	Aydan White	So.	6-0, 185	Asheville, N.C.
OR 24	Derrek Pitts Jr.	R-Sr.	6-1, 193	Dunbar, W.Va.

There were a couple of minor changes to the depth chart here. While still listed with an “or,” White and Pitts have flip-flopped places, and redshirt junior Teshaun Smith is no longer listed at left cornerback (but is at right cornerback).

White has started the past 7 games and has 25 tackles (17 solo, 3 for loss, 1 sack) and leads the team with 6 pass breakups and 3 interceptions. He was named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week after the Texas Tech game when he had pick six among his 2 interceptions that day and adding a sack that evening.

Pitts has added 30 tackles (23 solo) and 4 pass breakups. Pitts has six starts this year

Right Cornerback

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
25	Shyheim Battle	R-So.	6-2, 195	Rocky Mount, N.C.
22	Teshaun Smith	R-Jr.	6-3, 190	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

White has previously been listed as an “or” here, but not on the updated depth chart. Instead, Battle is alone on first string.

Battle has started three games and missed a pair with an injury. He has 12 tackles (8 solo, 1 for loss), 2 interceptions and 2 pass breakups.

Smith is the lone reserve listed now and has 7 tackles (5 solo) in seven games. He’s also broken up a pair of passes.

Nickel

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
13	Tyler Baker-Williams	Sr.	6-0, 205	Raleigh, N.C.
OR 12	Devan Boykin	So.	5-10, 187	Greensboro, N.C.

Baker-Williams returned at Syracuse after missing 3 games. In the 5 contests Baker-Williams has played, he has 12 tackles (5 solo, 2.5 for loss and 1 sack) and added 2 interceptions, 2 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Third-year sophomore Joshua Pierre-Louis was dropped off the depth chart after being suspended indefinitely.

There was a further change this week. Boykin has an “or” with his name. Boykin started vs. FSU when Baker-Williams was hurt and has 17 tackles (7 solo), an interception and a QB hurry this year.

Fourth-year junior Jakeen Harris moves off the nickel depth chart.

Free Safety

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
10	Tanner Ingle	Sr.	5-10, 186	Orlando, Fla.
20	Sean Brown	R-Fr.	6-0, 195	Charlotte, N.C.

Ingle is third on NC State with 43 tackles, including 21 solo and 4.5 for loss. He has also 1 pick, broken up a pass and added 6 QB hurries.

In a change on the depth chart. Harris has moved over to strong safety on depth chart, and Brown makes his debut on the two-deep. Brown has 13 tackles in eight games and has been one of NC State’s best special teams players.

Strong Safety

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
4	Cyrus Fagan	R-Sr.	6-1, 197	Daytona Beach, Fla.
OR 6	Jakeen Harris	Jr.	5-10, 190	Savannah, Ga.

Fagan has 29 tackles (15 solo and 1.5 for loss), 3 pass breakups and a QB hurry on the season.

In another secondary change, an “or” was adding next to Harris, who has 13 tackles, including 7 solo. Harris also has an interception and pass breakup.

Special Teams

Kicker

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
32	Christopher Dunn	Sr.	5-8, 179	Lexington, N.C.
90	Collin Smith	R-So.	5-9, 185	Gibsonville, N.C.

Dunn made 8 field goals from beyond 40 yards already this season. He is 15 for 15 overall on kicks and was named ACC Specialist of the Week after making 4 field goals vs. Florida State. Smith continues to handle kickoff duties for NC State and made a 40-yarder vs. Connecticut in relief of Dunn.

Punter

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
97	Shane McDonough	Sr.	6-1, 200	Clearwater, Fla.
98	Caden Noonkester	R-Fr.	6-6, 200	Waxhaw, N.C.

The former Towson punter McDonough averages 41.5 yards per punt through 8 weeks. McDonough also holds on kicks.

Noonkester is a preferred walk-on addition to NC State. He is the backup holder.

Punt Returner

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
5	Thayer Thomas	R-Sr.	6-0, 195	Wake Forest, N.C.
21	Jalen Coit	R-Fr.	5-11, 171	Cheraw, S.C.

The sure-handed Thomas, a past all-conference performer returning punts, is impressively averaging 8.2 yards on 9 punt returns for NC State.

Kickoff Returner

No.	Name	Class.	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
8	Julian Gray	R-Fr.	5-11, 197	Charlotte, N.C.
3	Jordan Houston	Jr.	5-10, 192	Waldorf, Md.

Gray, a receiver, has returned 5 kickoffs for NC State for an average of 23.0 yards.

Houston was the primary returner at Clemson. For the season, Houston has 3 runbacks for an average of 19.3 yards.