NC State depth chart for Virginia Tech: Defense/ST

The No. 23/24 NC State football team has officially released the depth chart for Saturday afternoon game at No. 18 Syracuse. 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 after leaving the Syracuse contest with an 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 will slide over from reserve at left end to start in Jackson’s place. Clark has 8 tackles (3 solo and 2 sacks) plus a pass breakup and 2 quarterback hurries.

Price has 7 tackles (1 solo), including assisting on one for a loss, while recovering a fumble and adding 2 quarterback hurries.

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 10 tackles (5 solo and 1.5 for loss) and three quarterback hurries through 7 weeks (all starts), while Harris also has 6 hits (1 solo), including registering his first career sack in the NC State win over Connecticut and having 1.5 overall tackles for loss. Harris also has a QB hurry.

Both Durden and Harris left the Syracuse game with injuries.

Left End

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
45	Davin Vann	So.	6-2, 295	Cary, N.C.
97	Claude Larkins	R-Fr.	6-4, 282	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Vann, who has started all 7 games, has 15 tackles (9 solo) and had a strip sack in the UConn victory among his 3.5 overall tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He also has 4 hurries.

Larkins moves up from third string to second after Clark slides over to right end. Larkins had a solo tackle against Charleston Southern in his lone action on defense this year.

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 50 tackles (24 solo and 4 for loss). He has also broken up 3 passes and has a team-high 7 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 40 tackles (21 solo, 7.5 for loss and 1 sack) and 3 QB hurries in 7 starts since his return from a torn ACL for NC State.

Betty had 5 tackles, assisting on 1 for loss, and 2 hurries in backup action, all of that production coming against Charleston Southern.

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 41 tackles (19 solo and 2 for loss) and 3 QB hurries. He has started all 6 games he’s played.

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
24	Derrek Pitts Jr.	R-Sr.	6-1, 193	Dunbar, W.Va.
OR 3	Aydan White	So.	6-0, 185	Asheville, N.C.
22	Teshaun Smith	R-Jr.	6-3, 190	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Pitts started the first 5 games before sitting the first half vs. Florida State due to a targeting penalty at Clemson. He was back as a starter at Syracuse. He has 30 tackles (team-high 23 solo) while breaking up 4 passes.

Right Cornerback

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
25	Shyheim Battle	R-So.	6-2, 195	Rocky Mount, N.C.
OR 3	Aydan White	So.	6-0, 185	Asheville, N.C.
22	Teshaun Smith	R-Jr.	6-3, 190	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

White has started the past 6 games and has 21 tackles (14 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.

Battle missed the first half for NC State at Syracuse because he was ejected for targeting near the end of the FSU win. Battle started the opener and then missed 2 games with an injury. He has been a reserve since with the exception of filling in for Pitts vs. Florida State and has 10 tackles (7 solo, 1 for loss), 2 interceptions and a pass breakup.

Nickel

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
13	Tyler Baker-Williams	Sr.	6-0, 205	Raleigh, N.C.
6	Jakeen Harris	Jr.	5-10, 190	Savannah, Ga.
OR 12	Devan Boykin	So.	5-10, 187	Greensboro, N.C.

Baker-Williams returned at Syracuse after missing 3 games. In the 4 contests Baker-Williams has played, he has 9 tackles (4 solo, 1.5 for loss and 1 sack) and added 2 interceptions and a forced fumble.

Third-year sophomore Joshua Pierre-Louis was dropped off the depth chart after being suspended indefinitely. Harris, who started the first 2 games in Baker-Williams’ absence, has 13 tackles (10 solo) and an interception and a pass breakup. Boykin started vs. FSU and has 16 tackles (6 solo), an interception, a PBU and QB hurry this year.

Free Safety

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
10	Tanner Ingle	Sr.	5-10, 186	Orlando, Fla.
6	Jakeen Harris	Jr.	5-10, 190	Savannah, Ga.

Ingle is fourth on NC State with 38 tackles, including 18 solo and 4.5 for loss. He has also 1 pick, broken up a pass and added 6 QB hurries.

Strong Safety

No.	Name	Class	Ht., Wt.	Hometown
4	Cyrus Fagan	R-Sr.	6-1, 197	Daytona Beach, Fla.
12	Devan Boykin	So	5-10, 187	Greensboro, N.C.

Fagan has 24 tackles (11 solo and 1.5 for loss), 3 pass breakups and a QB hurry on the season. He left the Clemson game in the first half and was replaced by Boykin in the secondary. Despite not practicing all week, Fagan started for NC State vs. Florida State.

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 14 for 14 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 42.0 yards per punt through 7 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 13.1 yards on 7 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 3 kickoffs for NC State for an average of 15.7 yards.

Gray continues to be listed as the starter, but Houston was the primary returner at Clemson. For the season, Houston has 3 runbacks for an average of 19.3 yards.