NC State LB Payton Wilson opts out of Pop-Tarts Bowl
NC State graduate linebacker Payton Wilson officially opted out of the Wolfpack’s Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance, he announced on social media Sunday morning.
“Playing football at NC State and training and competing with my teammates has been an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life,” Wilson wrote. “Now it’s time for me to start to prepare for the next chapter of my football career.”
While he will not suit up for the Wolfpack, Wilson said he will be at the game on Thursday to support the team from the sidelines.
Wilson, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, won the Bednarik and Butkus Awards for his standout play this season, while he was also a unanimous first-team All-America selection. Wilson was a finalist for the Nagurski Award and has been named to numerous media outlets’ All-America lists, including CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and USA Today among others.
The linebacker led the ACC with 138 tackles and led the league with 17.5 tackles for a loss. Wilson also logged 6 sacks, 9 passes defended, 3 interceptions — including a pick six — and a forced fumble this fall.
Wilson posted the third-highest Pro Football Focus coverage grade of any player at his position who played more than 700 defensive snaps this fall with a 90.4 mark. He led the Pack with that grade, and he also paced NC State in every defensive category, according to PFF.
The linebacker also logged 402 total tackles in his NC State career, which made him the sixth player in program history to eclipse the four-century mark. He joined Levar Fisher, Dantonio Burnette, Damien Covington, Robert Abraham and Earl Wolff in accomplishing the historic feat.
Wilson will begin his NFL Draft training in Florida ahead of his appearance in the Reese’s Senior Bowl Feb. 3 in Mobile, Ala., and possibly an NFL Combine appearance later in February. After that, as Wilson said last week, the rest is out of his hands as he awaits the beginning of his professional career.
Without Wilson in the middle of NC State’s defense against Kansas State, the Wolfpack will likely lean on redshirt sophomore Caden Fordham in his place, alongside senior Jaylon Scott and junior Devon Betty.
The Wolfpack and Wildcats will face off at Camping World Stadium on Thursday afternoon Dec. 28 with kickoff set for 5:45 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
