NC State linebacker Payton Wilson wins Butkus Award
In an on-court ceremony at NC State men’s basketball’s game against Maryland Eastern Shore, the Wolfpack’s football captains were honored, but it came with a surprise: graduate linebacker Payton Wilson was honored with the Butkus Award — the nation’s top linebacker.
Wilson led the ACC with 138 total tackles and led the league with 17.5 tackles for a loss. He also logged six sacks, six passes defended, three interceptions — including a pick-six — and a forced fumble this fall.
“There’s a lot of good players in our league that impact games,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said earlier this season. “I would say there’s not many in the country that impact the game the way that No. 11 is right now for us.”
The Hillsborough, N.C., native had nine games with 10 or more tackles this fall, including four where he logged 14 or more. Wilson made a season-high 16 tackles in the Pack’s 20-6 win over Miami in early-November after he exited the previous game, a 24-17 win over Clemson, early with an injury.
Wilson was a steady force on the defense with his production, which included at least 0.5 tackles for a loss in every game this fall. He closed the regular season with at least two per game in the final three contests, and had a season-most 3.5 in the Pack’s 35-28 win at Virginia tech.
The linebacker was crucial in pass defense, too. He logged the team’s highest coverage grade, according to Pro Football Focus, with an elite 90.4 mark. Wilson was able to do that thanks to his trio of interceptions, and his six passes defended, with at least half of those saving a potential touchdown.
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Not only was Wilson the Wolfpack’s best player on defense this fall, he was a key voice in the locker room, too. He helped turn the tide of the season after he gave a passionate speech in the post game press conference after NC State lost at Duke in Week 7.
Wilson’s message was the team needed to be tougher, not better. The Pack seemed to take that to heart as NC State closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak and the defense clamped down on opposing offenses.
The Pack allowed an average of 23.5 points a game before the bye before it cut that down to just 15.4 points per game afterwards during its winning streak.
Wilson’s standout play and leadership was pivotal in that improvement on the defensive side of the ball, and he was rewarded with his first national award.
