Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
NC State

NC State announces death of DJ Eliot's daughter, Drue, after battle with cancer

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra13 hours agoSamraSource
NC State Helmet
(William Howard-Imagn Images)

NC State defensive coordinator DJ Eliot will not be on the sidelines for the Wolfpack’s game on Saturday against Virginia Tech. The program announced that his family suffered a tremendous loss — his daughter Drue has passed away.

“Please join us in praying for DJ Eliot and his family during this time of tremendous loss,” NC State posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) regarding the news. Drue had been battling cancer over the past five years.

The thoughts and prayers of the college football world are with Eliot and his family. In his stead, co-defensive coordinator Charlton Warren will assume play-calling duties against the Hokies, per Noah Fleischman of The Wolfpacker.

He’s in his first season with NC State. Previously, Warren served as co-defensive coordinator at North Carolina and Air Force, his alma mater. He’ll be hoping to make Eliot proud.

Drue Margaret Eliot was diagnosed with pediatric cancer back in 2020, when DJ was coaching at Kansas, per Chris Vannini of The Athletic. He joined The Jayhawker podcast back then to speak on the hardship his family was facing.

“I don’t even know how to explain the emotions or the thoughts that go through your mind,” Eliot stated, per Vannini. “It’s nothing that you ever expect to hear and you don’t really have a plan for it. So when we got the news that Drue had cancer, we were devastated, all of us. And you really become a lot closer. Our family is definitely a lot closer now than we were because we’re all going through this together.”

Eliot is also NC State’s linebackers coach — assistant linebackers coach Isaiah Moore, the former-All ACC defender for the Wolfpack, is expected to assume the position coaching duties against Virginia Tech, Fleischman noted.

At the moment, NC State’s defense ranks eighth against the run (121.8 yards), 14th in scoring (29.3), 15th against the pass (290.3) and 15th in total defense (414), Fleischman added. They’ll be hoping to stifle the Hokies offense in Week 5.

NC State is 3-1, coming off a tough 12-point loss to Duke their last time out. Tonight’s game will air on the CW Network at 7:00 p.m. — the Wolfpack are widely expected to handle the Hokies, but time will tell whether they can stop Virginia Tech from winning their second game of the season.