Jaylon Scott looks to uphold high standard in NC State LB room
Jaylon Scott’s patience has been well-documented. He signed with NC State in 2019, quickly established his spot in the linebacker rotation and started 8 games over the past couple years due to injuries in the position group.
He never entered the portal and remained committed to the Pack. Now, with Drake Thomas and Isaiah Moore off to pursue their NFL dreams, Scott is looking forward to continuing the developing program tradition of standout linebacker play.
Him and Devon Betty, who will also likely assume a starting role this year, have plenty of experience and know Tony Gibson’s defense quite well, so their respective transitions into expanded roles should be smooth.
Scott is ready to battle for his starting job as underclassmen linebackers, including emerging redshirt-sophomore Caden Fordham, compete for playing time. The linebacker is confident that, if he sticks to what got him to this spot, he will be in good shape.
“At the end of the day, I know that, if I continue to do what I do, and continue to help the younger guys and continue to just lead in the way I am, I feel like that will continue to set me apart,” Scott said.
“I know the defense as well as anybody else in the room does, if not even more, and I take that with great pride.”
He said, if anyone in the linebacker corps has a question, they will likely ask him or Payton Wilson, and he clearly embraces that responsibility.
Over the course of his career, Scott said he learned a lot from Moore, Thomas and Wilson. He is ready to step into Thomas’ role and shared what he admired about the former All-ACC star’s skill set.
“Drake plays with great, great, great body control, and that’s something that I want to apply to my game,” Scott said.
The linebacker said it was not easy at first to wait for his current role, but his teammates helped keep him locked in on preparing for the moment when his chance to shine arrives. He said the coaching staff, specifically Gibson, kept him confident and dedicated to the process.
“I relied heavily on my faith also and in my faith in these coaches because I know coach Gibson has had my back through almost everything here since the day I walked in on campus when coach [Dave Huxtable] was the defensive coordinator here.”
Scott said he heads into the 2023 season with no personal goals other than helping the younger linebackers succeed.
“When I was in that role, I wanted to learn,” Scott said. “I wanted to do anything that was going to help the team, and I feel like that’s my priority.”
He mentioned Fordham, Jayland Parker, and Jordan Poole are a few of the younger linebackers standing out fall camp. True freshman Kelvon McBride could also be a quality player once he learns the system and puts on weight, Scott said.
The senior linebacker recognizes the opportunity in front of him. He is ready to embrace it and uphold NC State’s lofty defensive standard.
“We’re going to continue to work,” Scott said. “Payton is out there with us. He’s going to make sure we’re still being held to that standard that Drake and Isaiah [set] and even raise it a little bit more. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish this year”
