NC State’s Caden Noonkester is not trying to mimic those of the past; he wants to be the best version of himself

NC State has a recent trend of sending its punters to the NFL, and having them find quick success. A.J. Cole III, who played with the Wolfpack from 2014-2018, is the Las Vegas Raiders’ starter, while Trenton Gill was a seventh round pick in 2022 by the Chicago Bears and is their top specialist. 

Gill’s departure from Raleigh after five seasons, three of which he saw action in, opened the door for possibly the next punter to follow the lineage that was set before him: Caden Noonkester. 

But while Noonkester followed two current NFL players, one of which, Cole, just set the single-game record for longest average punt with the Raiders this past weekend, he does not feel like he needs to mimic either of them. 

Noonkester was matter of fact about it. He is not chasing someone else’s name or their statistics — Gill is the Pack’s career average punt leader. Noonkester wants to be himself. 

“I try not to feel pressure or anything,” Noonkester said Tuesday. “I try to do the best I can do each and every day. I don’t try to be anybody else. I just try to be the best Caden Noonkester. I don’t try to be the next A.J. Cole or the next Trenton Gill — I just want to be the first me.”

While Noonkester is NC State’s starting punter, and he leads the ACC with 54 punts for 2,297 yards this season, he is in a completely different spot than he was a year ago. He was a walk-on punter just looking for an opportunity, and took over as the starter for the final four games last fall. 

When he was able to hit the field with the Wolfpack, Noonkester placed himself among the ACC’s best a year ago. His 43.0 yards per punt would have been inside the top six of the league if he met the minimum attempts to qualify. 

This fall, Noonkester had the starting job straight out of fall camp, and he has proven to be a key piece for the Wolfpack. He booted a career-long 67-yard punt at Virginia in Week 4, and has been pivotal in NC State’s ability to flip the field if the offense stalls out. 

“Now just kind of being a 180 from where I was last year, it feels good obviously to have a starting role and be a key contributor to the team,” Noonkester said. “I feel like I’m pulling my weight a little bit more, and I feel like I’m really a part of the team this year.”

Noonkester is not just a part of the team. He is a key reason why the NC State defense has been able to get off the field quickly at times. So much so, the defense has tried to claim him as theirs. 

He dons a white defensive jersey at practice, and he said he approaches punting as a piece of the defense. If he can pin a team inside its own 10-yard line, Noonkester said odds are NC State will force a three-and-out. From there, the Pack will get field position around midfield, which makes it easier for the offense to get inside graduate kicker Brayden Narveson’s range for a field goal. 

Noonkester looked at that as a way for his position to put points on the board — even though he usually can not. 

“I know I don’t score when I pin punts,” Noonkester said. “But you can look at it as possibly three points if I can get it inside the 10.”

Noonkester is a piece to NC State coach Dave Doeren’s complementary football that he preaches. The offense has to do its job, but when it does not, Noonkester is there to set the table for the defense. 

So far this season, Noonkester has done just that. He has placed 21 of his 54 punts inside the 20-yard line, and has seven 50-plus yard boots to help flip the field. While he is not chasing after Cole and Gill, Noonkester is off to a strong start in his first full season as NC State’s starting punter. 

Ask him, though, and he is just another piece of the puzzle for NC State to have a successful campaign. He wants to give his best effort every day, and if he does that, then Noonkester said he’s happy with the results. 

“I feel like I’m a part of the defense,” Noonkester said. “Kind of helping them out. They’re a big part of our team, a big part of the success that we’ve had this season. Just kind of being able to set them up for success because they work really hard. … I try to give them the best foot forward I can at different stages of the game.”