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NC State football snap counts, PFF grades and notes: Defense at Pitt

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman17 hours agofleischman_noah
Ronnie Royal III
Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack safety Ronnie Royal III (2) tackles Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- NC State's defense didn't play up to what coach Dave Doeren was looking for coming out of its open date at Pitt. Instead, the secondary played soft coverage as the Panthers' threw for 423 yards in the 53-34 win over the Wolfpack on Saturday afternoon. Redshirt junior linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. led NC State with 12 total tackles, including seven solos, while graduate linebacker Caden Fordham added eight total. The Wolfpack defense, as a unit, compiled seven passes defended as redshirt junior Jackson Vick led the team with a pair of pass breakups in the defeat. Redshirt freshman nickel Asaad Brown Jr. was the Pack's highest-graded defender, according to Pro Football Focus, while redshirt sophomore defensive end Isaiah Shirley and graduate pass rusher Sabastian Harsh were closely behind. Let’s take a look at NC State’s full list of initial PFF grades and snap counts with notes to put some of the data into context.