NC State LB Kelvon McBride to return to lineup against Campbell

While NC State’s defense is losing players on defense at nearly every turn, the Wolfpack received good news this week. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Kelvon McBride is set to return to the Pack’s lineup against Campbell this weekend, coach Dave Doeren said on his radio show Wednesday night.

“We get Kelvon McBride back now, so we’re actually adding a player, which is unique because we’ve been losing players weekly,” Doeren said.

McBride has yet to appear in a game this fall after sustaining an undisclosed injury in the lead up to the 2025 campaign, and he has been listed as “out” on all three ACC availability reports. His addition to the lineup is much needed after redshirt senior linebacker Sean Brown was ruled out for this weekend’s game, adding versatility to the defense since McBride can also play at the JACK linebacker position that graduate Cian Slone patrols on a weekly basis.

The Mobile, Ala., native’s return is positive news after TheWolfpacker.com first reported that Brown would miss the tilt against the Camels as he recovers from an injury sustained against Virginia Tech this past Saturday night, while defensive backs Isaiah Crowell, Terrente Hinton and Jaren Sensabaugh were all ruled out for the season due to injury.

McBride was a rotational linebacker for the Wolfpack in the 2024 season as he appeared in 10 games, mostly on special teams. He earned 80 total defensive snaps, 43 of which came in the final four games as he added depth to the team’s linebacker corps. McBride logged 14 total tackles, including a sack, with a fumble recovery in his first season on the field.

McBride, who has added more than 25 pounds of muscle since arriving on campus, redshirted the 2023 campaign. Now, the former No. 66 linebacker in the 2023 cycle, gives NC State somewhat of a safety blanket going into its Week 5 clash with Campbell on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m., ACCNX).