NC State’s defense has ‘competition all over the place’ in spring practice

NC State’s spring practice slate is underway and it has two different scenarios taking place on either side of the program. The offense is working to assimilate with a new batch of transfers at key positions, while the defense is looking to plug various holes on the field. 

Wolfpack defensive coordinator Tony Gibson is excited about the competition around the unit. 

“We have competition all over the place,” Gibson said Thursday morning. “We’ve got a lot of holes to fill. I feel like we’ve done a great job of recruiting our needs, going to the portal for our needs. Now these guys have to step up and somebody’s gotta win the job.”

The position competition is not confined to one position, either. There is really an open opportunity for younger players at every level of the Pack’s defense this spring. 

Graduate cornerback Aydan White is back — and will start for the Pack — but the other outside cornerback spot is open after Shyheim Battle left for the NFL. The linebacker room has two openings, while the defensive line has nose tackle and defensive end spots “up for grabs.” 

Oh, and a safety and a nickel spot are open, too. 

And as Gibson talked about the various openings, he noted several players that have been with the Wolfpack for the past couple of years have an opportunity to earn some of those. 

“I see a lot of guys eager to learn,” Gibson said. “There’s some guys that we’re counting on that haven’t been in that role — guys that were in the program for a couple years or a year that now have to step up and be a starter to try to get us all better.”

The Wolfpack position competitions are headlined by the cornerback battle between Maryland transfer Corey Coley Jr. and sophomore Brandon Cisse, who had two interceptions on the first day of practice.

Cisse, the Pack’s dime package corner from last fall, has embraced the competition at corner this spring.

“I think it’s been really good, it brings the best out of everybody,” Cisse said. “Every day, you don’t want to come in and have a bad day. You want to come in and put your best thing on tape.”

While he has, junior defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland is not worried about who he is up against on the line competition. The Tampa, Fla., native is focused on what he can do at practice and the starting nose tackle spot will shake itself out over time.

“I don’t really see anyone else,” Cleveland said. “I’m just focused on myself getting better and then whoever that No. 1 spot is, I’ll just let it be.”

Cleveland is in competition with redshirt sophomores Nick Campbell and DJ Jackson for the nose tackle spot, while the one defensive end opening seems to be a battle with redshirt junior Travali Price and redshirt senior Red Hibbler. 

While the defensive line has multiple openings with returning depth pieces, the back end of NC State’s defense in the secondary does too. 

Safety has one spot available and Gibson was excited about the young defensive backs within the program. Senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald is a likely starter at safety, and junior Renté Hinton is competing with redshirt freshmen Zack Myers and Daemon Fagan, and freshman Brody Barnhardt for the other spot. Graduate Devin Boykin would also fall into this spot, likely a starter, but he underwent offseason surgery and has an unknown return date. 

“We’ve got a lot of guys that were here a year ago and sat back and watched,” Gibson said. “For those guys, it’s their time to step up and try to win the job.”

While the Wolfpack has a crowded defensive backfield, Gibson thought that will be the biggest difference between the 2023 defense and the 2024 unit: secondary depth. 

The deep backend of the defense will be key, but Gibson noted that keeping that group healthy will also be pivotal. 

Though NC State’s defense will have a boatload of new faces on the field in the fall, Gibson was high on his group at this point of preparation. 

“My goal is we’re going to be better next year than we were last year,” Gibson said. “That’s been my goal every year. I said it this time a year ago that I expected the ‘23 defense to be just as good and at the end of the year we were.”