NC State Defensive End Deonte Holden Granted 6th Year of Eligibility

NC State defensive end Deonte Holden has been granted a 6th year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Blessed to say I have been granted my sixth year of eligibility 🙏🏽 Thank you!

— Deonte Holden (@suavetae) November 2, 2018

Holden graduated from NC State in three years, and has completed a graduate certificate in brand marketing and textile managing. Currently, he is working on two master’s degrees in management and global
luxury management.

It has been a injury plagued college career for Holden, and the NCAA did the right thing granting him a 6th year of eligibility. As a member of the 2014 recruiting class (3-star prospect out of Dematha Catholic in Maryland), Holden redshirted the 2014 season, but then sat out the entire 2015 season after breaking his foot on the first day of training camp. He ended up having 2 surgeries on the foot, and ultimately missed 18 months of football, which also bled into the 2016 season. Holden only played 19 snaps in the Old Dominion game in 2016. Last year, Holden saw limited action in the first two games, but then missed the next four games due to injury, and only saw action in 2 more games the rest of the way.

Prior to this season, Holden had only played 29 snaps in 5 games since arriving in 2014. Holden has finally been healthy in 2018, playing 169 snaps in 7 games, and when he’s been in, he’s been a difference maker for the Wolfpack. Holden ranks 4th on the team in tackles for loss with 5  5, and also has 2.5 sacks.

Holden’s 6th year of eligibility is a huge deal for the NC State defense in 2019. He has been serving as Darian Roseboro’s backup this year, but next year the path will be cleared for Holden to fight for that starting job across from James Smith-Williams. If Holden wouldn’t have been able to return for a 6th year, the Wolfpack would have been forced to go young at the position. Ibrahim Kante (RS FR), Joseph Boletepeli (FR…likely will be a Redshirt Freshman next year) and Savion Jackson (incoming 4-star prospect) are all talented, but will benefit from having Holden in front of them in 2019, to allow them to develop and learn from a veteran.