The honors keep rolling in, and I don’t expect them to stop. NC State Linebacker was named to the USA Today All-American 1st Team yesterday.

First team

Offense
QB: Jayden Daniels, LSU
RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
RB: Cody Schrader, Missouri
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR: Malik Nabers, LSU
TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
OL: Zak Zinter, Michigan
OL: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
OL: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
OL: Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Defense
DL: Laiatu Latu, UCLA
DL: Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
DL: T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
DL: Jalen Green, James Madison
LB: Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
LB: Dallas Turner, Alabama
LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa
CB: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
S: Malaki Starks, Georgia
S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Specialists
K: Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)
P: Tory Taylor, Iowa
RET: Zachariah Branch, Southern California
ALL-PURPOSE: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

(USAToday)

Wilson was also named to PFF and CBS’ All-American 1st Teams. Also, last night he won the Butkus Award, given annually to the best Linebacker in college football.

NC State Linebacker Payton Wilson was named the winner of the 2023 Butkus Award tonight. The Butkus Award has been awarded to the best Linebacker in college football since 1985.

Wilson beat the following finalists:

Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State

Wilson becomes the first player in NC State history to win the Butkus Award. Levar Fisher was a semifinalist in 2001.

Wilson eclipsed the 400-career tackle mark in the final week of the regular season, just one of five active FBS players to achieve the feat. Throughout his storied career for the Wolfpack, Wilson has accumulated stats that rank him inside the top 10 of active FBS players in total tackles, tackles per game, solo tackles, solo tackles per game, assisted tackles, assisted tackles-for-loss, total tackles-for-loss, and tackles-for-loss per game.  

Wilson leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally this season with 138 tackles and an average of 11.5 tackles per game and has tallied the most total tackles for a Wolfpack player in a single season since Earl Wolff had 145 in 2012. (ACC)

Expect these to be the first of many. NC State Linebacker Payton Wilson was named 1st Team All-American by CBS and ProFootballFocus.

CBS

PFF

QUARTERBACK: JAYDEN DANIELS, LSU TIGERS

Second Team: Bo Nix, Oregon Ducks

RUNNING BACK: OLLIE GORDON II, OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

Second Team: Audric Estime, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

WIDE RECEIVER: MALIK NABERS, LSU TIGERS

Second Team: Luther Burden III, Missouri Tigers

WIDE RECEIVER: ROME ODUNZE, WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Second Team: Malik Washington, Virginia Cavaliers

WIDE RECEIVER: MARVIN HARRISON JR., OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Second Team: Troy Franklin, Oregon Ducks

TIGHT END: BROCK BOWERS, GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Second Team: Ben Sinnott, Kansas State Wildcats

LEFT TACKLE: JOE ALT, NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH

Second Team: Javon Foster, Missouri Tigers

LEFT GUARD: COOPER BEEBE, KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

Second Team: Clay Webb, Jacksonville State Gamecocks

CENTER: JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON, OREGON DUCKS

Second Team: Sedrick Van Pan, Georgia Bulldogs

RIGHT GUARD: CHRISTIAN HAYNES, UCONN HUSKIES

Second Team: Tate Ratledge, Georgia Bulldogs

RIGHT TACKLE: TALIESE FUAGA, OREGON STATE BEAVERS

Second Team: JC Latham, Alabama Crimson Tide

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: T’VONDRE SWEAT, TEXAS LONGHORNS

Second Team: Byron Murphy II, Texas Longhorns

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: JER’ZHAN NEWTON, ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

Second Team: Howard Cross III, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

EDGE DEFENDER: LAIATU LATU, UCLA BRUINS

Second Team: Chop Robinson, Penn State Nittany Lions

EDGE DEFENDER: BRALEN TRICE, WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Second Team: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville Cardinals

LINEBACKER: PAYTON WILSON, NC STATE WOLFPACK

Second Team: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson Tigers

Wilson was the second-most valuable linebacker in the nation this year according to PFF’s wins above-average metric. His 21 tackles for loss/no-gain were tied for the most among all linebackers in the Power Five, as were his three interceptions.

LINEBACKER: EDGERRIN COOPER, TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Second Team: Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington Huskies

CORNERBACK: KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Second Team: Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo Rockets

CORNERBACK: SEBASTIAN CASTRO, IOWA HAWKEYES

Second Team: Terrion Arnold, Alabama Crimson Tide

SAFETY: TYLER NUBIN, MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

Second Team: Malaki Starks, Georgia Bulldogs

SAFETY: CALEB DOWNS, ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Second Team: Dillon Thieneman, Purdue Boilermakers

FLEX-D: KITAN OLADAPO, OREGON STATE BEAVERS

Second Team: Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri Tigers

KICKER: JOSHUA KARTY, STANFORD CARDINAL

Second Team: Andres Borregales, Miami (FL) Hurricanes

PUNTER: JAMES BURNIP, ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Second Team: Tory Taylor, Iowa Hawkeyes

RETURN SPECIALIST: ZACHARIAH BRANCH, USC TROJANS

Second Team: Xavier Worthy, Texas Longhorns

The College Football Playoff Rankings began in 2014, the 2nd year of Dave Doeren’s tenure at NC State. The Final 2023 CFP Top-25 Poll came out on Sunday, and NC State finished ranked 18th. That marks the 24th time the Wolfpack have been ranked in the CFP Top-25, which happens to rank 25th in all of college football.

1) Alabama – 60
1) Ohio St. – 60
3) Clemson – 54
4) Oklahoma – 52
5) Notre Dame – 49
6) Georgia – 48
7) LSU – 45
8) Utah – 44
9) Michigan – 43
9) Oklahoma St. – 43
11) Oregon – 38
12) Penn St. – 36
13) USC – 33
14) Wisconsin – 32
15) Iowa – 31
16) Florida St. – 30
17) Auburn – 29
17) Washington – 29
19) Florida – 28
19) Ole Miss – 28
21) Baylor – 26
21) Michigan St. – 26
21) Mississippi St. – 26
24) TCU – 25
25) NC State – 24

NC State ranks 3rd in the ACC behind Clemson and FSU. UNC ranks 32nd and Louisville ranks 33rd.

Not bad for the Wolfpack.