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NC State’s Payton Wilson is a Finalist for the Butkus & Nagurski Awards

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6 months ago

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NC State Linebacker Payton Wilson is simply having one of the best seasons in school history by a defensive player. He is now a finalist for the Butkus & Nagurski Awards. The former is awarded to the best Linebacker, and the latter is awarded to the best overall defensive player in college football.

Butkus Award Finalists

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

Nagurski Award Finalists

Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton
Georgia S Malaki Starks
Notre Dame S Xavier Watts
NC State LB Payton Wilson

How does Wilson stack up against the other Finalists?

Let’s start with the Butkus Award. Is Wilson the best Linebacker?

Payton Wilson 

PFF Grade – 85.6
Tackles – 123 (61 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 15.5
Sacks – 5
Interceptions – 2
Pass Breakups – 6
Fumble Recoveries – 2
Fumbles Forced – 0
Touchdowns – 1

Jeremiah Trotter (Clemson)

PFF Grade – 85.3
Tackles – 82 (51 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 14.5
Sacks – 5.5
Interceptions – 2
Pass Breakups – 5
Forced Fumbles – 2
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 1

Edefuan Ulofoshio (Washington)

PFF Grade – 86.1
Tackles – 72 (46 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 5.0
Sacks – 2
Interceptions – 1
Pass Breakups – 2
Forced Fumbles – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 1

Ty’Ron Hopper (Missouri)

PFF Grade – 51.5
Tackles – 55 (36 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 6
Sacks – 3
Interceptions – 0
Pass Breakups – 3
Forced Fumbles – 0
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 0

Nathaniel Watson (Mississippi St.)

PFF Grade – 71.3
Tackles – 116 (33 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 12.5
Sacks – 10
Interceptions – 1
Pass Breakups – 2
Forced Fumbles – 2
Fumble Recoveries – 2
Touchdowns – 0

I mean no disrespect to the other finalists for the Butkus Award, but this really isn’t statistically close. Unless something drastically changes, it would be criminal for Wilson to not be named the best Linebacker in college football.

Next up, is Wilson the best defender in college football?

Here’s a look at the other Nagurski nominees.

Iowa CB Cooper DeJean

PFF Grade – 75.6
Tackles – 41 (26 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 2
Sacks – 0
Interceptions – 2
Pass Deflections – 5
Forced Fumbles – 0
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 0

Georgia S Malaki Starks

PFF Grade – 87.0
Tackles – 36 (23 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 0
Sacks – 0
Interceptions – 2
Pass Deflections – 6
Forced Fumbles – 0
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 0

Notre Dame S Xavier Watts

PFF Grade – 72.7
Tackles – 44 (27 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 2.5
Sacks – 0
Interceptions – 7
Pass Deflections – 4
Forced Fumbles – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 1
Touchdowns – 1

Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton

PFF Grade – 83.1
Tackles – 47 (23 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 6.5
Sacks – 5.5
Interceptions – 0
Pass Deflections – 2
Forced Fumbles – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 1
Touchdowns – 0

Sure, Watts leads the nation in interceptions, but his PFF grade leaves much to be desired. Starks’ PFF grade is slightly higher, but there really isn’t anything all that gaudy about his stats.

What am I saying? As things stand now, hand Wilson the Nagurski Award along with the Butkus Award.

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Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Football

Colorado DT Transfer Chazz Wallace is Taking an Official Visit to NC State Tomorrow

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5 hours ago

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May 6, 2024

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NC State has offered Colorado Defensive Tackle Transfer Chazz Wallace (6’2″/295), and he confirmed with me that he will be taking an Official Visit to Raleigh tomorrow.

Wallace played in 10 games for Coach Prime this past season, starting in 4. He finished with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His PFF Grade was 56.4.

Prior to Colorado, Wallace spent his first three years at Old Dominion.

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NC State Football

NC State Offers FCS DT Brandon Lane

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14 hours ago

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May 6, 2024

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NC State offered Stephen F. Austin (FCS) Transfer Defensive Tackle Brandon Lane (6’3″/300) yesterday.

Lane started in 6 of the 11 games he played in for Stephen F. Austin this past season. He finished the year with 44 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His PFF Grade was 74.6, which ranked 4th on the Lumberjacks Defense. His 79.9 Run Defense Grade ranked 3rd on the team. In 2022, Lane played 7 games as a reserve for Stephen F. Austin, recording 11 tackles 2.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack.

Lane spent his first two collegiate seasons at South Dakota State (2000-21). In 2000, he played in 1 game. In 2021, he played in 3 games as a reserve for the Jackrabbits. The 2000 season was the Covid Year, and the 2021 season was his redshirt year. As a result, Lane still has two years of eligibility remaining.

Around a week-and-a-half ago, Lane committed to Michigan St., but then he decommitted from the Spartans on May 2nd.

I don’t think Michigan St. is necessarily off the table, and he has visited Washington and West Virginia.

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NC State Football

Congrats to NC State Football’s Spring Graduates!

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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Congratulations to the 7 NC State Football Players that just graduated this Spring.

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2024 Football Spring Graduates

Linebacker Devon Betty (1 year of eligibility)

Defensive End Davin Vann (1 year of eligibility)

Cornerback Aydan White (1 year of eligibility)

Offensive Guard Anthony Carter Jr. (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Matt McCabe (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Tackle Patrick Matan (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Brendan Lawson (no longer on the roster)

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NC State Football

Proposed Bill in the NC House Would Require NC State & UNC To Play One Another, as well as ECU, UNCC and App St.

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4 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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A bill has been proposed by members of the North Carolina House of Representatives that would force NC State and UNC to play one another, as well as East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

According to House Bill 965, which you can read here in full, NC State and UNC would be required to play one another annually in Football, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball. The Wolfpack and the Tar Heels would also be forced to play a game annually in all three sports against either ECU, UNC-Charlotte or App St. Every six years, NC State and UNC would be required to have played a home and away game against each of the three school in all three sports.

Here’s the exact wording from the proposed bill:

Competition Required. – A high-enrollment institution shall do all of the following in each eligible sport: (1) Every academic year, play at least one home or one away game against (i) another high-enrollment institution and (ii) an eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. (2) Every six academic years, play at least one home and one away game against each eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. A high-enrollment institution shall alternate home and away games that are scheduled against the same eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution.

For glossary of terms being referenced above:

For the purposes of this bill, “High-enrollment institutions” = NC State and UNC, while “Eligible constituent institutions” = East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

It’s worth noting that NC State already has games schedule against each of these teams home-and-away in Football between now and 2031.

2025 – East Carolina (H)

2025 – @ App St.

2026 – App St. (H)

2028 – @ East Carolina

2030 – Charlotte (H)

2031 – @ Charlotte

What are your thoughts?

For more details, check out this article at WRAL.

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