WATCH: NC State NT Brandon Cleveland Talks After Week 1 of Bowl Practice

NC State’s starting Nose Tackle Brandon Cleveland met with the media on Wednesday this week after Bowl Practice, to give an update on playing ECU, Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay being the Interim Defensive Coordinator, his reasons for coming back in 2025 and being a Senior leader next year.

You can watch the video ABOVE, and read the transcript BELOW.

How exciting is this opportunity? You know East Carolina looks to this as like their Super Bowl, playing against NC State. How will you counteract the fact that they’ll have so much emotion in this game?

Yeah, that’s cool. I just take every game the same. I mean, it’s all fun.

Brandon, what’s it like for Coach Freddie (Aughtry-Lindsay) to get this opportunity to lead the defense?

I’m excited for Coach Freddie to get this opportunity to lead the defense, just because I’ve been with Gibby so long. I’m really close with Freddie, so I’m excited to see what he does with this opportunity.

How much did your work down in Moore Square, working with people experiencing homelessness factor into your decision to come back to NC State?

It’s a big decision. I love helping people and giving back and doing what I can do, so that’s always a blessing.

How important is it to win this game for you guys, to go out, to send this team out the right way, maybe giving y’all some momentum into next year? How important is this bowl game?

It’s very important, especially playing ECU in the bowl game. We play them in the first game of the regular season next year. We definitely want to win and build some momentum into next year.

You just re-signed with Savage Wolves. What does that process look like? What was that experience like for you?

I wanted to come back, so I signed a paper to come back.

What is it about NC State that makes you want to come back? What are some of the things that appeal to you as to why you would want to stay here?

Everything. The family environment, the players, the brotherhood, the academics, the support staff, just everything. It’s just the place I want to be.

I don’t know if you’ve been looking at any of the news, but Bill Belichick might be the head coach at UNC. What does that mean, that maybe you could beat him against Carolina next year, possibly?

That’d be pretty cool to tell my kid one day.

What’s it been like for you playing next to Davin Vann?

Davin Vann and Travali Price, just playing with them, I’m confident, I trust them, and I think we all just push each other more to play, and we love each other.

Have you thought about how being a Senior Leader next year?

It’s kinda crazy, me and Travali are pretty close, so it’s just crazy. We used to be the young guys, now we’re the older guys now, so it’s crazy.

What would be the biggest adjustment to being a senior leader?

I think just being more vocal and leading, probably would be a good way.

Who are some of the young guys that you’re looking forward to being able to get a little bit more reps?

Definitely JT (Justin Terrell) and Josh (Joshua Alexander-Felton). I’m very excited for them, to see what they do. They’re like little brothers to me, so I just want to keep pushing them and help them be the best they can be.

What’s it been like just seeing them kind of grow in their first year in the program?

I mean, it’s pretty exciting, because I just look back to when I was young, and I see a lot of me in them. So I’m just trying to help them steer clear and do the right things.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned when you think about your path, commit to Miami, you flip to NC State, you arrived as a Defensive Dnd? I don’t know how much weight you had to put on to be a Nose Tackle.

The last few years, it’s been pretty much a journey. A good journey.

I’m grateful for it, and I just take it day-by-day, and let it ride all around me.

Do you have aspirations like Coach Freddie? Do you think that’s something you’d want to do down the road, pursue coaching?

Yeah, I want to pursue coaching, it’s something I want to do. I like helping people and developing people.