Analyzing NC State’s Hiring of DJ Eliot as Defensive Coordinator

On Tuesday, NC State announced the hiring of DJ Eliot as their new Defensive Coordinator. Eliot is 48 years old, and has 19 years of experience coaching at the College level (also 5 years as a Graduate Assistant) and 1 year of experience coaching in the NFL (Eagles Linebackers Coach in 2023).

Eliot has 9 years of experience as a Defensive Coordinator. In his time as a College Football Coach, he has also coached Outside Linebackers, Linebackers, Defensive Ends, Defensive Line and Defensive Backs. All that to say, he is a Defensive Coordinator that has experience coaching each position group as well.

He’s coached under Mark Stoops at Kentucky and Jimbo Fisher at FSU.

Eliot has worked with NC State’s newly appointed Offensive Coordinator before. In 2018, Roper was the Quarterbacks Coach for Colorado when Eliot was the Defensive Coordinator.

Below is an in depth look at how his defense ranked when he was the Defensive Coordinator at Kentucky, Colorado, Kansas and Temple.

In his lone season as the DC at Temple, Eliot helped the Owls improve in nearly every defensive statistic. In 2022, Temple gave up 41.8 less yards per game than they did in 2021, 16 less rushing yards, 25.8 less passing yards and 7.8 less points allowed per game. In 2021, the Owls ranked 120th nationally in Sacks per game (1.25). With Eliot, they ranked 9th, averaging 3.17 sacks per game. In 2021, Temple ranked 53rd in Tackles for Loss per game (6.58). In 2022, they ranked 9th, averaging 7.33 per game.

At Kansas, Eliot had a hard job. The Jayhawks went 3-9 in 2019, and 0-9 in 2020. He did lead Kansas to improve in the national rankings 3 of the 4 primary defensive statistical categories (Total Defense, Pass Defense and Run Defense), and the most impressive jump was in Pass Defense. In 2019, the Jayhawks ranked 98th in Pass Defense (249.5 yards per game) in Eliot’s first year. In year 2, Kansas ranked 50th in Pass Defense, giving up 223 yards per game through the air.

In his 2 years at Colorado, the Buffalo’s improved in every category in his 2nd year. They jumped from 70th to 74th in Scoring Defense, 95th to 71st in Pass Defense, 109th to 44th in Run Defense and 109th to 52nd in Total Defense. The biggest jumps were in Tackles for Loss and Sacks. In 2017, the Buffalo’s ranked 112th in Tackles for Loss and 102nd in Sacks. In Eliot’s 2nd year, Colorado ranked 48th in Tackles for Loss and 43rd in Sacks.

Eliot’s first tenure as a Defensive Coordinator at Kentucky had its ups and downs. The highest the Wildcats ever ranked in Total Defense was 60th. What Kentucky did specialize in while Eliot called the defensive plays was stopping the Pass. They ranked in the Top-50 in Pass Defense in 3 of the 4 years he was the DC.

While Eliot has never led a Defense to a Top-50 ranking in a single season in Total Defense and Scoring Defense, his resume does show that he has been able to lead his squad to be a Top-50 team at stopping the Pass and stopping the Run. Out of the two, Eliot’s calling card has been stopping the Pass, leading teams to a Top-50 ranking in Pass Defense in 5 of his 9 seasons as a DC.

Another calling card of Eliot’s is leading his to succeed behind the line of scrimmage. Temple ranked 9th in tackles for loss and sacks in 2022, and Colorado ranked in the Top-5o in both categories in 2018.

Eliot ran a 3-4 Defensive Scheme at Temple, Kansas and Colorado. If he implements this system at NC State, it won’t be a complete shakeup from what the Wolfpack have been running. Since NC State ran a 3-3-5 Defensive Scheme under Tony Gibson, a 3-man front would provide continuity. The difference would possibly be replacing the Nickel (5th defensive back) with a 4th Linebacker. Even though Eliot has used 4 Linebackers, one of the Outside Linebackers has been a Hybrid, who is an “athletic Linebacker,” who can rush the pass, but also make plays in space. It’s been two years since Eliot has been a DC, and in those two years, he has been a part of two teams that don’t run a 3-4. As the Linebackers Coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was a part of a 4-3 defense, and as a Defensive Analyst at Baylor this year, the Bears ran a 3-3.5.

In summary, Eliot doesn’t have anything on his resume that compares to what Gibson did in Raleigh. In 2021-23, Gibson led NC State to a Top-25 ranking in Total Defense in 2 of the years, and a Top-30 ranking in all three. The Wolfpack ranked in the Top-25 in Run Defense in all three of those years, and ranked in the Top-20 in Scoring Defense in 2 (Top-30 in all three).

With that being said, Eliot has had success at stopping the pass, making plays behind the line of scrimmage, NFL Coaching experience and the knowledge of running a variety of defensive schemes.

2022 Temple

Total Defense – 77th (391.2)/6th out of 11 in the AAC

Run Defense – 112th (192.6)/8th out of 11 in the AAC

Pass Defense – 24th (198.6)/2nd out of 11 in the AAC

Scoring Defense – 95th (29.3)/7th out of 11 in the AAC

Tackles for Loss per game – 9th (7.33)

Sacks – 9th (3.17)

Kansas

2020

Total Defense – 108th (459.2)/Last in the Big 12

Run Defense – 119th (236.2)/Last in the Big 12

Pass Defense – 50th (223)/4th out of 10 in the Big 12

Scoring Defense – 128th (Last) (46.0)/Last in the Big 12

2019

Total Defense – 122nd (475.2)/9th out of 10 in the Big 12

Run Defense – 124th (225.7)/Last in the Big 12

Pass Defense – 98th (249.5)/7th out of 10 in the Big 12

Scoring Defense – 120th (36.1)/Last in the Big 12

Colorado

2018

Total Defense – 52nd (380.3)/5th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Run Defense – 44th (146.5)/6th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Pass Defense – 71st (233.8)/7th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Scoring Defense – 70th (27.3)/9th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Tackles for Loss per game – 48th (6.5)

Sacks per game – 43rd (2.42)

2017

Total Defense – 109th (450.8)/8th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Run Defense – 109th (208.3)/10th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Pass Defense – 95th (242.6)/9th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Scoring Defense – 74th (28.2)/6th out of 12 in the Pac 12

Tackles for Loss per game – 112th (4.5)

Sacks per game – 102nd (1.58)

Kentucky

2016

Total Defense – 88th (436.8)/9th out of 14 in the SEC

Run Defense – 111th (230.8)/12th out of 14 in the SEC

Pass Defense – 35th (206.1)/5th out of 14 in the SEC

Scoring Defense – 86th (31.3)/11th out of 14 in the SEC

2015

Total Defense – 60th (394.2)/13th out of 14 in the SEC

Run Defense – 97th (196.1)/12th out of 14 in the SEC

Pass Defense – 28th (198.1)/5th out of 14 in the SEC

Scoring Defense – 68th (27.4)/13th out of 14 in the SEC

2014

Total Defense – 77th (406.9)/11th out of 14 in the SEC

Run Defense – 91st (191.2)/12th out of 14 in the SEC

Pass Defense – 44th (215.8)/8th out of 14 in the SEC

Scoring Defense – 95th (31.3)/13th out of 14 in the SEC

2013

Total Defense – 92nd (427.2)/13th out of 14 in the SEC

Run Defense – 94th (197.3)/12th out of 14 in the SEC

Pass Defense – 63rd (229.8)/10th out of 14 in the SEC

Scoring Defense – 90th (31.2)/13th out of 14 in the SEC