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Pack in the Pros

Where Are They Now? Markell Johnson

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2 years ago

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I’m not sure if NC State fans are aware just how good Markell Johnson was for the Pack.

Johnson played point guard for all four years at NC State after being brought in by Mark Gottfried for the 2016 season. However, no one really paid much attention to the pick-up because that season Gottfried also brought in the top rated PG in the country, Dennis Smith Jr.

Markell was no slouch, though. He was the 58th best player in his class, and #10 ranked PG, and while he didn’t get too much run his freshman season, it was obvious that he had more true PG skills than the much more celebrated Dennis Smith Jr.

Johnson had a tight handle, was slippery with his ability change speeds on a dime, and could score on all 3 level. Johnson’s biggest skill, though, was his vision. Johnson was an elite passer, and a guy who could get everyone around him involved.

He was so good at it, that he left Raleigh as the #3 player all-time for career assists with 603. Only Wolfpack legends Chris Corchiani and Sidney Lowe have more.

1) Chris Corchiani, 1988-91 – 1,038
2) Sidney Lowe, 1980-83 – 762
3) Markell Johnson, 2016-2020 – 603

Johnson’s career, however, came to an abrupt end when COVID canceled the NCAA postseason just minutes before State was set to take the floor against #10 Duke (a team they had beaten by 22 earlier in the season, behind an elite 28pt, 9 rebound, 4 assist performance by Johnson)  in the ACC Tournament.

That was the last NC State fans saw of Markell Johnson.

So where is he now?

Johnson didn’t get an NBA look and opted against playing in the G-League. Instead, he headed to overseason to play for Besiktas S.J. in Turkey in 2020-21.

There he got 21 minutes per game, scored 7, and dished out almost 5 assists per game, but struggled to shoot from long range. The loss of his shot was something that had started his senior season at NC State. After shooting over 40% his first two seasons, he struggled with his form and shot just 27% in his final season. This carried over to Turkey where he shot just 24%.

After that season, Johnson headed to Lithuania last year to play for Peino Zvaigzdes, where he had a great season. Johnson scored 12 points and dished out 4 assists per game. He averaged 26 minutes and finally found his shot, hitting 42% of his 3s.

With his shot back, Johnson has a high ceiling as a point guard. A guy that can score 12 to 15 points per game and average around 5 assists per game is going to be extremely marketable and will have a lot of options when looking for his next opportunity.

That brings us to this season.

It appears that Johnson was all set to head to Germany to play for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, but had to be replaced at the last minute because of failed physicals.

There isn’t any news out there on why he failed the physical or what his next steps are. We’ll be reaching out to Markell to see if he can give us an update, but we’d assume that unless it’s something serious, we’ll see him land somewhere overseas at some point soon.

 

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Pack in the Pros

Former NC State Punter Trenton Gill Signs with Denver

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2 days ago

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May 16, 2024

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Former NC State Punter Trenton Gill has signed with the Denver Broncos after he was released by the Bears this offseason.

Gill was drafted by Chicago in the 7th round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and has averaged 46.1 yards per punt through his first two NFL seasons.

Heading into the 2024 season, Gill will compete with Riley Dixon for the starting Punter job. Dixon was the Broncos’ starter in 2023, averaging 46.3 yards per punt.

Gill’s career average of 45.8 yards per punt in college is the best in NC State history. In 2019, Gill averaged 47.6 yards per punt, which led the ACC, and earned him a spot on the All-ACC Third Team. In 2021, he was on the All-ACC 1st Team. All 3 of his seasons as NC State’s Punter rank in the Top-6 in school history for best punting average in a single season.

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Pack in the Pros

Former NC State G Lorenzo Brown Named to All-EuroLeague 2nd Team

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4 days ago

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May 14, 2024

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Former NC State Guard Lorenzo Brown was named to the All-EuroLeague 2nd Team.

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Lorenzo Brown, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

After injuries sapped Lorenzo Brown of his best form during the regular season, the Maccabi playmaker snapped back to health just in time and, as one of the stars of the postseason, has been recognized by the voters his second consecutive All-EuroLeague Team selection. Brown was the MVP of the Play-In Showdown after he erupted for 29 points on 7-for-8 three-point shooting – both Maccabi postseason records – plus 5 assists against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to send Maccabi to the playoffs. He then led the Israeli champs with 17.2 points and 5.8 assists for a PIR of 19.2 in the five-game series against Panathinaikos. Brown ranked third in scoring for the playoffs, with 17.2 points per game, and was third for the full season in assists with 6.1. (Link)

This is the 2nd time that Brown has earned All-EuroLeague status, earning 1st Team honors in 2022-23.

Brown plays for Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in Israel, and this was his 2nd season with the squad.

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NC State is Tied for the 2nd Most Defensive Tackles in the NFL

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1 week ago

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May 9, 2024

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ProFootballFocus released this infographic this week, revealing which College Football Teams had the most Defensive Tackles on NFL rosters, and NC State was tied for 2nd with 7.

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Defensive Tackles on NFL Rosters who Played at NC State

B.J. Hill – Bengals (2018-23) – Career Stats: 285 Tackles, 22 TFL’s and 20.5 Sacks
Justin Jones – Cardinals (2018-23) – Career Stats: 219 Tackles, 34 TFL’s and 12 Sacks
Alim McNeil – Lions (2021-23) – Career Stats: 112 Tackles, 15 TFL’s and 8 Sacks
Kentavius Street – Falcons (2019-23) – Career Stats: 89 Tackles, 17 TFL’s and 7.5 Sacks
T.Y. McGill – 49ers (2015-23) – Career Stats: 45 Tackles, 10 TFL’s and 5.5 Sacks
Larrell Murchison – Rams (2020-23) – Career Stats: 37 Tackles, 5 TFL’s and 2 Sacks
Cory Durden – Rams (2023) – Career Stats: 3 Tackles

All 7 of the above players played regular season games for an NFL team in 2023. We will have to see how many of the 7 make 53-man rosters this Fall.

Junior Wolfpack Nose Tackle Brandon Cleveland tweeted with confidence that he will be #8 sometime soon.

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Mike Tomlin’s Thoughts on the Steelers Drafting NC State’s Payton Wilson

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3 weeks ago

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April 29, 2024

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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin was ecstatic that NC State Linebacker Payton Wilson was available for Pittsburgh to pick up with the 98th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

“We had to get comfortable with his medical and we brought him in on a pre draft visit. We allowed our medical experts to really get a good evaluation of him. We talked to him about his injury history. We were at a place of comfort. And so from that perspective, man, we’re really excited about having him.” (Link)

“Man, we’re really excited about Peyton. When we turn his tape on, we see him making all the type of plays you need linebackers to make. He’s a volume tackle player. He makes plays in the passing game from a coverage perspective via interception and pass breakup. He gets after the quarterback in the blitz game. He’s got a very well-rounded skillset. He’s a fluid mover. He can run. Had an opportunity to lay some real up close eyes on him down there in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, we’re thankful we had an opportunity to get him. He’s got all the hardware that comes with some of those things that I described being a Butkus Award winner and so forth. We had to get comfortable with his medical and we brought him in on a pre draft visit. We allowed Our medical experts to really get a good evaluation of him. We talked to him about his injury history. We were at a place of comfort. And so from that perspective, man, we’re really excited about having him.” (Link)

“I think you could characterize it as surprised. I mean, he is an award-winning linebacker, Butkus Award winner. Had an opportunity to get really familiar with him down in Mobile as well. But the linebackers themselves weren’t coming off the board at that juncture. So sometimes they make runs on positions at different times and it hadn’t been a lot of linebackers to that point. I think what he was number five or so.” (Link)

“We’re really excited about Payton. When we turn his tape on, we see him making all the types of plays you need linebackers to make. He’s a volume tackle player. He makes plays in the passing game from a coverage perspective via interception and pass breakup. He gets after the quarterback in the blitz game. He’s got a very well-rounded skill set. He’s a fluid mover. We had to get comfortable with his medical, and we were. We brought him in on a pre-draft visit to allow our medical experts to really get a good evaluation of him. We talked to him about his injury history. We were at a place of comfort, and so from that perspective, we’re really excited about having him.” (Link)

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