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NC State’s Payton Wilson is 1 of 15 Semifinalists for the Comeback Player of the Year Award

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NC State Redshirt Junior Linebacker Payton Wilson is 1 of 15 semifinalists for the Comeback Player of the Year in College Football.

In 2021, Wilson suffered a season ending shoulder injury in the 2nd game of the season against Mississippi State. Wilson entered the season coming off of a year in 2020 where he earned 1st Team All-ACC honors, leading the ACC tackles, becoming the first NC State player to do so since 2020.

Entering 2021, Wilson was on the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award, Bukus Award and Nagurski Trophy.

After a devastating injury at the beginning of 2021, Wilson bounced back this year, averaging  7.2 tackles per game (2nd on the team) and collected 9.5 tackles for loss (2nd on the team).

Here’s a list of the 15 Comeback Player of the Year Semifinalists.

CONFERENCE
PLAYER
SCHOOL
POSITION
ACC
Payton Wilson
NC State
LB
BIG 12
Adrian Martinez
Kansas State
QB
BIG 12
Dillon Gabriel
Oklahoma
QB
BIG 12
Trace Ford
Oklahoma State
DE
BIG TEN
Mohamed Ibrahim
Minnesota
RB
BIG TEN
Ronnie Bell
Michigan
WR
CONFERENCE USA
Chase Cunningham
Middle Tennessee
QB
CONFERENCE USA
Jyaire Shorter
North Texas
WR
INDEPENDENT
Marist Liufau
Notre Dame
LB
MID-AMERICAN
Kyle Pugh
Northern Illinois
LB
PAC 12
Justin Flowe
Oregon
LB
PAC 12
Laitu Latu
UCLA
LB
PAC 12
Michael Penix Jr
Washington
QB
SEC
Ventrell Miller
Florida
LB
SEC
Ray Davis
Vanderbilt
RB

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

Congrats to NC State Football’s Spring Graduates!

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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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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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NC State Football

Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. will Take an Official Visit at NC State Next Week

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Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. (6’1″/195) confirmed with me that he will be taking an Official Visit to NC State next week beginning on May 7th.

After receiving an offer from NC State yesterday, it didn’t take him long to set up the visit.

Martin Jr. is familiar with NC State, because he was recruited by Wolfpack Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson before he left West Virginia to come to Raleigh. Even though he never coached him, a relationship was established.

Martin Jr.’s connections to NC State are deeper than that. Former NC State Cornerback Derrek Pitts, who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Bucs, is his cousin.

This past year, Martin Jr. recorded 45 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups for Akron, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. His PFF Grade was 68.9.

In 2022, he had 53 tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass breakup, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. Martin Jr.’s PFF Grade was 60.9.

In 2019, as a Freshman for West Virginia, Martin Jr. earned PFF Freshman All-American honors, recording a grade of 70.6, with 50 tackles and 3 pass breakups.

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NC State Football

NC State Sits in the Top-20 in 247’s Post-Spring 2024 Preseason Poll

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247’s Brad Crawford released his Post-Spring 2024 Preseason College Football Top-25 recently, and NC State moved up 1 spot to #20.

ACC Teams in the Top-25

11. FSU

14. Miami

16. Clemson

20. NC State

24. Virginia Tech

25. Louisville

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