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Nov 21, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack defensive back Devon Marshall (6) blocks the ball away from Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Micahi Danzy (19) during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Grading NC State's Dominant Defensive Performance Against FSU

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Nov 26, 2025 9:00 AM ET

RALEIGH — NC State moved to 6-5 after knocking off Florida State in a Friday night clash, hanging on to beat the Seminoles 21-11. The Wolfpack leaned on a strong defensive performance for the first time in several weeks.

NC State hadn't held a team under 20 points since the opening week of the season, when the Wolfpack beat East Carolina 24-17. The group shut down the Seminoles with great success.

Pro Football Focus grades each member of the team's performance during the game. The model takes into account every play in the game and adds it all up to create the player's total grade. Any grade from the 70s to 80s is considered a good performance. The 60s are average. Below 60 would be poor, and above 80 would be elite.

How PFF graded NC State's defense in the victory

The secondary

Senior cornerback Devon Marshall - 90.5
Junior nickelback Jackson Vick - 71.3
Sophomore cornerback Brian Nelson II - 64.9
Redshirt freshman safety Asaad Brown Jr. - 60.5
Freshman safety Tristan Teasdell - 57.9

The secondary played well across the board, but Marshall's performance was arguably the best by any cornerback in the nation throughout the weekend. The senior walked away with the Bednarik Award of the Week after tallying two interceptions and seven pass breakups according to PFF.

Vick, who was praised by North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick prior to the upcoming matchup, also had a productive outing in the eyes of PFF. He didn't miss a tackle and recorded a pass breakup in the win over the Seminoles.

The linebackers

Senior linebacker Caden Fordham - 74.2
Senior linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. - 66.2
Senior JACK linebacker Cian Slone - 63.2
Senior JACK linebacker Tra Thomas - 55.8

Fordham added to his total as the ACC's leading tackler, finishing with 15 total and four solo takedowns in the win. The captain of the Wolfpack did not miss a tackle either, something he struggled with during the early phases of the season.

Slone and Soares bounced back after difficult performances against Miami, with the latter racking up seven total tackles. Slone had three quarterback hurries in his hybrid role as a pass rusher and dropback linebacker.

The defensive line

Senior defensive end Sabastian Harsh - 78.5
Senior defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland - 61.6
Redshirt freshman defensive end Chase Bond - 60.6
Senior defensive tackle Chazz Wallace - 58.7
Senior defensive tackle Travali Price - 58.3
Sophomore defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley - 58.0

Harsh was the star of the show for the Wolfpack defensive line in the win over the Seminoles. The veteran edge rusher applied consistent pressure on FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos, finishing the game with nine quarterback hurries and three tackles.

In one of his last games as a member of the NC State program, Cleveland battled against one of the most potent rushing attacks in the nation. He finished the game with a run defense score of 66.0.

This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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