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Oct 10, 2020; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; The Virginia Cavaliers offense lines up against the North Carolina State Wolfpack defense in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack's Biggest Defensive Strength

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 7:00 AM ET

North Carolina State's defense held the team back in 2024 far more than it helped win games. Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren overhauled the coaching staff, bringing in defensive coordinator DJ Eliot and several other new coaches in the offseason. Eliot worked hard to add new talent through the transfer portal as the defense retooled during the spring and summer.

Difficulties across the board defensively contributed to the massively disappointing 6-7 record in 2024, with several notable defensive collapses occurring throughout the year.

Under Eliot, the group poised to succeed the most based on early fall camp performance reports is the defensive line. With some old faces supplemented by new additions, the defensive line has been a revelation in camp.

Getting to the Quarterback in 2024

Despite producing elite pass rushers historically (think Bradley Chubb), NC State's defensive line struggled in getting to the quarterback throughout the 2024 season. The team tallied just 24 sacks across 13 games, with 23 of them coming in regular-season play. The Wolfpack's sack totals were 20 fewer than the best pass-rushing team in the ACC, the Duke Blue Devils.

The team got to the quarterback 33 times in 2023, making the drop-off last season concerningly significant. Former defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, who spent several seasons running Doeren's defense, departed to become the head coach at Marshall after the 2024 campaign.

The team's leader in sacks from a year ago, Davin Vann, is gone. Vann, still searching for work in the NFL, tallied 6.5 sacks in 2024 and 20.5 sacks over five seasons rushing the passer for the Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack does have two key returners from last year's group in Travali Price and Sean Brown. The duo combined for 6.5 sacks in 2024.

The New Line

While Price and Brown are key contributors in terms of sacks, the new NC State defensive line is looking to dominate the line of scrimmage on passing and rushing downs. Fellow returner and nose tackle Brandon Cleveland could be an enormous part of the team's rush defense.

Newcomer defensive end Sabastian Harsh received rave reviews from his offensive opponents during the first week of fall camp. While not an elite sack artist, Harsh was a tackling machine at Wyoming, putting together 18 tackles for loss across two seasons as a starter with the Cowboys.

"He's been really good at giving us a hard time," offensive lineman Teague Andersen said about Harsh. "He's a really explosive athlete and it's been fun going against him."

Fellow transfers Tra Thomas and Cian Stone figure to factor in on the defensive line as well, with one of the duo likely rounding out the top rotation of the defensive line.

The group received high praise from one of the players standing behind them in the defensive formation. Transfer linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. called the group "one of the best d-lines in the country" after a practice last week.

Bouncing Back

The Wolfpack were gashed on the ground in 2024, allowing over 150 rushing yards per game. Stopping the run will be an integral component in improving the defensive output in 2025.

A rotation at nose tackle between Cleveland and freshman defensive tackle Josiah Victor could be a major part of that solution. Victor stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs over 300 pounds as a freshman, giving Eliot another massive body to throw at offenses despite Victor's youth.

As a senior, Cleveland has become the de facto leader in the trenches, a role he discussed taking on back in March after spring camp.

"It goes by so quick, sometimes I keep forgetting I'm the older guy. If someone's doing something wrong, I gotta make sure I correct it and be even harder with it," Cleveland said.

Historically, NC State has bounced back from down years under Doeren. Improving the team in the trenches, specifically on the defensive side of the ball could go a long way in getting the Wolfpack back amongst the top teams in the ACC.

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

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