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Oct 5, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker Caden Fordham (10) looks on prior to the first half of the game against Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack's New Alpha: Why This Linebacker Will Wear No. 1

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Every team has a leader, a player who exemplifies and embodies the culture of the program. For North Carolina State football, that player wears the No. 1 jersey each season.

No. 1 becomes the alpha of the Wolfpack. That leader will be the one every player on the team looks to in times of turmoil as an example. In 2025, linebacker Caden Fordham will wear that important number.

"Caden is the alpha wolf of our football team," head coach Dave Doeren said.

Shortly after being picked as a team captain, the program announced Fordham would carry the torch as the next in a long line of defensive players to wear the number. He replaced defensive end Davin Vann, who graduated after the 2024 season.

The Road to No. 1

Fordham's journey at NC State hasn't been without bumps. The graduate student linebacker missed a chunk of the 2024 season, his first as a full-time starter, after he suffered a knee injury a few weeks in. During his time on the sideline, Fordham learned more about leadership and worked even harder to return to the fray with his teammates. The defense struggled mightily without the linebacker, which created an even greater urgency for him to return.

In his first few years, he looked up to star linebacker Isaiah Moore, now an assistant coach with the program, who wore the number for three years. That legacy will now live on through Fordham.

"I've seen the way he came out and competed every day, the way he carried himself and what this number means to this university and our team," Fordham said about Moore.

Fordham led the team in tackles prior to his injury a season ago. He showcased a tremendous motor and nose for the football, both of which helped lead to the decision to make him the face of the 2025 Wolfpack.

Learning from the Best

Linebacker has long been a strength under Doeren, with several talented players suiting up at the position for the Wolfpack during his tenure. Fordham played with Moore and some others, helping him grasp an idea of the legacy he was becoming a part of.

"He learned under some of the best linebackers in school history - Payton Wilson, Drake Thomas andIsaiah Moore- and is carrying that tradition forward," Doeren said.

Wilson broke onto the scene with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a major way last season after a prolific career playing alongside Moore. Since ending his playing career and becoming a coach, Moore observed Fordham's progress as a leader throughout spring and fall camp.

"He's been through a lot since he's been here and he's learned a lot," Moore said. "... He took this team in this offseason even while being injured and going through the recovery process and he's found opportunity and he did it in his own way. He didn't try to be me. He didn't try to be Payton. He didn't try to be Drake. He's the one who came forward."

Part of leading in his own way meant reflection and understanding. Fordham explained what makes a player, in his eyes, worthy of the jersey number.

"It's just showing up every day, being consistent, being the same day, giving everything you have every snap," Fordham said. "Making sure you lead at all times ... Just coming in and having that mentality of knowing you're that guy on the team and you're always going to lead no matter what."

Fordham said that he and Doeren discussed the number and came to an understanding ahead of the announcement. His coach laid out the expectations that came with the number, not that Fordham needed any reminders after playing with the gold standard in Moore.

"He told me we only give it to people that work their a** off," Fordham recalled. "I had always wanted this number when I came into NC State ... It was always a goal of mine to get this number."

The linebacker knows the legacy he will carry in 2025. Fueled by a hunger to return to the field after his injury, Fordham will get one last chance to become the latest monster in the middle of a Dave Doeren defense.

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

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