Wolfpack Secondary Reloads With Transfers, Returners Ahead of 2025 Season

Nelson transferred to the Pack in June of this year, a late addition but certainly impactful. He was a first-team All-ACC selection by the College Football Network last season. 

The former three-star recruit out of Pearland, Texas, led the Mean Green last season in interceptions with four, and in 319 coverage snaps, he only allowed 27 receptions. He should compete for a starting role early in camp, and if he does play, he will be a suitable replacement for the talent lost in Aydan White and Brandon Cisse. 

Graduate student Jeremiah "JJ" Johnson, Safety from Georgia State 

Johnson joined the pack in January of this year. His senior year at Georgia State was an efficient one. He was named to the 2024 College Football Network All-Sun Belt Third Team defense. While starting at safety, he finished as the team's leading tackler with 69 and broke up six passes. 

He's a versatile player and can do it all. Last season, he had 245 snaps in the box, 284 at free safety and 172 lined up in the slot. New defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot could look to get creative with Johnson, in some blitz packages or lined up covering tight ends in the box. 

Senior Jamel Johnson, CB from Temple

Graduate EDGE Tra Thomas wasn't the only transfer from the Owls this past offseason. Johnson joined the Pack in January, and before Temple, he played at Charleston Southern. 

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound corner only allowed 17 receptions on 307 coverage snaps from a season ago. He allowed five touchdowns, but intercepted two passes with seven pass breakups. Along with it all, he only allowed a 71.4 NFL passer rating according to Pro Football Focus. 

Johnson and fellow transfer Nelson II could compete to start as boundary corners this next season; the two certainly showcased their abilities at their previous stops.

Returners 

Junior cornerback Devon Marshall 

It'll be hard for players like Jamel Johnson and Nelson II to compete for a starting corner spot with Marshall on the roster. Marshall didn't start all games in his junior campaign, but started five, including the last two. 

The 5-foot-11 corner out of Boston, Mass., led the Wolfpack in pass breakups last season with eight. He was targeted the second most on the team with 50 and only allowed 26 catches, giving him a receptions percentage of 52.  

Marshall's return gives the Pack potential for a solid starting rotation on the outside, but the unit still has much to prove. 

Redshirt junior Safety Rente Hinton 

Hinton played a portion of every game in 2024 and roamed from free and strong safety in some contests. He was only targeted three times, allowing two receptions for 37 yards. The now redshirt junior will compete to start at one of the safety spots this upcoming season.   

Redshirt junior corner Jackson Vick

Vick was primarily a backup corner in 2024, but he showcased some promise in his first year, even with a lot of his time on special teams. 

According to the team website, Vick has gained 25 pounds since getting on campus and is looking to make a jump going into his junior season. Last year, in 76 coverage snaps, he only allowed seven receptions for 28 yards. 

Other returners include redshirt sophomore Zach Meyers, redshirt sophomore Daemon Fagan, Redshirt junior Isaiah Crowell, redshirt freshman Ronnie Royal III, redshirt freshman Jivan Baly and redshirt freshman Brody Barnhardt.   

Incoming Freshman 

The incoming first-year students include Safety Hampton Roderick, cornerback Gerritt Kemp, corner Caden Gordon, corner Cam Strong, and Safety Tristan Teasdell. 

The defensive back room has some talent, but some are fresh to Power Four conference play. Still, there is a lot of upside within the secondary for the Wolfpack this year, and with a new defensive coordinator and scheme, it can all come together within the 2025 season. 

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