Wolfpack Defensive Captain Makes Confident Proclamation

Brown's Big Bet

The linebacker completed a transition from safety to the middle of the defense a season ago. That change caused some growing pains for Brown and the defense as a whole in 2024. With the switch behind him, Brown expressed more confidence than he felt in the past about this new defensive unit.

"We know that we could be the best defense in the country," Brown said Tuesday.

The statement came not long after fellow linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. called the Wolfpack defensive line 'one of the best d-lines' in the ACC. As linebackers, their job is to communicate and lead. Confidence can't hurt leaders, so long as they keep it in check during the games. Luckily, the group bonded throughout spring and fall camp.

"We all believe in each other, and we all believe that, we all bought into the team, into the defense, and so we're all playing for each other," Brown said. "It's not like we all have individual goals but we understand that the team's success comes with individual success."

Brown believes that with team mindset, the team can reach his lofty standards of being the best defense in the country.

Becoming an Elite Linebacker

People outside of the program showed belief that Brown's transition to linebacker is settled when he was named to the Bednarik Award preseason watchlist. The rocky start last season paved the way for tremendous growth.

Brown also has former Wolfpack linebacker and program icon Isaiah Moore barking at him from the sidelines now. Moore took on the role of assistant linebackers coach under first-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot. Both coaches have backgrounds at the position, giving Brown a wealth of knowledge to steal from. The adjustment from having Moore as a teammate and now as a coach was unique, but Brown came around on it over time.

"He's a coach, and we treat him like that. We don't really care how old he is, how young he is," Brown said. "We understand that he's a coach and he's there to get us better, and he has the same goal as us, which is to go win the ACC."

If the Wolfpack want to be the best defense in the country, Brown will need to prove he's another one of the great NC State linebackers to come through the program in 2025.

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