Caden Fordham Starts NFL Draft Process at Important Event
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RALEIGH — While NC State has been busy rebuilding the roster around returning quarterback CJ Bailey before the 2026 season gets underway, some of its players are starting the process of preparing for the professional ranks. Three Wolfpack stars are taking their first steps closer to the NFL by participating in the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 27.
One of the most important Wolfpack defenders arrived at the East-West Shrine Bowl for the important practice sessions earlier in the week. Caden Fordham, a standout linebacker for NC State, might not jump off the page from a physical standpoint, but he hopes to show he is more than that during the pre-draft process. That all starts at the Shrine Bowl.
Could Fordham join the NFL ranks?
Fordham finished his NC State career about as strongly as he could've hoped to. He recorded 53 total tackles and 1.5 sacks across the last four games of the regular season, including a pair of 15-tackle games in wins over No. 8 Georgia Tech and the Seminoles, his family's school. Fordham's father played for FSU and his younger brother is committed to joining the Seminole program. The linebacker was quick to mention how important family bragging rights were after knocking off FSU.
The veteran defender finished the regular season with 130 total tackles, the most in the ACC. He added 56 solo tackles, placing second in that category behind Boston College defensive back KP Price, who ended the 2025 season with 65 solo takedowns. Nationally, Fordham's 130 tackles ranked fifth, but were the most by any linebacker in the four Power Conferences.
Our All-American LB!
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 15, 2025
Caden Fordham has earned Third-Team All-American Honors from the AP.
📰: https://t.co/WSyxdiJEF7 pic.twitter.com/yOyJDHaj6x
The Third-Team AP All-American received an invite to the Shrine Bowl and simply could not pass up on the opportunity to participate. Fordham's final year did enough to earn him national recognition, which ultimately led to his invitation to the event. Now, he has an opportunity to show how impressive his senior year was.
"I thought it spoke for itself. I did well, especially for my last year," Fordham said. "The year before, I battled an injury, but just being able to bounce back... And have the year I was able to have... I'm proud of what I was able to do in that amount of time."
The Shrine Bowl is an opportunity for Fordham to get on the radar of NFL scouts and general managers early in the draft process. He is trying to make the most of the opportunity and show off certain parts of his game that could help make him the next Wolfpack linebacker in the pros.
"My physicality, it's something I really pride myself on, especially playing and you can be physical in any scenario," Fordham said. "I'm very excited for that, especially being at linebacker and playing against these good running backs. I'm ready to hit some people."
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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