NC State Can't Ignore These Florida State Defenders
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RALEIGH — NC State will get a chance to turn the page after Saturday's 41-7 loss to the Miami Hurricanes and host Florida State (5-5, 2-5 ACC) for a Friday night showdown at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Seminoles and the Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4 ACC) have had similar seasons, both experiencing highs and lows over the last three months. The Wolfpack offense went from scoring 48 points against Georgia Tech at home to crossing the 50-yard line once in Hard Rock Stadium against the Hurricanes. The Seminoles opened the season by beating Alabama, then fell weeks later to Stanford.
The Seminole defense has been rather inconsistent throughout the 2025 campaign. Florida State has allowed 22.2 points per game, ranking 38th in the country, through the first 10 games, while NC State's offense averaged 27 points through the 5-5 start.
Florida State brings a wealth of talent on both sides of the ball, including some serious ballhawks on the defensive side of the field.
Florida State defenders to watch
Safety Earl Little Jr.
Florida State's strength defensively is a pair of uber-talented players at the safety position. Little headlines the group and became the team's primary ballhawk through the first 10 games of the season. He intercepted four passes and forced two fumbles in that stretch, leading the team in both categories.
He arrived in Tallahassee after in 2024 after spending a season with Alabama. He waited his turn for the Seminoles as a backup in his first year before exploding onto the scene in the 2025 season. Little leads the team with 28 solo tackles and 63 total tackles. After throwing two interceptions to Miami safety Jakobe Thomas last week, Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey will need to look out for Little.
Safety Ashlynd Barker
Barker represents the other half of Florida State's dynamic safety duo. While Little protects the air, Barker is a hard-hitting, aggressive safety who has performed impressively in pass rush situations. The junior defensive back has 3.5 sacks on the season from the safety position and holds an 87.2 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus.
PFF also has Barker as the highest graded defender overall, with a 76.1 score. He spends most of his snaps in the box (192 on the season), but moves into a more traditional safety role when he needs to. He has two pass breakups and 39 total tackles in nine games of work.
Defensive lineman Mandrell Desir
If you're looking for a player peaking at the right time for any defense in the nation, look no further than Desir. The freshman lineman has sacks in Florida State's last three games and is quickly becoming one of the strongest defensive linemen on the team. That run has made him the team leader, with five sacks on the year.
With some potential absences on the offensive line for the Wolfpack, Desir and his twin brother, Darryll, could have some serious success against a group that struggled mightily against the elite Miami defensive line.
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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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