Two Key Wolfpack Veterans Land ACC Honorable Mention Nods
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RALEIGH — NC State finished the 2025 regular season with a 7-5 record after a strong November in which the Wolfpack went 3-1 with a win over a Georgia Tech team ranked No. 8 at the time of the game. The impressive finish earned the Wolfpack some serious credit across the ACC, good enough to get three players named First-Team All-ACC.
However, Caden Fordham, Justin Joly and Hollywood Smothers weren't the only members of the Pack to achieve league-wide recognition. Junior left tackle Jacarrius Peak and senior punter Caden Noonkester both came away with Honorable Mentions from the conference, per an announcement earlier in the week.
Peak completed a move from right to left tackle, moving into sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey's blind side after Anthony Belton was drafted by the Packers. After being named to the Athletic's Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List" before the season began, Peak entered 2025 with lofty expectations. The junior more than lived up to the task, putting together a strong third year with the Wolfpack.
Noonkester's consistency was very important for the Wolfpack throughout the year. Given the team's ups and downs offensively, the punter was thrown into uncomfortable situations all season long and continued to be one of the most solid punters across the sport.
Looking at their seasons
The easiest way to tell if an offensive lineman is talented and having a strong season is for him to go unnoticed. Peak quietly worked in the trenches throughout 2025, using his unique combination of size and speed to keep his quarterback upright and to punch holes through opposing defenses for Smothers.
Peak started all 12 games for the Wolfpack, joining center Jalen Grant as the only member of the starting five group to make it through the season unscathed. The left tackle finished with a team high 85.9 pass-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed just three sacks and seven pressure throughout the 12 appearances, scoring a 98.8 pass-blocking effiiency score.
Difference Makers.
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 2, 2025
Caden Noonkester and Jacarrius Peak receive All-ACC Honorable Mentions. pic.twitter.com/YxliccBoFQ
In the final week of the season, Peak was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the week for his performance in the Wolfpack's dominant 42-19 win over North Carolina. He helped pave the way for freshman quarterback Will Wilson's four rushing touchdowns.
As for NC State's specific offensive line stats, Peak finished his junior season with a team-high 50 pancake blocks, 18 knockdowns and 23 "Raleigh Railroads," the program's term for a sustained block downfield. Given his national recognition prior to the season and his performance, Peak seems to be in a good position to potentially wade into the NFL draft waters, but his status for the bowl game remains unclear.
Noonkester, one of the steadiest punters in the ACC in his first few years with the Wolfpack, did not change at all in his final season in Raleigh. He finished with an average of 43.6 yards per punt and pinned the opponent inside its own 20-yard line 21 times, the most of any punter in the ACC. However, one particular performance likely secured Noonkester a place among the conference elite.
The veteran punter was called upon twice in the fourth quarter of NC State's 22-11 win over Florida State. Leading by three, Noonkester booted the ball and it hung in the air, ready to fall far short of his intended distance. The football careened off the helmet of an FSU defender and rolled over 20 yards back into the arms of the punter.
Caden Noonkester punt. Caden Noonkester fumble recovery!#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/HYrTLyb7MT
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 22, 2025
"I guess instinct took over and I thought I could get there before their guy," Noonkester said after the win. "Apparently, I did, so it was a good outcome. I was able to take a negative situation and try to fix it, so that was good."
After the Wolfpack failed to sustain the drive after getting a new lease on life, Noonkester booted another ball deep inside the Florida State red zone. This time, return man Squirrel White muffed the punt and it was recovered by the Pack once again, ultimately leading to the insurance touchdown NC State needed to put the Seminoles away for good.
Roll the highlights 🎥#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/j8ZBgpCR2h
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 22, 2025
Even in devastating losses like the one in Miami the week before the Florida State adventures, Noonkester stood out, especially in the eyes of head coach Dave Doeren. Both players were unsung heroes for a Wolfpack team that desperately needed them down the stretch of the season.
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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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