Why Brandon Cleveland's Departure Won't Hurt NC State as Much as You Think
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RALEIGH — NC State nose guard Brandon Cleveland is ready for his next chapter as a football player. The talented defensive lineman was selected in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders after four seasons with the Wolfpack, now heading to be a part of an exciting draft class for one of the league's most historic franchises.
While the Pack is losing one of its defensive leaders and a major piece of the puzzle in Cleveland, the program is well-equipped for the future at this position. Part of that situation stems from Cleveland's mentorship of younger members of the defensive line, a role he took more pride in during his junior and senior seasons with NC State.
Leaving a protégé behind
From Raleigh to the league! 🐺 @brandonvibes25 is next up!#1Pack1Goal | #PackPros pic.twitter.com/oMs2AQ3M7z
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) April 25, 2026
It will be hard to replace the impact Cleveland had defensively right away, but the building block for the future is there. Last season, the skilled nose guard spent a lot of time working alongside rising sophomore Josiah Victor, who played a key role in his first year with NC State despite being a rookie compared to Cleveland. Victor will be one of the key returners for the entire defense heading into the 2026 season.
Victor and Cleveland possessed similar builds, making it easy for former defensive line coach Charley Wiles to pair them in practices, hoping the younger of the two would pick up on some of Cleveland's quality traits. Victor tallied just 10 tackles as a freshman, but still saw action in 10 games for the Wolfpack, playing 121 snaps.
— Josiah Victor (@thejosiahvictor) December 22, 2025
Depending on what happens for KaTron Evans in terms of eligibility, Victor is in line to replace Cleveland as the top nose guard in the depth chart for the 2026 Wolfpack. Even if Evans is around, it will just mean defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot can rotate more and even play bigger groups with two interior linemen to choose from or send out together.
An evolving scheme
Cleveland came up in former defensive coordinator Tony Gibson's scheme, so Eliot inherited him for just one season after Gibson took the head coaching job at Marshall after the 2024 season. NC State's defense struggled in the early part of its first season under Eliot, but Cleveland was one of the consistent positives. However, Eliot can build the defense exactly how he wants to now.
NC State played a multiple defense scheme under Eliot, something expected to continue in the 2026 season. That means the Pack wants to switch up its looks up front frequently, making a traditional nose guard important, but less important than securing quality players at outside linebacker and the edge rushing positions. Now, the second-year coordinator can focus on developing players in those spots and use Victor when he wants to operate with a nose tackle.
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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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