The Player NC State Needs to Contain in Week 3

Wake Forest has a serious weapon in the backfield.

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren after a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The third game of the season for NC State could be a battle between two incredibly talented running backs. The Wolfpack will once again deploy Hollywood Smothers after he racked up 140 yards and two touchdowns against Virginia in the Week Two win.

The Wolfpack's latest opponent, Wake Forest, has one of the top returning backs in the ACC. Demond Claiborne poses a major threat to an NC State rush defense that was thoroughly dominated by the Cavaliers on Saturday.

First-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot and head coach Dave Doeren face the enormous task of trying to prepare the defense for Claiborne in a short week, as the Wolfpack travels to Winston-Salem for a Thursday showdown with the Demon Deacons.

Nov 23, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons running back Demond Claiborne (1) runs with the football past Miami Hurricanes linebacker Francisco Mauigoa (1) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Claiborne By the Numbers

Now in his fourth year running for Wake Forest, Claiborne quietly worked his way to becoming one of the best running backs in program history. He stuck around after longtime coach Dave Clawson resigned in 2024, opting to remain with the program under Jack Dickert.

In Clawson's final season, Claiborne broke out massively. He carried the ball 228 times, rushing for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024. His 11 rushing touchdowns tied quarterback Sam Hartman for the second-most in program history.

Claiborne rushed for over 100 yards on four separate occasions during his junior season, with a season-high of 136 yards coming against none other than the Wolfpack.

The 2025 season hasn't been much different for the superstar running back. Claiborne left the season opener after just three carries, causing the Wake Forest offense to sputter and score just 10 points against Kennesaw State. He returned in Week Two and dominated against Western Carolina. The senior ran wild on the Catamounts, totaling 193 yards on just 10 carries and three touchdowns. Claiborne was on the 2025 Doak Walker Watch List for a reason.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren walks out during the warmups prior to the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Containing Claiborne

NC State had very little success containing Claiborne a season ago. While the rush defense for the Wolfpack looked massively improved after the opening week performance against East Carolina, things fell apart against Virginia the following week. The Cavaliers ran for 257 yards against the Pack, with tailback J'Mari Taylor for 150 yards and three touchdowns.

• "We gave up two explosive runs on short yardage where both times we had an unblocked defender at the point of attack that didn't make the tackle," Doeren said. "We've got to tackle better. We've got to be in our gaps. We've got to leverage the football and we've got to be disruptive."

Claiborne is a level up from what the Pack faced from Virginia. The veteran back has multiple gears and is a powerful runner in space. The linebacker play was poor against Virginia, particularly in pass coverage and tackling Taylor.

Sep 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack safety Brody Barnhardt (29) sacks Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) during the second half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

There's already plenty of respect within the Wolfpack defense for Claiborne and what he's done for the Demon Deacons. In their preparation for the Demon Deacon running back, the Wolfpack were reminded of just how talented he is. They're also trying to put together a plan to stop him.

• "Hard runner. Physical. Fast guy. We've definitely got to set the edges on him and make sure we're getting knockback on the O-line," Wolfpack defensive end Travali Price said.

Claiborne especially caught the attention of Doeren during his review of the Demon Deacons. The coach remembered what the explosive back did to the Wolfpack defense a season ago.

• "He's a great player, and he's got speed. He's got vision. He can break tackles. He can make you miss. He's patient," Doeren said of the running back.

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren after a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Just two weeks removed from an outing in which the defense held ECU to just 30 yards on the ground, there's still reason to believe in the Wolfpack's rush defense. Doeren still has confidence in the unit and the team saw Claiborne last year.

• "When you're defending a great running back, it takes everybody, it's gap accountability, it's beating blocks, it's leveraging the football, and then it's gang tackling," Doeren said. "Everything needs to improve and we had guys in position to make plays on some of the plays that Virginia made."

While Wake Forest moved on from the slow mesh offensive scheme synonymous with the Dave Clawson era in Winston-Salem, Claiborne remains just as big a threat as he was a season ago.

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