NC State's Week 6 Defensive Grades Are In

RALEIGH — In its win over Campbell, the NC State defense held the Fighting Camels to just 10 points while the Wolfpack scored an emphatic 56. On an afternoon, NC State badly needed a win and some confidence heading into a more difficult stretch of the season, and the Wolfpack dominated the opposition.

Because of the lopsided score, many of NC State's young players, forced into more prominent roles because of injuries got valuable game experience. Other, more experienced members of the Wolfpack were put in different positions than normal, another adjustment needed for the team halfway through the season.

Pro Football Focus grades each member of the team's performance during the game. The model takes into account every play in the game and adds it all up to create the player's total grade. Any grade from the 70s to 80s is considered a good performance. The 60s are average. Below 60 would be poor, and above 80 would be elite. Some players were excluded from each position group listed below, as the game was already essentially over when they entered.

How PFF viewed NC State's performance against Campbell

The Secondary

Redshirt freshman nickel Jivan Baly - 61.9
Redshirt freshman safety Ronnie Royal III - 69.3
Redshirt freshman nickel/safety Asaad Brown Jr. - 72.3
Senior cornerback Devon Marshall - 66.8
Sophomore cornerback Brian Nelson II - 85.1
Junior cornerback Jamel Johnson - 69.4
Sophomore cornerback Michael Tate - 59.0

Sep 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers tight end Sage Ennis (0) is tackled by North Carolina State Wolfpack safety Brody Barnhardt (29), cornerback Brian Nelson II (7) and cornerback Jackson Vick (22) during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Now decimated by injuries, the safety and nickel position continued to be a revolving door of players getting action. After being benched for the start of the Virginia Tech game, Royal has returned to the lineup for more action and looked improved against a vastly inferior opponent. Brown moved from nickel to safety and performed well in the eyes of PFF. Nelson had his best game of the season, scoring an excellent 86.5 coverage grade.

The Linebackers

Cian Slone — Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11), linebacker Caden Fordham (1), wide receiver Keenan Jackson (8) during the coin toss prior to the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Graduate senior weakside linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. - 66.4
Graduate senior middle linebacker Caden Fordham - 70.3
Graduate senior JACK linebacker Cian Slone - 71.8
Graduate senior JACK linebacker Tra Thomas - 80.5
Freshman weakside linebacker LaCorian Hodge - 66.8
Sophomore linebacker Kelvon McBride - 68.3

Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker Sean Brown (0) reacts after recovering a fumble in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With team captain and middle linebacker Sean Brown out for the game, the group experienced some reshuffling. Soares moved into Fordham's normal weakside spot and played 46 snaps. His tackle score was 83.0. Fordham's tackling improved, scoring in the 80s for the first time since the Duke game and the third time in the season. Slone and Thomas helped the defensive line make life miserable for Campbell quarterback Kamden Sixkiller. Thomas finished with a sack in the game.

The Defensive Line

NC State Defensive Line — Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack defensive tackle Omarian Abraham (56) looks on during the warmups of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Freshman nose tackle Josiah Victor - 85.2
Graduate senior defensive end Sabastian Harsh - 84.9
Senior defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland - 77.5
Graduate senior defensive tackle Travali Price - 79.5
Senior defensive tackle Chazz Wallace - 78.6
Junior defensive end Joseph Adedire - 78.8

Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack defensive end Sabastian Harsh (54) and linebacker Jr. Kenny Soares (33) celebrate a tackle during the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The defensive line came to play against the Fighting Camels. PFF credited Harsh with a pair of sacks in the game in his 30 snaps of game action. Victor finished with the highest grade on the entire defense, buoyed by a 90.8 run defense score. The unit showed it could get to the quarterback consistently, providing some much-needed confidence heading into the Notre Dame matchup.

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