Payton

Wilson

Wilson (6'4/233) was considered the fourth-best outside linebacker from the 2018 prep class, making him one of the older prospects in the draft. He suffered a right ACL tear as a senior in HS that cost him his freshman season, slowing down the beginning of his college career. He hit his stride in 2020, leading the Wolfpack with 57 tackles, 45 stops and 11.5 TFL in just 10 games en route to receiving First Team All-ACC recognition. Injuries reared up again costing Wilson the last ten games of the 2021 season after a dislocation that required surgery on both shoulders to fully clear up. He recovered well enough to start 11 games in 2022 with 12.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks and a 70th percentile PFF defensive grade. The decision to come back for his sixth-year proved prescient as Wilson lit the ACC ablaze for 138 tackles, 17.5 TFL and 67 stops to go with a scorching 4.4% sack rate. The consensus First Team All-American became the first player in NC State history to win either the Butkus Award, given to the best linebacker in the FBS, or the prestigious Bednarik Trophy awarded to the nation’s top overall defensive player. Wilson put forth a sensational performance on the Combine track, running a 4.43s 40-yard dash (99.5th%) and 1.53s 10-yard split (98.6th%) to go with a 6.85s 3-Cone (96th%) and 4.20s shuttle (90th%). His phenomenal testing performance confirms the 23.7 MPH he hit in-game during the season for a bona fide freaky 9.89 Relative Athletic Score. Wilson is instinctive in coverage and crafty when disguising his intentions in zone, adept at tracking the QBs eyes and breaking on the ball. There are major, glaring injury concerns but Wilson has all the tools needed to be successful in the NFL.

This is a crushing blow for the Wolfpack, as they lose their starting linebacker who led the ACC in tackles per game last season (10.8) and recorded 11.5 tackles for a loss. Wilson underwent surgery on both of his shoulders this offseason, which led to him missing spring workouts, and will now be out for the remainder of the season.

The last thing that NC State needed heading into this matchup was to be without key starters on either side of the football. The Wolfpack will be down four defensive starters, a list that includes players who rank first (Wilson), fourth (Thomas) and ninth (Ingle) on the team in total tackles. Three of the four have started at least ten games this season, with Ingle (seven) being the exception.

Wilson (6'4/240) did not play in this past weekend’s loss at Virginia Tech after tallying ten total tackles (4.0 for loss, one sack) in NC State’s season-opening win over Wake Forest. The redshirt sophomore’s expected return will drop Calvin Hart Jr. back into the backup role.

Well here’s an interesting one for your weekend. According to arrest warrants, Payton was taken in after he attempted to bolt from an officer by running into traffic, was hit by a car, bounced back up and then hid under a parked vehicle, all while in possession of his older brother’s ID, which he had apparently used to purchase alcohol. Got all that? NC State is aware of the arrest -- which took place early on Saturday morning -- and is in the process of gathering information. During the 2019 regular season, Wilson recorded 69 tackles (5.0 for loss), an interception and three passes defensed in 11 games. He ended up leading the Wolfpack in tackles. As NC State ended the year on a six-game losing streak and will not be heading to a bowl upcoming, any discipline from the team would likely be handled this offseason.

Wilson (6'4/220) became the latest NC State defender to go down with an injury this season, as he was taken to the locker room during the first quarter. The redshirt freshman returned to the sideline without shoulder pads and with a bag of ice strapped to his left collarbone area and his left arm in a sling. What his availability is for the remainder of the season won’t be learned until early next week.

“His big frame and exceptional athleticism give him scheme versatility and college coaches will be able to mold him however they see fit,” Friedman notes. The analyst believes that North Carolina and Clemson have a minuscule edge over Alabama, Georgia and Virginia Tech when it comes to the race to win the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder’s heart. In their fresh 2018 rankings released this week, Rivals slotted Wilson as the No. 117 overall prospect in the cycle.

Wilson (6'4/220) just recently took an official visit to the Wolfpack, one which went off like gangbusters. Notre Dame is also hoping to pry him loose from the clutches of HC Larry Fedora. The Hillsborough, North Carolina, native ranks as Rivals’ No. 133 overall prospect in the 2018 class. On the field, Wilson offers a fantastic blend of athleticism and versatility.

This one does not come completely out of the blue. Rivals analyst Adam Friedman speculated earlier this month that the 6--foot-4, 220-pound Wilson was a potential flip candidate, with NC State a likely benefactor. We’ll have to wait and see if the Wolfpack will, indeed, snare Rivals’ No. 133 overall prospect from their in-state rivals. Notre Dame, Ohio State and Clemson are also in the mix, here.

Wilson (6'4/220) backed off his commitment to North Carolina in November, with the Wolfpack swooping in for the pledge soon thereafter. ESPN ranks him as the No. 97 overall prospect in the 2018 class and notes that the Hillsborough, North Carolina, native "[h]as the length to play on the line of scrimmage along with the range and versatility to play off the ball” and that "[h]is versatility creates a high upside.” Wilson is expected to sign with NC State in December.