CHARLOTTE, N.C., — For senior defensive end Davin Vann, the “1” on his jersey is more than just a number.
At NC State, the number one jersey can’t be picked, it has to be earned. Since 2014, head coach Dave Doeren has awarded the number to the player who “exhibits an elite work ethic and practice and training habits, while also leading his teammates.”
Vann received the number last year and will rock the “1” on his uniform for the second consecutive year. The senior defensive end understands the responsibilities that come with the jersey and will have to take on an even bigger leadership role in his last year with the Wolfpack.
In defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 defense, only three defensive linemen play at a time. Vann is the only returning starter this year after C.J. Clark transferred to Miami and Savion Jackson went on to the NFL.
The projected starters next to Vann are junior defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland and redshirt junior Travali Price. Cleveland and Price both played backup roles last season and will lean on Vann to show them what it takes to be a starter in the ACC.
“I’ve taken a lot of responsibility in that,” Vann said. “Coach Doeren always preaches that as a senior it’s your responsibility to help give back to the program, give back to the young guys and help them develop to get where you are and hopefully surpass where you are. So I’ve taken that very seriously and I’ve helped guide the younger guys and try to be the best leader I could.”
Cleveland and Price have been on the Wolfpack football long enough to know the high standards Vann has set. Vann doesn’t have to tell them what to do because his play and effort do most of the talking.
The captain of the defense has a relentless motor and has been described as always playing at the same speed. Vann was the only defensive lineman on the Wolfpack’s squad in 2023 to play over 600 snaps. In Gibson’s defense that is an especially difficult feat with how much work the defensive line has to do with only three of them out there.
On running plays, the defensive line has to take on two or three blockers to open up space for the linebackers and on passing downs they are usually faced with going against more than one blocker in Gibson’s scheme.
With the extra workload the d-linemen take on in the 3-3-5 defense, Gibson rotates around seven to eight of them a game. Even with a rotation, Vann rarely comes off the field and takes a lot of pride in being able to play almost every down. He admitted it has been a work in progress to get to that point though.
“I’ve kind of always had it but coming in I kind of lost it,” Vann said of his high motor. “Coach [Gibson] and [Director of Strength and Condition Dantonio Burnette] helped instill that back into me. I kind of became complacent with where I was and they’ve helped push me out of my comfort zone and continued to develop that motor and grit.”
Vann’s competitiveness and high energy should come as no surprise to anyone who knows his background. At Cary High School, Vann was a three-sport athlete: football, wrestling and track and field; holding the record for the longest Shot Put and Discus throw in Cary High School history.
While Vann uses some of the skills he learned in Shot Put and Discus on the football field, wrestling is the sport that has helped him the most when he’s in between the white lines.
“Wrestling has taught me a lot about self-discipline, body leverage, control, things like that. It’s helped take my game to the next level,” Vann said. “Originally I didn’t really want to wrestle, but my mom forced me to. I’m appreciative of that.”
His competitive nature comes from growing up in a household with 10 siblings. It didn’t matter what it was, everything was for bragging rights in the Vann household. He mentioned that games of Monolopy got the most intense.
The fiercest competitions were between Davin and his brother Rylan Vann who is a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman on the Wolfpack football team.
“It was always competitive especially with Rylan being so close in age to me,” Vann said. “We were always competing, fighting. You name it, we were doing it. My sisters too, you’re always competing no matter what it was.”
With NIL and the transfer portal enticing and pulling players in different directions, Doeren cherishes having someone like Vann return for his last year. Vann could’ve gone to the NFL too but he came back for one more year and no one is more appreciative of that than the Woflpack’s head coach.
“It’s fun to be with a guy this long,” Doeren said. “When you’re a coach that’s been in school going on 12 years, you’ve created a lot of players and graduated a lot of players. You’ve been through the home visit all the way to the exit meeting many times. It’s an honor to be with Davin Vann for his last year. I have great respect for Davin. I love him to death. I’m excited for him. And I’m looking forward to seeing him in his last year.”
