New defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tony Gibson previewed NC State’s 2020 defense and his coaching philosophy while discussing the defensive side of this year’s recruiting class. The Wolfpack signed two linebackers, a defensive lineman and four defensive backs Wednesday.
“We had to build this thing with speed and get more guys that were athletic enough to play corner, safety and the back five positions,” Gibson said. “I want to take a kid that knows corner and safety and be able to move those guys around and move them as needed.”
Gibson looked for versatility in the back of the defense, and got it with three-star defensive backs Devan Boykin, Aydan White, Nehki Meredith and Joshua Pierre-Louis. Boykin stands out among the group in terms of talent, but each prospect brings something to the table.
“Aydan White is extremely long and athletic, fast kid,” Gibson said. “He can really run, he’s a return guy. Josh Pierre-Louis is another kid that has great skills, can play nickel, corner, anywhere in the secondary. He’s also a return guy. Nehki Meredith is a safety; he’s played a little bit of corner and is very athletic. We wanted guys that could run, good cover skills and could also go back and be a returner.”
The defense not only adds these high school seniors but also talented transfers in defensive end Jeffrey Gunter and linebacker Levi Jones. Gunter and Jones joined the team last season, only participating in practice while sitting for a year per NCAA rules. With all the different talent on a defense that doesn’t lose much, Gibson gets to be creative with this defense.
“Our biggest thing, what we’re selling to the guys is, ‘Look, we’re going to blow everything up, and we’re going to start over,’” Gibson said. “We’re not going to be West Virginia’s defense; we’re not going to be Wisconsin’s defense; we’re not going to be what NC State was. We’re going to build this thing around the talent that we have here. So, it could look like a 3-4, a 3-3, a four down — whatever it may be, we’re going to build it, and we’re going to build it together.”
Last year’s defense played the 3-3-5 every single down, with the vast majority of plays in cover one or three. The predictability came as a result of injuries and is something the team will look to avoid next year. Though the schemes may be multiple, one thing is for certain: a Tony Gibson defense will bring the heat. Gibson wants to force mistakes, and that starts with getting to the signal-caller.
“My style is aggressive; I joke all the time that I live aggressive,” Gibson said. “I don’t want to sit back and let someone dictate to us how we’re going to play defense. We want to bring that to them and affect [the quarterback] in every aspect of the game.”
For the defensive staff, figuring out where this defense will go has to happen soon. Gibson hopes to hit the ground running with installs in spring camp and to make sure whatever defense the Wolfpack runs, it’s something that allows those on the field to play fast.
“What is our base defense going to look like is No. 1, and then start building,” Gibson said. “What can they handle? We don’t want to go too fast and put too much in, and the kids start getting confused and not be able to keep up pace with the installs. I want to take all the thinking away, free their feet up so we can run. I want to simplify, but be multiple and play fast.”
