NC State football’s Payton Wilson back to provide more ‘speed, violence and effort’

Growing up in Hillsborough, Payton Wilson says he never thought of venturing far from home to play college football.

“I’m a momma’s boy,” he said.

Momma’s boy? Imagine ACC running backs and quarterbacks snorting out their energy drinks when hearing that about the N.C. State linebacker.

Wilson is a player to be avoided when playing the Wolfpack. No. 11 stays on the attack, moves laterally as well as any linebacker in the league and can bring the heat at 6 feet 4 and 242 pounds.

A year ago, the Wolfpack had one of the nation’s best linebacking corps with Wilson, Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas. They were experienced, they were smart and they were hitters.

Moore and Thomas now are trying to make NFL rosters. Thomas gave up college eligibility to turn pro, and some thought Wilson would do the same before his decision to stay at N.C. State one more year.

“Obviously. I’m going to miss them,” Wilson said Thursday at the ACC Football Kickoff. “We’ve played together since 2019, which is crazy to think about.”

Wilson said such players as Devon Betty, Jaylon Scott and Caden Fordham are capable of stepping into new linebacking roles and make the right reads and plays. Scott is a senior who has waited his turn when other players might have bolted to the transfer portal.

“I’m anxious to see the linebackers step up and see what they can do,” Doeren said Thursday. “It’s a good group and they’re hungry. They hear the same things (the media) is saying: ‘Are you good enough, are you good enough?’ That adds a little to the fuel for them.”

To which Wilson added, “Whoever’s beside me, we’ll go get it done.”

Wilson’s decision to return gave defensive coordinator Tony Gibson one less thing to worry about — “It was an early Christmas gift,” Gibson said.

As for Wilson, he’s ready, saying he intends to be more vocal and help fill Moore’s role as the outspoken leader on the team. He’s eager to get started in fall camp next week and again prepare to pursue an ACC championship.

The Pack, to a man, believed it could win the conference championship last season. Expectations were elevated in Dave Doeren’s 10th year as head coach, the pieces seemingly in place, and many believed it might be the year.

It wasn’t. The Pack lost an early game at Clemson, then another at Syracuse as its title hopes dried up by midseason. N.C. State finished 8-5 after a loss to Maryland in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

And this year?

“At N.C. State, no one is ever going to give us the crown,” Wilson said Thursday. “Last year was different, right? We had a lot of hype or buzz going into the season.

“I think Coach Doeren and the (coaches) let it be known none of that stuff matters. You have to win the games for any of this to happen. If you want that hype to become real, you have to win all those games. We just haven’t done that yet.”

There is a different path to the ACC title this season. No longer are there conference divisions — no Clemson standing in the way in the Atlantic. Win enough games and finish in the top two in the standings and you get a spot in the ACC championship game.

The Wolfpack will have a new-look offense with offensive coordinator Robert Anae in charge and transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong operating it. Wilson, viewing it from the other side of the ball, praised Anae’s play-calling creativity and noted that the Anae offense “torched” the Pack’s defense last season when Anae was at Syracuse.

At the same time, the Pack’s 3-3-5 stack defense makes it hard for opposing offenses. Gibson is something of a stack-defense guru with his use of personnel and packages.

The Wolfpack finished 11th in the FBS in scoring defense (19.2 points a game) and 20th in total defense. The Pack led the ACC in interceptions (19) and was second in third-down conversion percentage (32.8).

“To other offenses, our defense is very complicated,” Wilson said. “But to us, it’s very simple. Once you get it … even when I wasn’t too honed in or the smartest player ever, back in 2020, I knew the defense like the back of my hand. … There’s not one play, one snap, where you play like a robot. It’s so simple. All (Gibson) cares about is speed, violence and effort.”

Wilson can do that. He said he enjoys “flying around” and playing “lights out.” In the past, he has done that to the point he has suffered knee and shoulder injuries, but said he’s wiser now, both in his playing style and taking better care of his body off the field.

“He’s grown up a lot,” Doeren said. “He’s a much different version of himself. He’s mature. His spiritual life, I think, is very strong. He’s got a super steady girlfriend he’s in love with. He’s a college graduate. He went to being petrified of public speaking to being a good public speaker.

“It has been fun to see that, to see that growth in his life.”

Wilson has a degree in education and has said he might like to be a special education teacher when football finally is done. That, likely, could be close to home.

It seems almost eons ago that Wilson was playing high school ball at Hillsborough Orange and being so heavily recruited. He first committed to North Carolina, then changed to N.C. State, creating more than a few ripples.

“When I was younger I was kind of oblivious to it,” he said. “I never wanted to be in that spotlight. I just wanted to play ball. That was it.”