#11

Payton Wilson

Former linebacker at NC State. 2023: 138 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks.

LB · NC State · Sr. · #11

6′4″ · 238 lb · Hillsborough, NC

CFB Index 98 · #1 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceConsensus AAPittsburgh — drafted 2024, Rd 3, Pick 35, #98 overall

Recruiting

4★

OLB recruit

No. 79 nationally · Signed with NC State

Statement game16 tackles · 1 TFLvs Miami (FBS) · W 20-6

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

Payton Wilson saving our collective asses againr/CFB game thread · ▲ 3His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at NC State. 2023: 138 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to NC State in 2018.
Drafted round 3 by the Pittsburgh in 2024.
Named All-America (AP) in 2023.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at NC State, 395 tackles, a Consensus All-American season (2023) — drafted at #98 overall by Pittsburgh.

His career

He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.

2018

Signed with NC State4-star out of Orange

202010 games

All-ACCfirst

2021

The snaps went the other way.

All-ACC

202312 games

The role got bigger.

All-Americafirst · 14 selectors
All-ACCfirst
Bednarikwinner
Butkuswinner

2024

Drafted by Pittsburghround 3, pick 98

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#79 national

CFB

College

NC State

2019–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #98

Pittsburgh · 2024

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

26 honors · 2 categories

🏆

ALL-AMERICA · CONSENSUS

Consensus AA (2023)

12 first-team selectors

🥈

ALL-ACC · 1ST TEAM

All-ACC 1st team (2023)

Coaching lineage · 2019–2023

1 coach

2019–2023

Dave Doeren

NC State

Played his entire career under Dave Doeren.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

PittsburghEntering 3rd NFL season

#98Rd 3 · Pick 35

PittsburghEntering 3rd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

5 seasons under Dave Doeren — 38-24 over that span.

2019NC State4-8HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced

2020NC State8-4HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced

2021NC State9-3HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced

2022NC State8-5HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced

2023NC State9-4HC: Dave Doeren · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

98All-America level #1 of 577?

High confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (100th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (100th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Tackles#6 / 2842 · 100th pct

138

Tackles for loss#10 / 2842 · 100th pct

17.5

Solo tackles#12 / 2842 · 100th pct

QB hurries#19 / 2842 · 99th pct

Sacks#74 / 2842 · 97th pct

6.0

Passes defended#158 / 2842 · 93rd pct

Interceptions#57 / 827 · 88th pct

Forced fumbles#54 / 710 · 46th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	12.3	1.2	0.6	0.6
Road5g	10.4	1.8	0.4	0.4

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	11.6	1.1	0.6	0.4
Weeks 8+5g	11.4	2.0	0.4	0.6

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Dave Doeren

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Consensus All-American

First team on a majority of the recognized selector lists.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

98 · #1 of 577 LBs

Former four-star. Now #1 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2023

AP—

FWAA1st

AFCA1st

WCFF1st

SN1st

SI1st

Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	NC State	138	69	17.5	6.0	6	3	--
2022	NC State	75	37	11.5	4.5	3	1	--
2021	NC State	5	2	1.5	1.0	--	--	--
2020	NC State	108	57	11.5	3.5	1	1	1
2019	NC State	69	36	5.0	0.0	3	1	--
Career		395	201	47.0	15.0	13	6	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 9 · 2023

W 24–17

vs Clemson

8 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 TFL

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 at home.

With C. Noonkester — 41 AVG · 4 IN 20 · 52 LONG · K. Concepcion — 51 rush yds (2 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week