NC State Football's Next “Number One” Jersey? Breaking Down the 2025 Candidates

Who will earn the prestigious No. 1 jersey for NC State football in 2025?

Since 2014, Dave Doeren has awarded it to the program’s ultimate leader — a player with elite work ethic, practice habits, and the respect of the locker room. With Davin Vann gone, the Wolfpack must crown a new standard-bearer.

In this in-depth Inside Pack Sports discussion, we break down the tradition, the history of past winners, and the top contenders for this year’s honor — including Caden Fordham, Sean Brown, and Brandon Cleveland.

We also debate whether a transfer portal player could ever be chosen, and revisit iconic past No. 1s like Jaylen Samuels and Isaiah Moore.

Timestamps

• 0:00 – Intro & the tradition of NC State’s No. 1 jersey
• 0:43 – History of past No. 1s under Dave Doeren
• 1:16 – Why the jersey matters for NC State’s culture
• 2:04 – Could a transfer earn it?
• 2:50 – Alex’s pick: Caden Fordham
• 4:27 – Jake’s pick: Sean Brown
• 5:38 – Other candidates & offensive possibilities
• 6:51 – Brandon Cleveland’s case
• 8:10 – Would NC State ever not award it?
• 9:50 – Favorite No. 1s of the past decade 

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the feature!