NC State defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley met with the media during the breakout portion of the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff. Check out what all he had to say!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the breakout session.
You had 196 tackles and more than 19 tackles for loss in high school and have become a key piece of the defensive front. What kind of statement do you want the defensive line to make when you take the field?
I want guys, when we’re in the game, to say, “That defensive line plays hard. They strain to the ball, they don’t get bumped off, and they get the quarterback off his spot.”
As a defensive tackle especially, it’s not as sexy as being a defensive end, where you can run around people and get a whole bunch of sacks. You’ve got to be nasty. You’ve got to be ferocious. You’ve got to be disruptive.
Even when you aren’t making the plays, be disruptive. You know what I’m saying? That’s what I want our defensive line to embody.
Who on the offensive line gives you the toughest battle?
I’d have to go with our guards, Kamen Smith and Yousef. Those are two guys who are going to have big-time years. They’re big-time players, and they’re both from Western North Carolina. We’re all Western North Carolina boys, so I love that we’re all playing here together and getting after it.
Do those battles help prepare you for real-game situations?
Oh, no doubt. There was a point when I was getting a chance to play and Yusuf was on the scout team, but he shouldn’t have been, in my opinion. He was one of the heaviest offensive linemen I went against.
When I got into the game, I was like, “I went against the heaviest guy I’ve ever gone against. This is nothing.” So, yeah, there’s no doubt about that, for sure.
What has been the message from the coaches throughout the summer with preseason camp approaching?
This year, it’s time to go take the next step. When someone comes into our stadium, we lock the gates. It’s time to reach that next level everybody has talked about.
Everybody is tired of being second. It’s time to kick the door down. That’s the message.
Talk a little about some of the younger players stepping up. Chase Bond and Josiah Victor are two of those players on the defensive line. How much growth have you seen from them this offseason?
I’ll speak on Chase first. I hosted Chase, so I remember when he first got here. He’s just a big-time dude. He wants it, and he has that old-school hunger. It doesn’t matter how much he’s getting paid or whatever it is—he has a hunger to be great.
That’s why I think I connected with him so early. I’m excited. It means a whole lot. It’s like, “Dang, bro, I’m so happy you’re growing up and you’re about to really help us.”
It’s the same thing with JoJo. JoJo is the same type of guy, and I’m excited for him. Even though he’s a little bit younger than Chase and me, he’s still somebody we’re counting on, and he’s ready for it.
He knows what it takes. He’s played in some games, he knows what it takes, and I’m excited to see what they both do.
How much work are you getting, if any, at nose tackle?
Not much. Maybe on some passing downs I’ll get in there, but nose tackle and three-technique aren’t that much different. You know what I’m saying? You’re either shaded over or you’re not. I could do that if we needed me to.
What stands out about the transfers, and how important has it been to help them understand how things are done at NC State?
I think it’s like how you do anything: Show them the way and show them how we do things.
But this is the key part: We have guys who transferred here after playing at high levels and playing in the big-time games we’re trying to reach.
There’s a humility piece to it, too. It’s like, “Okay, what did you see at the school you came from that we could tweak or maybe do better to help us reach those games?”
It’s a little bit of both. They’re helping us, and we’re helping them. That’s what it’s about here as well.
What will it take for you guys to shock the ACC? What has to go right for you to win?
We have to win the football games. That’s the obvious answer, but for us, we have to do every little thing right.
The margin for error is small. I’ve said that all day. We have to do everything right, from the way we watch the tape to the way we prepare and the way we play.
How important is it to have experience in this defense and know what it takes to be successful?
I think it's huge. Now when we watch tape, we're watching ourselves, whether it's a good play or a bad play. Last year, we were watching other teams because we didn't have tape of ourselves doing it.
That's the key. Being in those games, when the sun is beating on your neck and you've actually run those plays, it just hits different.
This year, it's about understanding that and understanding how Coach Eliot thinks. His play-calling style is different from our previous coordinator's, and I think that's going to be big-time for us this year. You're going to see a different type of defense.
You went up against Jacarrius Peak a lot in practice. What makes him such a good offensive tackle?
It's like rushing against a defensive lineman. That's what makes him so good. He's so athletic. He's got great feet. I feel like I'm rushing against myself.
That's what makes him different from any other tackle I've gone against. People can talk about size or whatever, but he's got great feet. Then, when you get into power, he's strong, too. He's a versatile player, and I wish him the best of luck down there.
You open with Virginia, then Vanderbilt and Louisville. We'll know a lot about this team pretty early, won't we?
You know, college football has so much parity, especially in the ACC. For us, we're just training to win every game. We're not really worried about who we're going up against.
Basically, all we need to know is the personnel and how we're going to beat them.
You talked about the culture being one of the main reasons you stayed. You guys do team-building activities throughout the offseason. What's an example of something that has brought the team closer together?
I'll give you one. We do something called the Wolfpack Olympics, and it's where you get to see the different talents guys have.
We had a singing competition, which I participated in. I don't think my score was fair, but it's okay. Then we do a free-throw challenge and things like softball.
It's those little conversations in between, getting on the bus and transitioning from one thing to another. Being able to see guys in a different light when they're not all amped up and ready to play football.
It's like, "Hey man, tell me about your life. Tell me who raised you. What's your why?" That's really what it's about. It's less about what you're doing and more about spending time together.
There wasn't any video of the singing competition, so I have to ask: What song did you sing?
I sang "When We Were Young" by Adele.
I put my heart into it. I gave it everything I had. I got all sevens. I'll take it. It was all right.
Can you give us a sample?
Nah, I ain't going to do that for y'all. (Laughter.) I don't want to break the microphones up here or shatter y'all's cameras.
For a team that finished 4-4 in the ACC last year, where does that next step come from to post a winning conference record?
Like I said before, I think you asked me a similar question. It's about doing all the little things right.
When you understand the margin for error is small, you realize there's not a game where we can relax. We've got to start strong and finish strong.
I think that's something we can build on from last year—finishing games. Then our fans are there in the second half, and we have them behind us.
What's the key to finishing strong and having good fourth quarters?
I think it's about your mindset. It's about helping guys understand that we're trying to do something special here.
For us to do that, we can't let our foot off the gas at all. It falls on the team.
How much does it help having your defensive coordinator back for another season?
It helps a lot because you don't have to learn a new scheme, and you get to know him more as a person.
Obviously, after everything he went through last year, it makes you want to play even harder for him. You get to know him on a deeper level, and I feel like that's going to be key for this year.
As a defensive lineman, what's it like when you see the ball go up in the air, it lands in your arms, and you get to return it for a touchdown?
To be honest with you, I tell everybody this—it was a gift.
My last thought was, "Don't step out of bounds."
After that, you just start running. I tell guys that's the most peace of mind you'll ever have. I don't know how to explain it, but every time I've carried the ball in a game—which hasn't been many times, a lot more in high school—that's the most peace of mind you can have.
Not a thought is going through your head. It's just straight adrenaline.
How many times have you watched that play since that night?
Too many times, to be honest with you.
Like I said, I'm just so thankful to God for the opportunity. It was big time.
Why is CJ Bailey such a good face of the program and a good leader?
Because CJ is about people. He's personable. He's not too good for anybody.
He's somebody you look at and he always has energy. He's uber-talented, and he's just a guy you want to be around.
Who wants a quarterback nobody wants to be around? I think that's why he's such a great face for us.
If you could speak directly to NC State fans about this season, what would you say?
Come out, be loud, and be proud.
Please stay the whole game because we need you guys. I'm just thankful for everything y'all do for us.
