NC State will travel to Nashville to face Vanderbilt in its second road game of the season. Here are several names to watch for the Commodores ahead of the matchup.
No. 2 QB Jared Curtis, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Fr.
A former five-star quarterback from the 2026 recruiting class, Curtis stepped in for Blaze Berlowitz and led Vanderbilt to a 35-26 win over Delaware, throwing for 210 yards and one touchdown. The Nashville native has a large frame at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, but he also has the mobility to make plays with his legs when needed. Curtis has a big arm, can operate within the offense's timing, and can create explosive plays on his own.
During his final high school season, Curtis was named a MaxPreps All-American after leading his team to an 11-0 record. He passed for 2,073 yards and 36 touchdowns with six interceptions while adding 614 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
If I were NC State's defense, I'd do my best to generate as much pressure as possible while maintaining rush-lane integrity, forcing Curtis to operate from the pocket and keeping him from extending plays with his legs when the play breaks down.
No. 28 HB Sedrick Alexander, 5-foot-9, 207 pounds, Sr.
The Commodores' leading rusher through two games, Alexander was the team's second-leading rusher last season behind former starting quarterback Diego Pavia. Alexander has breakaway speed, with his longest run last season going for 65 yards. Alexander has still been consistent and efficient, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. However, he hasn't broken a big run through two games this season, with his longest going for just 18 yards. NC State has to make sure that doesn't change this week.
No. 0 WR Junior Sherrill, 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Sr.
Sherrill is Vanderbilt's biggest deep threat and No. 1 receiving option this season. He was a close second on the team in receiving last season and has stepped up to lead the room this year.
Sherrill has nine catches for 164 yards through two games, averaging 18.2 yards per reception. However, he has yet to score a touchdown this season.
No. 5 DL Issa Ouattara, 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, Gr.
Ouattara could be a big problem for NC State's offensive line. He has a massive frame at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds and is in his fourth year with the Commodores.
Although he hasn't always filled up the stat sheet with sacks and tackles for loss, he's still a force up front. Through two games this season, he already has two sacks, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and six total tackles.
With how many defenders Vanderbilt likes to line up at the line of scrimmage, Ouattara is someone NC State can't forget about. At his size, he's also someone I could see tipping a few passes at the line of scrimmage. How NC State handles Ouattara and the rest of Vanderbilt's defensive line will be key to CJ Bailey's performance.
No. 24 LB Nick Rinaldi, 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, Gr.
Rinaldi will be one of the leaders of Vanderbilt's defense. He's spent all five years of his college career with the Commodores and has been a reliable starter for multiple seasons.
Including the first two games of this season, Rinaldi has 136 career tackles, 12 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries. He's also on pace for a career-best season. Rinaldi isn't known as a ball hawk, though, with his lone career interception coming during his sophomore season.
Regardless, he'll be a force in Vanderbilt's run defense and will be tasked with preventing Duke Scott from having another big game. NC State's offensive line will have to know where Rinaldi is on the field at all times. The Wolfpack should run away from him as much as possible to give Scott the best chance to break off big runs.
Quick Notes for Vanderbilt
Scoring offense: 31.5 points per game (fifth-to-last in the SEC)
Total offense: 367 yards per game (fourth-to-last in the SEC)
Passing offense: 224 yards per game (fifth-to-last in the SEC)
Rushing offense: 143 yards per game (fifth-to-last in the SEC)
Yards per pass attempt: 8.0
Yards per rush: 3.8
Passing touchdowns: 1
Rushing touchdowns: 5
First downs: 37 (second-to-last in the SEC), including 15 rushing and 22 passing
Third downs: 9 of 27 (33.3%, second-to-last in the SEC)
Fourth downs: 4 of 7 (57.1%, fifth-to-last in the SEC)
Turnovers lost: 0
Penalties: 15 for 109 yards
Points allowed: 17.5 per game (fourth-to-last in the SEC)
Total defense: 258 yards allowed per game (eighth in the SEC)
Passing yards allowed: 178 per game (ninth in the SEC)
Rushing yards allowed: 80 per game (eighth in the SEC)
Sacks: 11 (second in the SEC)
Interceptions: 2 (tied for second in the SEC)
Opponent completion percentage: 50.9% (second in the SEC)
Punting: Eight punts for 348 yards
Net punting average: 43.5 yards
Field goals: 2 of 2
Touchback percentage: 75%
