COACH TALK: Rotation Shaping Up At Cornerback
Cornerback is one of the least experienced positions on NC State's roster, so cornerbacks coach George Barlow has certainly had his hands full this fall preparing his group for the 2018 season.
The depth chart for the season opener was released on Monday, and there wasn't a ton of surprises given what we knew coming out of fall camp.
| POSITION | STARTER | RESERVE |
| Right Cornerback | Nick McCloud | Maurice Trowell |
| Left Cornerback | Kishawn Miller OR | Chris Ingram |
Junior Nick McCloud is by far the most experienced returning cornerback for NC State. He started seven games last year, including the Sun Bowl win, and earned the start against Vanderbilt as a true freshman.
The Wolfpack is 7-1 in games McCloud has started, and the 6-foot-2 defender has shown the ability to lockdown wide receivers. In fact, NC State moved him around some in 2017 on various wideouts, showing a level of trust in McCloud.
However, Barlow wanted to see improvements from McCloud in 2018.
"Overall understanding of our defense, confidence, and playing with that edge," Barlow said of the improvements he has seen from McCloud. "He’s definitely done that. His attitude has been great, his work ethic has been really good, but the thing he’s really done is make sacrifices off the field to get better. Not only for himself, but also to help bring along the other guys by sharing his knowledge and giving back -- all those things have helped him to improve.
"The biggest thing I need him to work on is confidence. Being in position, being confident and poised, that no fear no panic mentality. That’s what I’ve challenged him to work on, [and] he’s definitely improved on that."
Behind McCloud will be redshirt senior Maurice Trowell. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder spent his first four seasons as a wide receiver before shifting over in the spring, a transition part-time 2017 starter Johnathan Alston made as well.
"That was one of the things he looked at because JA was in a similar position because he hadn’t played a lot at wideout, but had the tools to play either position," Barlow said of Trowell. "He wanted to make the transition. Whether they’ll be successful, just wanting to or buying in.
"Maurice has definitely been all in, and he’ll definitely be able to help us. He'll get better and better all year, just like JA did as the season [went] on."
What has the transition been like for Trowell?
"It’s been up and down for Maurice just because he's so green at the position," Barlow stated. "He has the natural ability and he has the want-to. On the days he’s on, he’s on, he’s as good as anybody out there, he just needs to continue to learn the defensive mentality and scheme.
"It's just consistency. A lot of it is because he just doesn’t know, but he continues to get better. Everyday he does something where you’re like, 'He’s getting it, he’s getting it.'"
The left cornerback position is currently up in the air, but it appears junior college transfer Kishawn Miller will get the start against James Madison. Miller impressed in fall camp with his play after missing spring practice due to an injury.
"He’s made up a lot of ground," Barlow said of Miller. "He started out a little slow because he had a pretty severe knee injury, but as camp went on he got better and better every day and that’s what you want to see. He has a chance, just like everybody else, to where he’s done enough that we feel comfortable enough to put him in the game.
"We knew he had the talent, otherwise we wouldn’t have recruited him, but it was a matter of how he bounced back from his knee injury. He’s done that and shown he can still put his foot in the ground, transition, and the thing that’s been a pleasant surprise is how fast he’s grasped what we’re trying to do on defense and seeing what they’re doing offensively, understanding the concepts and putting himself in a position to make plays. He’s had a really, really good camp, continuing to improve every day."
Miller doesn't fit the profile of most cornerbacks recruited by NC State. Height and length have been a priority on the recruiting trail, but Miller checks in at just 5-foot-9. Clearly that didn't prevent Barlow from targeting him heavily out of Georgia Military College.
"The camp that we saw him, he stood out with his ability to transition and make plays," Barlow said. "But, it was also his passion for the game and how hard he plays and how physical he played and how explosive he was for his size.
"If you’re going to get a guy who’s not necessarily six feet, you want them to transition and make plays, but you also want them to be explosive and aggressive and play with a chip on your shoulder and that’s what he does. He’s one of the smaller guys and plays with a chip on his shoulder and has a passion for the game and makes up for the size. He’s one of those guys."
Expected starter Chris Ingram has been dinged up, but Barlow likes the sophomore's mindset coming out of fall camp.
"He’s come in with the right attitude and worked at it," he said. "He’s been really good. The thing that’s really helped the game slow down for him is his grasp of the defense.
"He’s playing with a lot more confidence than he has and just like Nick he’s put himself in a position to make plays way more than he has in the past. He’s really improved, probably one of our most improved guys back there."
A wildcard at the position is true freshman Teshaun Smith. A towering cornerback at 6-foot-3, Smith needs to add weight to his frame, but Barlow raves about his potential.
"Teshaun has actually been a pleasant surprise," said Barlow. "He’s definitely in the mold of what we’ve been recruiting with the taller and longer guys that can transition and cover. Where he’s been a pleasant surprise, he’s a thinner guy so you worry about the maturity of his body, but he’s handled the transition from high school to college really well.
"He’s been one of our more consistent guys and has been really impressive for a true freshman to be able to do what he does. A lot of times, they’ll come in and have the athletic ability. But as far as being able to learn the defense and showcase the athletic ability, they struggle to do both this early. He’s done both, showcasing his ability and learning the defense and be where he needs to be."