McNeill Making An Early Impact
Alim McNeill was a four-star recruit in the 2018 class, one of NC State's best signees. However, he has had the hardest change to make of any newcomer, as he moved from linebacker, the position he played in high school, to defensive tackle.
"It's a different world inside," defensive line coach Kevin Patrick said of McNeill's transition. "Compared to end or linebacker... inside you have two points of contact at all times on you. You have to learn to play with a base, play low, and you have to be a beast down there. We knew it would take some time for him to adjust.
"I feel like I’ve settled in pretty good," McNeill said. "It’s only my 40th or so practice as a D-lineman, and I love it a lot. These guys make me love it more than so far. The playbook is off the top of my head for me now, I study it every night.
"The biggest change was to just having the mindset of a lineman. As a linebacker you still have to use your hands, escape, peak. The mindset of a d-lineman is different than any other position. You’re down in the dirt, getting gritty, using all your weight, all your body. It’s not as much running which I like. It’s the mindset you need to have."
McNeill has come off the bench in the first two games. He played 24 snaps in the opener and followed that up with 34 snaps in the Georgia State win. McNeill totaled two tackles and 1.5 sacks against the Panthers, and he vividly remembers his first career sack.
"It was a stunt for me," he said. "The guard wrapped around, the quarterback stepped up. I forgot who else was there, but we came down on him. I was going to destroy him, but I saw Isaiah [Moore] coming and he cleaned him up. I finished him.
"It was good to get that sack under my belt, it builds confidence for me."
That was the half sack... his first full sack came later in the game when he pummeled Georgia State quarterback Dan Ellington.
"I thought they might throw a flag," McNeill said, laughing. "I did think I was kind of high and thought I may get a flag. I just went along with it. I also got up looking to celebrate, but I didn’t know what I was going to do."
McNeill is one of just three true freshmen defenders to play this year for the Wolfpack, and he admits he's been all ears when it comes to listening to the upperclassmen.
"I listen to literally everybody ahead of me," he said. "Sometimes Chubb and BJ come back, and I’ll ask them for tips. Mainly E [Bryant], he’s like a big brother to me. He tells me everything. He moved from 3-tech to nose, but he still knows everything from over there (at 3-tech). They’re all a great help."
For McNeill, playing at NC State is a dream come true. The former Raleigh (NC) Sanderson star lives just minutes from the Wolfpack's campus, and that played a role in his decision and has helped ease his transition to college.
"It’s been crazy," McNeill said. "I get about 100 texts from people asking for tickets. It’s pretty cool being from Raleigh, family is 15 minutes down the road, they come to every game. I see a lot of friends every day, people from Sanderson, it’s pretty cool."