RALEIGH -- Despite ending a four-game losing streak Saturday, N.C. State's football coaches are still shuffling their defense in an effort to find a stronger combination.
Freshman cornerback Jarvis Byrd is set to make his first start when the Wolfpack plays host to Clemson at noon on Saturday. The new depth chart released Monday by coach Tom O'Brien shows Byrd starting at boundary cornerback. The previous two weeks, Byrd backed up redshirt freshman C.J. Wilson at that position.
Wilson remains in the starting lineup, though. He will move to field cornerback, where he played earlier in the season, and will replace DeAndre Morgan as a starter.
Morgan now will back up Wilson on a team that's giving up 29.6 points per game - the third-highest total in the ACC.
Byrd showed N.C. State's coaches he was ready to play during the open date following an Oct. 17 loss at Boston College during which another freshman cornerback, Rashard Smith, suffered a season-ending knee injury.
On schedule to redshirt this season after the first seven games, Byrd was installed as a backup to Wilson against Florida State and Maryland. Byrd played 14 snaps and made four tackles at Florida State, then played 30 snaps with two tackles in last week's 38-31 defeat of Maryland.
"He seemed to feel right at home and wasn't awed at all at Florida State," O'Brien said. "He got more playing time on Saturday, did a very good job on Saturday. Wilson has played to the field. After evaluations Saturday, they were the two best corners we have."
