N.C. State announced the addition of assistant coach Aaron Henry to its football staff on Friday.

Henry, 28, was hired to replace Clayton White, who left in December to become Western Kentucky’s defensive coordinator. Henry will coach N.C. State’s safeties. He was the defensive back coach at Rutgers last season and spent the previous two years as a graduate assistant at Arkansas.

“The Wolfpack was a top 25 defense last season and I’m looking forward to working with that staff and helping us get even better,” Henry said in a statement released by the school. “The young men that I’m going to have an opportunity to coach are very talented. I can’t wait to get started.”

Henry was an all-Big Ten safety at Wisconsin in 2011 and started 32 games in his career and helped the Badgers reach the Rose Bowl in three straight years. He was recruited to Wisconsin by N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren, who was an assistant with the Badgers in 2007 when Henry committed to play there.

“I’ve known Aaron since his junior year of high school and I’ve proudly watched his career as a coach,” Doeren said in a statement released by the school. “He’s a really charismatic, intelligent young coach who is experienced beyond his years and I know that he will bring great enthusiasm and expertise to our defense. He’s worked with some tremendous defensive backs, head coaches and coordinators and has great recruiting ties in the state of Florida that will really help us.”