From redshirting to ‘making his snaps count,’ how one NC State lineman found his way back
Alim McNeill raps and makes music. Joshua Harris plays the piano. A few years ago McNeill got Harris to sing on one of his songs, but the track never saw the light of day.
The N.C. State defensive linemen have found another way to harmonize, though.
Harris, a redshirt freshman, and McNeill, a junior, along with freshman CJ Clark and sophomore Savion Jackson, have formed a wall on the Wolfpack’s goal line defense package.
In each of N.C. State’s last two games, both road wins, the defense turned offenses away at the one-yard line. N.C. State used the term “#buildthewall” to describe its “defensive rallying cry” when teams get within inches of scoring.
Against the Wolfpack this season, Pittsburgh and Virginia each had first and goal from the one. Both teams failed to penetrate the defense, due in large part to immovable players like Harris (6-4, 344 pounds), McNeill (6-2, 320) and Clark (6-3, 300) right in the middle.
On Oct. 3, Pittsburgh failed to get in the end zone on two straight run attempts, threw an incomplete pass on third down and was tackled by Harris for a loss of two on fourth down.
It was more of the same against the Cavaliers on Oct. 10. UVA started first and goal from the five, but stalled on third and fourth down thanks to stops by Harris, McNeill and Jackson.
The defense doesn’t want to be put in those situations, but when they are, those guys are confident they can turn the other team away.
“If we are in those situations we know that nobody can run the ball up the middle on us,” McNeill said.
Joshua Harris’ increasing confidence
Nobody has thrived more in those roles than Harris. And more than anything it’s done wonders for his confidence.
Harris arrived at N.C. State in 2019, the No. 3-ranked player in the class, behind Jackson and Clark. Coming out of Person High School, Harris was a four-star prospect and enrolled early to get a jump start on his college career.
Known for producing NFL quality defensive linemen, N.C. State had a strong trio that looked like it was next in line for the pros. For Harris, however, his path got derailed. He battled an injury, put on weight and ended up redshirting the 2019 season.
Harris didn’t play the first two games of the 2020 season, and the sight of him sitting on the bench alone late in Virginia Tech game on Sept. 26 made it look like he was disconnected.
He didn’t have a role and he wasn’t getting snaps. What he was doing was battling center Grant Gibson in practice every day on the scout team. That made Harris better and Gibson saw it first hand.
“Josh has improved a lot since last season, I would say his overall technique and fundamentals have improved a lot,” Gibson said. “He has helped me get ready for all the games this year. He is consistently going hard, giving me good pass rush moves and also making my run blocks tough which helps me in the game.”
And he’s nearly impossible to move one-on-one. McNeill said he doesn’t think any player in the nation could move Harris by themselves. Offensive lineman Bryson Speas said Harris is like a “mack truck.” Gibson said Harris is just starting to learn how to use his power, and confirmed that trying to push Harris off his spot is way easier said than done.
“That’s part of the reason I like going up against him,” Gibson said. “He is so strong. It’s not too many players like that.”
Doeren says Harris is ‘making his snaps count’
Harris made his season debut against Pittsburgh on Oct. 3. When he tackled the Panthers’ ball carrier in the backfield, Harris rushed to the sideline, his teammates waiting, ready to celebrate. The scene repeated itself in Charlottesville on Oct. 10 and Harris, the same player who looked dejected on the sidelines in Blacksburg, was all smiles and full of energy.
“Right now it’s my role and I love it,” Harris said. “I love being in there on fourth and one. Making a stop like that, that’s big time. I love taking on that role. If that’s what they need me to do, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Harris wants to drop weight and be an every-down player. He saw McNeill make an interception and return it for a touchdown last Saturday and wants to be able to make those kinds of plays. But for now he’s fine with being known as the goal-line stopper.
“My coach was talking about Vince Wilfork,” Harris said in reference to the longtime New England Patriot defensive lineman. “He played a long time in the league and he was known as the big guy that nobody could move and he made plays. That’s definitely a role I’ll take right now, but I plan on slimming down a bit, being able to move better and rotating with Alim. That’s a plan.”
Harris has only been on the field for 12 snaps this season, but he’s gotten a reputation so far in those 12 plays.
“He’s found a role in our defense and he’s really taken advantage of it,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “He’s not out there for a ton of snaps, but he’s making his snaps count.”
It gets gritty
The pile at the goal line isn’t for the faint of heart.
It’s thousands of pounds of players jockeying for position in small spaces.
“It gets real dirty in there,” McNeill said. “You really have to do some gritty stuff, but you do what you have to do sometimes. But it gets real gritty down there for real.”
It requires a certain mindset to succeed in that kind of environment. Harris gained confidence by going against Gibson in practice. The stand against Pitt and center Jimmy Morrissey, one of the best centers in the ACC, provided another boost of confidence.
Confidence helps, but it takes more than that to succeed. It takes power, which Harris and McNeill have plenty of, technique and good fundamentals. But it also requires a bunch of pride.
“It’s more of a pride thing than a power or technique,” McNeill said. “You have another man in front of you, they are on the one, you’re trying to keep them out. You’re just trying to get off the ball and smash somebody.”
And a good stop can take away confidence from the opposing team. After the Pitt stop, McNeill looked at the Panthers’ sideline. He could tell they were defeated from the big play.
“It diminishes the other team,” McNeill said. “If they can’t score at the one, they can’t score on us at all.”
Duke at NC State
When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
Watch: RSN
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 6:30 AM.
