One of NC State’s top defenders returning this weekend against Liberty
The N.C. State defense will face a top-20 offense this weekend in Liberty. Good news for the Wolfpack: One of their best defenders will make his return.
Junior safety Tanner Ingle is set to return against the No. 21 Flames (8-0). Ingle has battled a nagging hamstring injury all season that caused him to miss four games this season, including the last three.
“I’m excited more than anything,” Ingle said on Wednesday. “It’s been a minute since I played some football, so just getting back on the field, I feel good, I feel back to normal so I’m just ready to go and play.”
Ingle, a co-captain, was limited to two snaps in the opener versus Wake Forest, then missed the next game at Virginia Tech. He returned against Pittsburgh and finished with nine tackles. Ingle (5-foot-10, 188 pounds) was ejected for targeting in the first half against Virginia, and left the Duke game after 39 snaps.
He’s spent the last three games watching from the sidelines. Ingle warmed up against Miami, but was not in uniform when the team returned from the locker room. Ingle said it was never his intention to play versus the Hurricanes and the warming up was part of his rehab process.
Ingle’s importance to the team is in the numbers. N.C. State is 4-0 in games he’s played in this season and 1-3 without him. In 28 career games, Ingle has registered 131 tackles. Before his season was cut short as a sophomore, he picked up 68 stops, good enough for second on the team.
The return of Ingle means junior Tyler Baker-Williams can move back to his nickelback position. Baker-Williams started the last two games at safety and led the team with 14 tackles against Miami. Baker-Williams had his first career interception last week versus Florida State. Sophomore Rakeim Ashford (Virginia Tech) and freshman Devan Boykin (UNC) each started one game in place of Ingle. The Florida native has served as a coach to the younger players while he was out.
“I’m just out there making sure the young guys know what they are doing,” Ingle said. “I watch film with them, making sure they know their plays, making sure they know their checks. On the sidelines, I try to give everyone some motivation to make sure they keep their heads in the game.”
Liberty boasts one of the best offenses in the nation, led by quarterback Malik Willis. The Flames are ranked in the top 20 in points per game (40.5), rushing yards per game (254.5) and total offense (490.9).
But Ingle’s return gives Dave Doeren valuable experience to combat the Flames.
“You just can’t replace experience,” Doeren said. “When Tanner Ingle steps on the field we go from freshman to junior and there is a lot of game experience and practice just with one player. As a coach, I can’t insert that into a guy, you have to rep it.”
This year won’t count against eligibility for any players, an exception the NCAA announced this summer. That meant Ingle didn’t feel rushed to come back knowing that he gets this year back.
“This time, after hurting it again, I just decided to take my time and make sure that I was healthy before I came back,” Ingle said. “It does take a lot of pressure off me knowing that this year I don’t even have to worry about it because I’m going to get it back regardless.”
