How NC State defensive line transfer Corey Durden solidifies the Wolfpack’s depth chart
In an 8-part series, the News & Observer and Herald Sun will be examining NC State’s football depth chart position by position as the season opener on Sept. 2 at Carter-Finley Stadium draws near.
The N.C. State coaches knew their newest defensive lineman passed the eye test, but they wanted to see him in pads before they gave any analysis.
Walking through the door, Florida State transfer Corey Durden looked the part. He’s 6-4 and weighs 310 pounds, exactly how you would want your defensive lineman to look. But they hadn’t seen him on the field yet. Once practice started, though, it’s easy to tell the staff was impressed.
“To be honest with you in all of the years in this game, he’s just different than anyone I’ve had,” Wolfpack defensive coordinator Tony Gibson explained. “He can go inside and anchor down and play nose, he can go outside and play a four technique. He can go out on the edge and be a pass rusher. He is a guy who can do a lot of different things.”
The only player N.C. State lost on defense was nose tackle Alim McNeill, now with the Detroit Lions. C.J. Clark, a redshirt freshman who played in all 12 games a year ago, is likely to replace McNeill in the starting lineup, but Durden will be on his heels for playing time.
Durden announced in January that he was transferring to N.C. State after playing in 32 games for the Seminoles. He didn’t arrive in Raleigh until June, missing out on spring practice. But, he jumped right into the mix of summer workouts, and it didn’t take long for Durden to feel welcomed by his new teammates.
“It was just my work ethic,” Durden told the News & Observer. “The coaches were telling me I didn’t have to be cool for these guys, that they would accept me by just working and that’s what I did from the first day here, and they accepted me.”
According to Gibson the defensive line group needed an older guy in the room with McNeill moving on. Before Durden arrived, Daniel Joseph was the only senior in the room. The rest of the group is mostly freshmen and sophomores. Durden provides not only an older voice, but a guy who can step in and contribute right away.
What led Durden to Raleigh was fellow FSU transfer Cyrus Fagan, who also transferred in January and went through spring drills with the Wolfpack. The only other person he knew on the roster was linebacker Vi Jones because they both were recruited in the same class at Florida State. Durden knew the biggest challenge would be being accepted by his new teammates., especially since he was coming from a division rival. As soon as he showed up, the defensive line room welcomed him with open arms.
“I got a room full of good guys,” Durden said. “No toxic relationship, it’s competitive driven, but everyone is on the same page. I’ve been in rooms where it’s a competition and you wouldn’t talk to the dude behind you where you all are battling and it’s not like that (here).”
Durden is learning a new position, having never played the zero or nose guard position before. That’s where Clark has the edge, but like Gibson alluded to, that won’t keep Durden off the field. He’s interchangeable along the entire defensive line, a 310-pound Swiss army knife that Gibson will use at any time during battle.
“Some guys are just nose guards or defensive tackle types and we have our ends,” Gibson said. “He can do it all. He’s different than anyone we have on the roster right now. He brings a different piece of game to it.”
With 10 starters back on the defense, Durden, no stranger to Power 5 football and having been around so much talent at FSU, is even in awe of the guys he’s playing with in Raleigh.
“We got some dogs on defense right now,” Durden said. “I never had an opportunity to play with linebackers, the way that I have right now. From the ones to the twos, our linebackers are dogs.”
Durden said he’s happy to be a part of the Wolfpack, accepted from day one by his teammates and even former players who surprised him by reaching out. Shortly after arriving in town, Durden received a call from former defensive end Bradley Chubb, now with the Denver Broncos. Durden hopes to continue that tradition of former N.C. State defensive lineman drafted, so to hear from one of the best meant a lot to him.
“He gave me some pointers, we were talking football,” Durden said. “To have the opportunity to connect with dominant players like that, it’s special and it just shows you the type of place that this is and the type of players who have come through here.”
Projected NC State defensive line depth chart
STARTERS | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
Savion Jackson (SO) | 6-2 | 290 |
Daniel Joseph (SR) | 6-3 | 265 |
C.J. Clark (RFR) | 6-3 | 300 |
RESERVES | ||
Corey Durden (JR) | 6-4 | 310 |
Terrell Dawkins (FR) | 6-4 | 245 |
Ibrahim Kante (JR) | 6-4 | 263 |
Davin Vann (FR) | 6-2 | 296 |
Joshua Harris (FR) | 6-4 | 350 |
Previous NC State preview installments
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Wide receivers
Special teams
Other Triangle ACC previews
Defensive line
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Wide receivers
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 5:15 AM.
