NC State isn’t starting from scratch at the linebacker spots, which is helpful, but it does have the task of replacing the best player on the 2018 defense. Germaine Pratt, alas, is a member of the Cincinnati Bengals—he’s the sort of sure tackler that doesn’t exactly grow on trees.
NC State didn’t rotate a lot of bodies at linebacker last season, keeping Pratt and fellow starter Isaiah Moore on the field a lot. Pratt was on the field for 79% of State’s defensive snaps, and that was despite sitting out a pair of games. Moore was out there for 78.