2018 Football Roster
Sep 6 (Sat)
12:00pm
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Payton Wilson
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Hillsborough, N.C.
- High School:
- Orange
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 240
2023 SEASON:
• The winner of the 2023 Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker).
• The winner of the 2023 Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player).
• The 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
• A unanimous, consensus first-team All-American. He was honored by AP, AFCA, FWAA, Walter Camp and the Sporting News, along with CBS Sports, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, PFF, College Football Network, Bleacher Report.
• Just the fourth unanimous consensus All-American in school history.
• The Butkus National Linebacker of the Month for September.
• Led the ACC and ranked fifth in the FBS in tackles with 11.5 per game.
• Boasted 17.5 TFL for the season - the 10th best mark in school history.
• 138 total tackles was almost double the rest of the team.
• Had a pick six in the win over Clemson, he scored by diving into the endzone.
• Led the ACC in tackles for loss, ranked 10th in sacks and fifth in fumbles recovered,
• Had two pass breakups on third down in the win over Miami.
• Named the ACC Linebacker of the Week for the UConn, Louisville, Marshall, Clemson and UNC games.
• Has 23 career double-figure tackle outputs, including nine in 2023.
• Led the team in tackles in every game this season except Clemson when he left early with an injury and Wake Forest.
• GPS clocked him at 23.7 miles per hour to chase down the ball vs. Notre Dame.
• A finalist for the Nagurski Trophy.
2022 SEASON:
• Hard-hitting linebacker who ranked 15th in the ACC in tackles per game.
• Led the team in tackles at No. 5 Clemson with 11 and at UNC
• Ranked third on the squad in total tackles with 83.
• Tallied 2.5 tackles for loss, including 2 sacks, in the win over Virginia Tech.
• Left the opener with an injury and missed game two, but came back to play 53 snaps and lead the team in tackles in the win over Texas Tech.
• A semi-finalist for the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year Award.
• Co-recipient of the Ken McNeill Iron Wolf Award, given to the player with the biggest comeback from injury.
• A second-team preseason All-American according to Athlon.
• Missed spring practice as he continued to rehab following surgery.
• A second-team preseason All-American according to Athlon.
2021 SEASON:
• Suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the loss at Miss. St..
• Named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award, Bukus Award and Nagurski Trophy.
• Also missed 2021 spring workouts after undergoing surgery on both shoulders.
• Ranked second among all returning Power 5 linebackers in tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage in 2020 with 25. Only teammate Isaiah Moore had a higher mark.
• A first-team preseason All-ACC choice according to Athlon.
2020 SEASON:
• A first-team All-ACC performer in 2020 on both the AP and the official league teams.
• Led the ACC in tackles per game with 10.8 - the first Wolfpack player to do so since 2000. That was the highest tackles per game mark for a Wolfpack player since Earl Wolff in 2012.
• Ranked fourth in the FBS in overall tackles, 13th in tackles per game.
• Three-time ACC Linebacker of the Week.
• Leads all returning ACC players (eighth in the Power 5) in pressure rate with a 17.6% mark (among players with at least 75 pass rush snaps in 2020).
• Ranks third among returning ACC LBs (with at least 75 tackle attempts in 2020) in tackle percentage with a 90.3% mark.
• In 2020, boasted a 7.2% run stuff mark (tackles at or behind the line on designed runs). That mark ranks second among returning ACC LBs, fifth in the P5.
• Tallied 38 tackles on pass plays (dropbacks) in 2020, most among P5 LBs. Among the top 30 on the list, only four other players had a better yard allowed/tackle mark.
• On 22 targets, allowed just 98 yards passing -- 4.5 yards/attempt. He did not allow a passing touchdown all season and his opponent QBR was 10.8 - tops among ACC linebackers and third in the FBS.
• Team leader in tackles for loss with 11.
• Last PoW honor came in the regular season finalé vs. Georgia Tech when he led the team with 11 tackles while playing with two dislocated shoulders.
• Also led the team with 10 tackles in the win over Syracuse - including the sack on third and goal that sealed the win.
• Named ACC LB of the Week for that performance against the Orange.
• Ranked ninth in the league in tackles for loss (11.5).
• Pulled down two interceptions in the win over Duke. He was the first Wolfpack player with a pair of INTs in the same contest since Jerod Fernandez picked off No. 1 Florida State twice in the 2014 matchup.
* Finished with a team-high 19 tackles vs. the Blue Devils, the most for a Pack player since Earl Wolff had 19 vs. Clemson in 2012.
• Named the ACC LB of the Week for that performance.
• A fourth-team preseason All-ACC choice according to Athlon.
2019 SEASON:
• Led the Wolfpack in tackles even though he came off the bench in all but one game that he played in.
• Leading tackler for the Wolfpack at Wake Forest with 11, he tied for the team lead vs. Florida State (7) and also led the team vs. UNC.
• 14 tackles vs. UNC tied as a team-high for the season.
• Earned his first career start vs. Clemson - he left early with an injury and missed the Lousiville contest.
• Named a preseason freshman All-American by the FWAA.
2018 SEASON:
• Suffered a second knee injury in the summer and underwent surgery.
• Enrolled at NC State in January of 2018, but missed spring drills as he rehabbed from a high school knee injury.
HIGH SCHOOL:
• Played OLB at Orange High School for coach Van Smith.
• Career Stats: Tallied 266 tackles, 70 TFLs, 24 sacks, two interceptions.
• Senior Stats: Made 103 tackles, including 21 for loss and 10 sacks, plus a pick-six, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Also rushed 67 times for 222 yards and five scores and pulled down 15 receptions for 263 yards and four TDs. Compiled 754 all-purpose yards.
• Junior Stats: Had 127 tackles, 39 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
• Honors: Named the Raleigh News & Observer’s Player of the Year and the Male Athlete of the Year/ Also named Big 8 Defensive Player of the Year. A team captain. Selected to the U.S. Army All-American Game. Also invited to the Shrine Bowl
• Won a state championship in wrestling and also played lacrosse. In lacrosse, was named Big 8 all-conference and all-metro.
• Rankings: No. 67 prospect nationally by 247sports.com. No. 4 outside linebacker nationally and No. 3 prospect in North Carolina. A 4-star recruit by both rivals.com and 247sports.com.
PERSONAL
• A high school lacrosse player - he once scored six goals in one game. He was also a state wrestling champion.
• Brother Bryse is a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Major: Graduated in December of 2022 with a degree in education.