NC State football’s 2023 sacks leader gone from roster. What coach Dave Doeren said Monday

N.C. State football had a busy Monday morning.

Defensive end Red Hibbler is no longer listed on the Wolfpack roster, while head coach Dave Doeren announced during his press conference there will be shakeups at various positions.

Hibbler, a senior, led the team in sacks last season (6.5) and was ranked No. 9 in the ACC. He recorded six tackles in four games this fall as a reserve. Hibbler, a junior college transfer, was listed on the depth chart as the No. 2 right end behind Travali Price.

A spokesperson for the athletic department did not provide any additional information about Hibbler’s removal from the roster.

But a source close to the program said Hibbler is considering not playing the rest of the season so he can redshirt and preserve a season of eligibility to use next year.

Two Wolfpack players, running back Jordan Houston and quarterback MJ Morris, took similar routes in 2023 when they decided at midseason to redshirt before entering the transfer portal.

Doeren also noted displeasure in the team’s performance against Clemson on Saturday, especially on defense. He expects this week’s practices to be highly competitive.

“When you watch the film, there’s several guys that are playing really hard and there’s several guys that aren’t,” Doeren said. “A lot of positions are being evaluated. A lot of people are being challenged. It’s going to be a competitive week. There’s going to be positions that are going to change.”

No depth chart was released in the weekly game notes.

Here are takeaways from Doeren’s weekly press conference.

Belton will not start on offensive line

Left tackle Anthony Belton will not start the game against Northern Illinois due to his ejection at Clemson for spitting on an opposing player. The other player reportedly spit on Belton first, Doeren said, but the head coach reminded the O-lineman that he cannot react in those situations.

Doeren said he was “disappointed” in the situation. Belton’s ejection put strain on the team, because the staff had to shift the entire offensive line around.

“That’s not a representation of him. He’s a great young man that made a bad mistake, and he’ll pay for it,” Doeren said. “Our hope is he’ll grow from it and get better. When things get heated, you’ve got to respond, not react; take that second and take a breath.”

McCall remains day-to-day

Doeren did not have an update on graduate quarterback Grayson McCall’s injury. He missed the last game and the second half against Louisiana Tech. Doeren previously said the team received good news on McCall and that it’s not a season-ending injury.

“Grayson is getting better,” Doeren said. “Excited to see CJ (Bailey) progress, and we’ll see where we end up. But I don’t have any medical information for you to change where we’re at yet.”

DJ Jackson expected to miss NIU game

Defensive tackle DJ Jackson left the Clemson game early. Doeren said the redshirt sophomore experienced soreness after the game. The staff plans to be without him against the Huskies. Doeren hopes Jackson can return next week against Wake Forest, but he could not make any guarantees.

All defensive positions up for grabs

Doeren said the staff will reevaluate the personnel at every defensive position this week. The team tackled poorly, did not win the line of scrimmage, did not get off blocks, and it lacked toughness at the safety and corner positions. He wants to see more aggressive play and better communication.

Who plays at various positions will change, he said. The competitive depth allows the Pack to make adjustments.

“It’s a collective effort. When you have seven of eight drives score points (against Clemson), it’s not one position group, it’s multiple position groups,” Doeren said. “It’s more about the identity of playing hard, tough, together that needs to show up. I’m excited to see that happen this week. I know there’s going to be a lot of enthusiasm on that side of football to get it right.”

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Defense will remain a 3-3-5 scheme

Doeren gave a decisive, “No,” when asked if the program had considered switching to a 4-3-4 or 3-4-4 defense.

“We’ve led the ACC in defense three years in a row...you’ve got to get out there and you’ve got to execute it. Doesn’t matter what defense or offense you run. If 11 guys aren’t doing their job, that’s a bad one. We have a scheme that’s proven. We have a coach that’s good at coaching it. We have players that need to step up and do what they’re coached to do.”

The team struggled with containing opposing offenses in the first four games. It ranks No. 94 in the nation for rushing defense (167.8 yards per game) and No. 106 in total defense (414.5 ypg). N.C. State comes in at No. 127 for scoring defense (37.8 points per game).

Asking fans to stick through tough times

Doeren acknowledged the frustration he’s heard from members of the fan base, saying he and the players share the frustration.

Despite their disappointment with the results, he asked that they stick and fight with the team.

“We share your frustration in a big way when we don’t play well,” Doeren said. “Know that nobody’s more disappointed than I am when that happens.”

Doeren said having people backing you up helps when things get tough. The enthusiasm, passion and spirit makes Carter-Finley Stadium a difficult place to play, as well.

“There’s a lot of fair weather people and bandwagon people out there in the world these days, and the Wolfpack needs to be the version that’s not that way,” Doeren added. “I watched it last year with our team, and then it came back. I watched it with our basketball team. This needs to be a group of people that supports these kids because they’re going to fight.”