The winner of the 2023 Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, the 2023 Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defensive player, and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Payton Wilson was a four-star recruit out of Orange High School in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He missed his freshman season of 2018 due to knee injuries, but came on in 2019, and never looked back. In the Wolfpack’s 2023 season, Wilson totaled six sacks, 22 total pressures, 92 solo tackles, 67 stops, and he allowed 24 catches on 37 targets for 221 yards, 164 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 47.2.
Linebackers have been devalued to a degree in the NFL, but linebackers like Wilson, who has such impressive and efficient versatility, don’t come around every day, either.
