Pack Pride Podcast

The fireworks started early on the 4th of July for NC State fans, with the Wolfpack landing two of its top defensive targets in the 2023 class. In-state nickel Tamarcus Cooley jumped on board first, which was followed by Florida safety Daemon Fagan later in the evening. Michael and Cory break down the two highly-touted defensive backs, where they fit in the 3-3-5 system, how important they are to the overall class and what their commitments mean for the rest of the class.

The NC State baseball season came to a shocking close less than one month ago, but the program is already looking forward to the 2023 season. One of the main reasons for that is the potential return of Sam Highfill, the Wolfpack's expected ace who missed more than half the 2022 season due to a back injury. Highfill joined Cory to talk about joining the Pack of Wolves NIL Collective, his NIL opportunities, not being able to play at the end of the 2022 season, the chances he returns one more year and more!

In this edition of the Pack Pride Podcast, Cory is joined by 247Sports college football analyst and co-host of The Block podcast Blake Brockermeyer. The former Texas and Carolina Panthers offensive lineman discusses his thoughts on what makes NC State a College Football Playoff contender this year. Brockermeyer also breaks down his take on Devin Leary being a potential first-round pick, why the Pack's defense is "the truth," the 3-3-5 scheme ran by Tony Gibson and much more. Listen to the full podcast below to hear Brockermeyer's full thoughts on the Pack's chances to be an elite team this season.

Kevin Keatts and NC State are inching closer toward completing the 2022-23 roster, with the latest addition this offseason coming in Joel Justus being added to the staff. 247Sports basketball analyst Travis Branham jumps on with Cory Smith to give his take on Justus joining the Pack, his impact as a recruiter and developer of talent. Branham also discusses what the return of Terquavion Smith means for State, the transfer players coming in, the overhauled staff as a whole and if this team can compete for an NCAA Tournament berth. Listen to the full podcast to get Branham's thoughts on the Pack this season!

It's been a wild offseason for NC State basketball, but Kevin Keatts got another big win on Wednesday with the hiring of Joel Justus. Cory and Miles discuss his addition, what he brings to the program and why Wolfpack fans should be excited about the overhauled staff as a whole. The guys also take a look back on the players landed in the portal, Terquavion Smith's return, what a healthy Greg Gantt and Ernest Ross will bring along with much more on this podcast.

NC State has won multiple National Championships in the last several months, but now it can claim a World Champion in ... cheese rolling? Abby Lampe joins Cory on this week's podcast to discuss her victorious tumble in the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling race, her love for NC State as a fourth-generation Wolfpacker, her plans for the Gloucester cheese and much more! Lampe's portion of the podcast starts at the 37:50 mark. Prior to the interview with Abby, James and Cory take a look back on the previous week, including Tommy White's transfer, landing Carter Trice, football recruiting and look ahead to what's to come in the next month!

NC State's backcourt has been rejuvenated since last season with players like Jarkel Joiner entering the program, Breon Pass progressing and Terquavion Smith returning. Cory and Miles were joined by Joiner and Pass to discuss the offseason on the latest Twitter Spaces session. What does the return of Terquavion Smith do for the program? Why did Joiner decide to come to NC State? How has working with the Pack of Wolves impacted their offseason? What is their outlook for the upcoming season with the pieces coming back? We touch on it all in this week's Space!

One year after being sent home early by the NCAA from the College World Series, NC State was left home despite having a more than compelling case for being in the NCAA Tournament field. Alec and Andrew give their honest opinions of the decision to leave the Pack9 out of the field in the latest Sawyer & Ciencin. How did the Pack compare to teams that narrowly made it into the field? What are their thoughts on the justification from the NCAA? How awful is this for players like Devonte Brown and J.T. Jarrett? They touch on all of that and more.

After posting two wins behind a hot offense in Charlotte earlier in the week, NC State is set to play in the ACC Tournament Semifinals for the third straight postseason. Alec and Andrew shot a live Twitter Spaces session on Friday to discuss the week and the upcoming game. What led to the bounce back performances in thus far in Charlotte? How impressive has Tommy White been in his first ACC Tournament? What should Pack9 fans expect from Pitt on Saturday? We break it all down on this podcast!

Both the men's and women's basketball teams are currently in the middle of wild offseasons that have seen three or more players signed for each. Miles and Cory join a Twitter Spaces session to talk about the latest moves, the fits for the transfers and what might come next in the portal. The guys also break down the upcoming decisions for Terquavion Smith and Dereon Seabron, an update on the assistant coaching search, Ashley Williams' hiring for WBB and much more! Listen to the full Spaces session below on the Pack Pride Podcast feed.

Monday night was another blowout episode at Amedeo's, this time with three offensive linemen joining James and Cory in the booth. Tim McKay, Bryson Speas and Grant Gibson discussed joining the Pack of Wolves NIL Collective, replacing Ikem Ekwonu, expectations for the 2022 season, protecting Devin Leary, the return of Chandler Zavala, cooking shows, NFTs and much more! In the second portion of the podcast, Alec Sawyer jumps on to break down the woeful weekend against Wake Forest for the Pack9. How important is this week for NC State to get into the NCAA Tournament? What happened to the offense? And how important was the Saniya Rivers pickup this past week? We discuss it all on this week's podcast!

After a tough week in Raleigh, the Wolfpack went on the road and took a series over Duke before returning home to put up a 20-burger against UNCG. Alec and Andrew take a look back on the four games and what the Pack9 must do this weekend against Wake Forest. The guys also break down the possible scenarios for the ACC Tournament heading into the final weekend, including what must happen for the Pack to earn a Top 4 seed. Also, a look at how the play of multiple freshmen has picked up and could be crucial for State heading into the postseason.

This offseason has been one of the wildest ever, with the transfer portal and NIL taking center stage over the last several months. Michael Clark joins Cory and James to discuss the state of the Wolfpack recruiting and how NIL has affected this offseason. The guys also break down the significance of Chandler Zavala's return, the NCAA trying to govern NIL and the Wolfpack football team as a whole.

NC State dropped a befuddling series to UNC at home due to two late collapses, then did the same against UNCW on Tuesday in Wilmington. Andrew and Alec take a look back after covering the series, with one in the booth and one in the press box. What happened late in the games against UNC? How much of an impact did the weather have on Saturday's loss? Can the Pack9 bounce back this coming weekend at Duke? The guys discuss those topics and look at some of the performances from #PackPros in this week's episode!

The best linebacker trio in the ACC is ready to get back on the field this fall, and they joined James and Cory on Monday night to talk about their excitement for the 2022 season. Payton Wilson, Drake Thomas and Isaiah Moore joined the podcast live at Amedeo's to discuss joining the Pack of Wolves NIL Collective, getting to play together one more time and much more! James and Cory also recap the last week for NC State, including James Johnson's departure, the Pack9's series loss to UNC and both tennis programs advancing to the Sweet 16.

After building for the last few months, the Pack of Wolves NIL Collective for NC State is set to launch on Monday. Former NC State and current NFL quarterback Mike Glennon has been a part of the program since the start as a member of the Executive Board. Michael Clark sat down with Glennon to talk about his involvement in the Pack of Wolves, the importance of NIL in college sports, his thoughts on the upcoming season for NC State, how he plans to serve as an advisor for student-athletes, which players he's been working with this offseason and much more!

NC State football got a huge boost in the trenches on Thursday evening with the NCAA granting a medical waiver for offensive lineman Chandler Zavala. Not only was it huge for Zavala personally, but it was also a massive addition for the Wolfpack at a position of need after losing Ikem Ekwonu this offseason. In this emergency Spaces session on Twitter, Michael Clark and Cory Smith give their thoughts on Zavala's waiver being granted, the NCAA doing something right (for once), the heightened expectations for the Pack and much more with the Spaces audience.

It's officially UNC week. The Wolfpack is set to take on its rival on the diamond starting Friday evening with the Tar Heels making the short trip to Doak Field. Alec Sawyer and Andrew Ciencin preview the rivalry series and where things stand for the Pack9 heading into the final three ACC weekends. Aaron Fitt of D1Baseball also joins Alec in the second segment to break down the Wolfpack's season thus far. Fitt discusses where the Tar Heels stand heading into the weekend, the Pack's continued success despite the turnover this season and much more on this week's podcast!

On this week's episode of the podcast, James and Cory are joined by former NC State All-ACC forward Kayla Jones and National Champion wrestler Mike Macchiavello! Jones is currently going through training camp with the Minnesota Lynx while Macchiavello just came off winning his first US Open. The guys also discuss baseball's sweep over Radford, the upcoming series and the Wolfpack's success in the 2022 NFL Draft and free-agent signings.

NC State went into Louisville and was in every game, but fell late in two out of three to drop the series on the road. But the Wolfpack bounced back in a big way against ECU at home to kickoff a seven-game homestand over the next week. Alec Sawyer and Andrew Ciencin take a look back on the week, talk about Tommy White's ridiculous home run pace, discuss some recent rule changes by the NCAA and previewing what's coming up next for the Pack9!