NC State is banking on Harvey Dyson to bring immediate juice off the edge, and his final season at Tulane gives plenty of reason to believe the Wolfpack landed a difference-maker.
Dyson, who transferred from Tulane, is projected to take over the starting JACK linebacker job in defensive coordinator DJ Eliot’s defense. That spot was held by Cian Slone, who used up his eligibility after the 2025 season.
The JACK role in Eliot’s system is a little different from the label on the depth chart. It’s listed as a linebacker position, but in practice it functions as an edge-rushing spot built to attack quarterbacks and force chaos in the backfield. Slone handled that assignment in Eliot’s first year at NC State, and Dyson now looks set to step into it for 2026.
His 2025 numbers at Tulane explain why NC State went after him so hard in the portal. Dyson posted 36 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, earning Third Team All-AAC honors along the way. He led the American Athletic Conference in sacks, finished third in tackles for loss and put up a 90.4 Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade, which ranked 19th nationally among edge defenders.
Dyson’s path also brings some real mileage. Before his time at Tulane, he spent his first three college seasons at Texas Tech, giving him experience across both Power Four and Group of Five programs. That kind of background should help as he joins a Wolfpack defense that is replacing several key pieces from last season.
NC State is expecting him to be a major part of the front right away, starting with the opening game.
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