Several top NFL players have started their careers at the JUCO level and worked their way up into football stardom. Players like Aaron Rodgers, Tyreek Hill, and Lavonte David have built Hall of Fame careers beginning from a community college. NC State edge rusher Cian Slone hopes to be the next in that lineage of rapid growth.
Starting his journey at American River College in California, Slone dominated there for two years and earned a spot on Utah State’s roster. From there, he became an All-Mountain West performer and ended his collegiate career playing for North Carolina State.
With 90 pressures and 22.5 tackles for a loss in his last three seasons, Slone has proven that he’s capable of wreaking havoc off the edge. He’s shown encouraging athleticism in coverage as a potential off-ball linebacker convert, and his PFSN EDGE Impact scores improved each year he played in the FBS.
One-on-One With NC State EDGE Cian Slone
PFSN spoke exclusively with Slone about his collegiate journey, playing alongside his brothers, earning an invitation to the Senior Bowl leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, and more.
JI: Your journey going from the JUCO level to Utah State to NC State is impressive. What do you attribute to your ability to make the leap at each school and play well?
CS: I know me personally, probably my family and friends. Obviously, going from JUCO to Utah State to NC State, that’s a lot of different areas. I’m from California, so I went to JUCO in California, where I was kind of surrounded by my family, and then moving to Utah, another unfamiliar spot, and then staying with NC State, just my teammates and family around me, always making me feel at home.
I didn’t once feel like I was away from my family. I feel like I kind of made a new family at each spot. So I feel like having those close people in the locker room and on the coaching staff really made it easy to play free out there.
JI: You got to play alongside your brother, Teeg, at Utah State, and your other brother, Reeve, is playing at Nevada currently. What did it mean to you to play with Teeg and have all three of you in college football at the same time?
CS: Yeah, it was awesome. I mean, me and my two younger brothers are all playing college football right now. It’s always been the goal. My dad played college football when he was playing, so we all wanted to do that. To see my two younger brothers doing their thing, balling out, and then I’m obviously very grateful for what I’ve been able to do so far, it’s been great.
JI: What was the hardest part about your transfer to NC State, and how did you overcome it?
CS: I would say just being a late summer transfer was something different. I feel like, on my last two spots, I was there for all of the winter workouts, all the spring ball. [I was] able to not take my time, but you have more time to learn the playbook and get used to the area. Being a summer transfer cuts that time down.
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But like I said before, the coaching that we had, the guys in the room, it was very easy to learn the playbook and get established into the culture. I feel like there’s not a lot of spots like NC State, meaning, NC State is a very special place, and I was grateful that I made the right decision.
JI: You had the chance to go down to the Senior Bowl. What was that experience like for you?
CS: It was awesome. I remember getting the call. I was getting ready; we were playing Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl. I was just in the hotel lobby, and I got the call. I was obviously ecstatic. [Being] given the opportunity to play against the best players in the country and show everyone what you can do, is just a hell of an opportunity. I was very, very grateful.
The Senior Bowl was a great experience. It was a business trip; you were out there competing against the best in front of all the NFL scouts, so it was a great opportunity.
JI: Watching your tape, you can really see your tenacity shine. What goes into playing with such decisiveness?
CS: It’s just controlling the controllables. I really noticed during my football career, especially in a junior college, how scarce football is. You never really know what’s gonna be your last play. Because, remember, my first year, I didn’t have any offers after my first season. [Going into the] next season was, “oh, this is kind of it: make or break”.
Doing everything you can with your preparation, your physicality, and your effort can take you a lot of places. I don’t want to leave this year with any regrets. If I took a play off, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. [I’m] going out there with that mindset and playing as hard as I can for the guys next to me.
JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
CS:Â I really just like to watch a lot of ball. It’s Saturday, we go by week. I like to watch college football, or if it’s Sundays, I like to watch the NFL. I like to lift weights; I just got done at the gym right now. I would say, when it gets a little warm outside, I like to go fishing. I was fortunate enough to live close to a lake growing up, so getting on the water, going on the boat, that kind of stuff: anything outdoors, I’d say.
I like to say I’m a good golfer, but I’m not, so I probably need to golf a little bit more. I like to go golfing. Hopefully, I can get a little bit better at that in the next couple of months.
JI: Who are some of your favorite NFL players to watch?
CS: Yeah, I would say T.J. Watt and Maxx Crosby, for sure, as regards to the edge players, just the guys just played a ton of effort, especially Maxx Crosby, how he doesn’t take a play off, and how physical he is at that point of attack. Another guy, he actually went to NC State, Payton Wilson, [you] see how fast he plays. He was a great player at NC State, and obviously, he’s balling out on the Steelers right now.
I feel like those three guys, they really control what they can control. You’re not born with effort, you know? You just have to decide to make that decision every play. I think that’s really inspiring.
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JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
CS: I would say you’ll be getting a guy who knows that he’s going to come in on Day One, do his role, and pretty much sacrifice himself for the team. When I look at my success, I look at how many wins we got. That determines how like successful we were and [how successful] I was as a player.
[You’re getting] someone that’s going to be willing to do anything for the team, and someone that loves to win and loves to compete.
