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College football is officially back, and there are few players in the Pirates clubhouse as invested as Bryse Wilson.

Wilson’s younger brother, Payton, is a standout linebacker at North Carolina State. Payton missed just about all of last season due to season-ending shoulder surgery, but when healthy, Bryse’s little brother is one of the more feared defenders in the entire country.

“He’s not only one of the biggest on the field at all times, but he’s probably one of the, if not the, fastest on the field,” Wilson said. “He’s a lot of fun to watch and see how much he can dominate when he’s out there.”

Payton broke out in 2020, being named First-Team All-ACC and leading the conference in tackles per game. Prior to the 2021 season, Payton was named to the preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. When asked about Payton’s play style, Bryse didn’t hesitate.

“He plays very violently,” Wilson said. “He hits people hard all the time.”

So hard, in fact, that Bryse vividly remembers one of Patyon’s defining sequences.

“He had a game his second year in college against Florida State where he, on the same drive, I believe, where he clothesline the running back twice,” Wilson said. “My brother running full speed just reaches his arm out there and completely clotheslines him.”

The Wilson brothers played together at Orange High School for two seasons. Both Bryse and Payton were linebackers -- Bryse also played on the offensive side of the ball -- and it wasn’t uncommon for them to combine for upwards of 30 tackles.

Payton still has a couple years of eligibility left, and should he continue to create problems for opposing offenses, he may join his brother in the professional ranks.

“That’s his dream and that’s what he’s working towards,” Wilson said. “He’s been working his [butt] off. That’s definitely the goal, and it would be really cool.”

Wilson isn’t the only player on the 40-man roster who has a younger brother in college football. Jaxon, the younger brother of Canaan Smith-Njigba, is a standout receiver at Ohio State and widely considered the best wideout of the 2023 draft class. In last year’s Rose Bowl, Jaxon hauled in 15 catches for 347 receiving yards against Utah, the most in a bowl game in FBS history.