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Competition for spot on Panthers' starting defense is 'neck and neck'
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- Competition for spot on Panthers' starting defense is 'neck and neck'
The Carolina Panthers ' not-so-heralded race at inside linebacker is seemingly coming down to the wire.
On Monday, following his team's latest outing of training camp, head coach Dave Canales was asked about the competition for the starting job alongside Pro Bowler Devin Lloyd. That battle has pitted 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace against fourth-year veteran Claudin Cherelus in a bit of a, well, undesirable decision to make for the defense.
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Nevertheless, they're persisting.
"Yeah, they're head to head. It's back and forth, and it's neck and neck," Canales said of Wallace and Cherelus. "Again, I've talked about this before, but these are guys who aren't just teammates—these are friends. And they understand that, they understand what they're up against.
"We could use 'em both, and we're gonna need them. The nature of the position, it's a violent spot. And both of the guys can help us on special teams as well. So we'll have to make that decision as we get closer."
Wallace has made 20 starts over his two seasons in Carolina, both of which were cut short by shoulder injuries.
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Cherelus recorded a career-high four starts in 2025, where he amassed 32 combined tackles and a pass defensed.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Competition for spot on Panthers' starting defense is 'neck and neck'
