Which position group is the best, and which has work to do? A breakdown of both sides of the ball for NC State football
New coordinators on each side of the ball. Fresh faces who are expected to step up in important positions. N.C. State starts fall camp on Tuesday, which means it’s time to take a look at the Wolfpack roster.
Dave Doeren and company went 4-8 in 2019 and missed out on a bowl game for the first time since his initial season in Raleigh. N.C. State put a young team on the field last season, and injuries up and down the roster didn’t help.
With a year of experience the team expects an improvement across the board. Despite missing out on spring practice, here is how each unit ranks based on projected starters.
OFFENSE
1 - OFFENSIVE LINE
STARTERS: Ikem Ekwonu (So.), Grant Gibson (Jr.), Joe Sculthorpe (Sr.), Bryson Spears (Jr.), Justin Witt (Sr.)
RESERVES: Derrick Eason (RSo.), Timothy McKay (RFr.), Tyrone Riley (Sr.)
BREAKDOWN: Experience matters. Ekwonu is the young pup of the group, but has seven starts under his belt and comes into 2020 as a preseason second-team All-ACC tackle. Gibson started all 12 games in 2019 (only offensive player to do so), while Sculthorpe is right behind him with 11. Whitt has 17 career starts to his credit heading into his senior year. Speas started six games a year ago as the offensive line shifted pieces. Even with the moving parts, the Wolfpack protected the quarterback well, allowing 1.5 sacks per game last season. The one downside is the experience behind the starters. Seven true or redshirt freshmen wait in the wings.
2 - RUNNING BACKS
STARTERS: Zonovan Knight (So.)
RESERVES: Ricky Person Jr. (Jr.), Jordan Houston (So.), Trent Pennix (RSo.)
BREAKDOWN: Knight emerged as the breakout star as a true freshman, leading the team with 745 rushing yards. The speedster started seven games, averaging 5.5 yards per touch. Houston, Knight’s classmate, turned out to be a pleasant surprise, second on the team in rushing, giving the team a solid one-two punch in the backfield. There is also depth with Person and Pennix. Person, a junior, has 173 carries in his career and Pennix can provide a change of pace at 6-2, 224 pounds. If the aforementioned offensive line stays healthy, this group can be fun to watch.
3 - WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
STARTERS: Thayer Thomas (Jr.), Emeka Emezie (Sr.), Devin Carter (So.), Cary Angeline (Sr.)
RESERVES: C.J. Riley (Sr.), Max Fisher (Jr.), Keyon Lesane (So.), Porter Rooks (Fr.), Dylan Autenrieth (Sr.), Dylan Parham (Sr.)
BREAKDOWN: Between the three expected returning starters at wide receiver and Angeline at tight end, there are a combined 144 catches returning. Emezie led the team in catches a year ago (56) and Thomas was consistent with 31 catches in 10 starts. Carter gained valuable experience after Riley went down with a season-ending injury in game one. Riley returns to give the quarterbacks a fourth option and Rooks, the top recruit in the class of 2020, should be in the mix from day one. Lesane led the team with 7.4 yards after catch.
4 - QUARTERBACKS
STARTERS: Devin Leary (So.)
RESERVES: Ty Evans (R-Fr.), Bailey Hockman (Jr.)
BREAKDOWN: It was a revolving door under center last season with three different starters. Leary will enter camp as the day one starter, after ending 2019 with five straight starts. Leary threw for 1,219 yards in his limited duty with eight touchdowns, but led the team with five interceptions as well. Hockman started two games, going 1-1 so there is at least another QB on the roster who has taken live snaps.
DEFENSE
1 - LINEBACKERS
STARTERS: Louis Acceus (Sr.), Isaiah Moore (Jr.), Payton Wilson (R-So.)
RESERVES: Drake Thomas (So.), Jaylon Scott (So.), Vi Jones (Jr.), Calvin Hart Jr. (RSo.)
BREAKDOWN: This is probably the most experienced and deepest unit on the defense. Senior Louis Acceus returns from injury to lead the group. Moore was third on the team in tackles last season. Wilson only started one game in 2019 and led the team with 69 stops. Thomas (3) and Hart (2) each had starts as true freshmen and combined for 52 tackles. Jones played in 27 games at USC before transferring to N.C. State.
2 - SECONDARY
STARTERS: Tyler Baker-Williams (Jr.), Malik Dunlap (R-So.), Chris Ingram (Sr.), Jakeen Harris (So.), Tanner Ingle (Jr.)
RESERVES: Jalen Frazier (R-Fr.), Taiyon Palmer (R-So.), Shyheim Battle (R-Fr.), Khalid Martin (R-Fr.), Nehki Meredith (Fr.), Teshaun Smith (Jr.)
BREAKDOWN: Baker-Williams started three games a year ago, but played a total of 499 snaps, giving the Raleigh native valuable experience at the nickel. Good thing because there are two freshmen as his backups. The cornerback spot is a bit more stable, with Ingram and Dunlap. Ingram has started 19 games and started five a year ago. There are high expectations for the reserves, who don’t have as many reps, but are loaded with talent. The Wolfpack will have a lot of size on the boundary with four corners — Dunlap (6-3), Ingram (6-0), Battle (6-2), Cecil Powell (6-1), Smith (6-3) — all at least six feet tall. Ingle has started 18 games in two years in Raleigh and will be a steady presence from his safety spot.
3 - DEFENSIVE LINE
STARTERS: Alim McNeill (Jr.), Ibrahim Kante (Jr.), Daniel Joseph (Sr.)
RESERVES: C.J. Clark (R-Fr.), Terrell Dawkins (R-Fr.), Joshua Harris (R-Fr.), Savion Jackson (So.), Val Martin (Sr.).
BREAKDOWN: There are plenty of bodies ready to be thrown into action along the defensive line. McNeill has started in eight games in two seasons, while Kante started six a year ago. After that there aren’t a lot of guys who have seen valuable snaps. Joseph comes in from Penn State, so there is game experience there. Jackson and Martin are the only two out of the top five reserves who played last year, the rest are redshirt freshmen with big potential.
This story was originally published August 1, 2020 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Which position group is the best, and which has work to do? A breakdown of both sides of the ball for NC State football."
