The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JULY 2018 ■ 143 Name Pos. Starts Johnathan Alston WR/CB 21 Caught 41 passes for 391 yards and three touchdowns while making eight starts at receiver his first three sea - sons. He moved to defense and redshirted in 2016, set- ting up a senior year this past fall in which he started all 13 games at corner and had 54 tackles, two picks and a team-high eight passes broken up. He received a camp invite with the Miami Dolphins. Cole Blankenship OL 0 Signed to play center, he redshirted in 2013 and did not receive any game action a year later. He decided to leave football following the 2014 campaign. Bra'Lon Cherry WR 21 Picked up an offer after a good performance at NC State's summer camp, and parlayed that into a solid career for the Wolfpack. He caught 87 passes for 1,144 yards and six scores, and added two rushing touchdowns. He was also a good punt returner, averaging 10.9 yards with one touchdown on 51 attempts. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons, but did not make the team. Matt Dayes RB 24 NC State nearly lost him to Vanderbilt during the coaching change. He played as a true freshman and finished his career with 2,856 rushing yards, fourth most in school history, and 34 running scores, which are the third most. The Cleveland Browns drafted him in the seventh round in 2017. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, mainly on special teams. Jerod Fernandez LB 43 The four-year starter was a steady linebacker for the Pack, finishing first or second on the team in tackles in three of his four seasons. He concluded his career with 311 stops, 18.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, six passes broken up and five interceptions. He earned a camp invite from the Washington Redskins. Kenton Gibbs DT 0 Had a promising preseason camp in 2013 cut short when he tore his Achilles tendon. He played 10 games a year later and made 13 stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack, and had a fumble recovery at Syracuse. However, he never played again, with injuries forcing him to take a medical hardship. Joshua Jones S 32 After a promising redshirt freshman season in 2014 when he nabbed four interceptions, second in the ACC, and was honorable mention College Football News Freshman All- American, he slumped during an uneven 2015 season, although he still finished third on the team in tackles with 63. He put it all together in 2016, leading NCSU with 109 tackles and three interceptions. That led to his decision to leave school early for the NFL Draft, where he was picked in the second round by the Green Bay Packers. He contributed 71 tackles, five passes defended and an interception as a rookie. Ali Kassem OL 0 The 6-7, 340-pounder was a juco transfer that played almost exclusively on special teams for two seasons. Pharoah McKever WR/DE/TE 2 He started his career at receiver before moving to defen - sive end after redshirting in 2013. His 82-yard pick-six at Syracuse was one of the defining moments of the 2014 campaign. He moved to tight end during bowl preps for the 2015 Belk Bowl, and caught an 82-yard touchdown against Mississippi State. As a redshirt junior, his blocked punt led to the only touchdown in a 10-3 win over Notre Dame. Following the 2016 season, he left as a graduate transfer to Florida International, where he caught 26 passes for 294 yards and three scores. That helped him earn a camp invite from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Malcolm Means DB 0 Redshirted and then played primarily special teams the following year, making six overall tackles. He was dis - missed from the team during the 2015 season. Joshua Mercer RB 0 The speedster redshirted his first year and then was dis- missed from the team without ever playing. He played a year at Butte College in Butte Valley, Calif. Monty Nelson DT 10 Was named a second-team Freshman All-American in 2013 by Athlon after he started five games his rookie season and had 32 tackles, including 8.5 for loss. A serious knee injury that required microfracture surgery limited him the rest of his career, and he had only 4.5 tackles for loss over his final three seasons. Dawka Nichols RB 2 The speedy and capable ball carrier had a hard time get - ting an opportunity due to a combination of injuries and a crowded backfield. He finished his career with 81 rushes for 402 yards (4.9 per carry) and three scores before a gruesome knee injury against Syracuse in week five of the 2017 season ended his career. His most memorable performance came two years earlier against the Orange, when he ran 12 times for 78 yards and a score. Quinton Patterson LB/FB 0 Was originally signed as a linebacker. However, he moved to fullback after enrolling and redshirted in 2013. The fol - lowing summer he transferred to Gardner-Webb where he moved to defensive end and finished his career with 58 stops and 7.5 tackles for loss. Sean Paul CB 0 Played special teams as a true freshman, but injuries limited his career, and he took a medical exemption prior to the 2017 season. JuMichael Ramos WR 10 Switched his pledge from Georgia Tech to NC State after Dave Doeren was hired. His promising freshman season (24 receptions for 352 yards and three scores) led into a perplexing sophomore year when he caught one pass for seven yards. He rebounded as a junior to lead all Pack re - ceivers with 34 catches for 457 yards and three scores, but a serious knee injury forced him to redshirt in 2016 and limited him to two catches for 49 yards and a TD in 2017. Tylar Reagan OL 0 After redshirting in 2013 and not seeing the field a year later, he transferred out of the school to be closer to his mother, who was battling breast cancer. Patrick Roane OL 0 Redshirted his first year and then gave up football. Artemis Robinson LB 0 Goes down as the last commitment secured by former NC State head coach Tom O'Brien. The younger brother of former NCSU linebacker Terrell Manning redshirted in 2013 and then missed 2014 with a shoulder injury. He played in two games in 2015 and made one tackle before being dismissed from the team. Bryant Shirreffs QB 0 Joined the class after being recommended by former Pack quarterback and College Football Hall of Fame coach Jim Donnan. He filled in as a wildcat QB his freshman year, and ran for 158 yards and a score while completing 4 of 5 passes for 17 yards and another touchdown. He transferred to Connecticut after the season and became a three-year starter, throwing for 6,375 yards with 30 scores and 19 interceptions. He retired from football after suffer - ing a concussion late in his senior season. Jack Tocho CB 36 NC State was the lone major offer for him, but he started seven games as a true freshman and went on to finish his career with 123 tackles, 26 passes broken up and six interceptions. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings and spent last season on its practice squad. Maquez Valdes-Scantling WR 11 Was the last recruit to join the class, but he was one of the first to make an impact. He started the first three games of the 2013 season as a true freshman and caught 44 passes for 538 yards and a score over two years before transferring to South Florida. In a pair of seasons at USF, he hauled in 72 passes for 1,161 yards and 10 touch - downs. He set a single-season school record there with 879 receiving yards in 2017. After a stellar showing at the NFL Draft combine, where he checked in at 6-4, 206 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds, he was drafted in the fifth round by the Packers. Dravious Wright S/NIC 37 The lightly recruited prospect proved to be a success story. He became a three-year starter, mostly at nickel and was noted for his hard-hitting ways. He wrapped up his career with 168 tackles, 10.5 stops for loss, an impressive seven forced fumbles (tied for sixth most in school history), three fumble recoveries and seven passes broken up. He received a training camp invite with the Los Angeles Rams, but did not make the team. Class Of 2013 Summary Although he was not heavily recruited, cor- nerback Jack Tocho had a productive career at NC State. He started 36 games and fin- ished with 123 tackles, 26 passes broken up and six interceptions. PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL