The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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52 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2018 — those three guys have been working to- gether as quarterback-receiver their whole time here. That is really good for them. There is a lot of trust and a lot of, 'Hey, we want to do this and need to do this.'" How do the wide receivers and Finley feed off each other? "[Wide receivers] Coach [George] Mc- Donald has just done a tremendous job with that room — recruiting and develop- ing those guys and keeping competition going every single day. "The knock on wide receivers, in gen- eral, is that they're needy and need the ball. The thing about that room is they're willing to go block. They go dig out safeties and do the dirty work. "When they get the rewards of getting the ball, it's awesome. There's a lot of ex- citement because there's a chemistry there within our quarterback room and our wide receiver room. The reason why the chemis- try is so good is because you see how much work those guys put in. "The wide receivers are, in my opin- ion, the hardest-working unit on our team. Those guys are here constantly putting in extra work." What is the next step for Harmon af- ter reaching 1,000 yards receiving last year? "For us, it isn't about individual results but about collectively the team being ex- plosive on offense. In this offensive system, we've had 1,000-yard receivers before at Boise State. "For me personally, it wasn't all that sur- prising. That is just the product of what we do offensively." How are the wide receivers beyond the "big three" doing? "I think C.J. [Riley] has had a tre- mendous spring. He is more confident in himself and his ability. [Former walk-on] Thayer [Thomas] is really reliable and a really good football player. He is reliable, and he's tough. Emeka [Emezie] is coming on strong. "That group is deep. Max [Fisher] has had a really good spring pushing himself. It has been a really good opportunity for those guys." How does a good running game make it easier on the quarterback? "You can kind of go into autopilot when you're handing the ball off and getting chunk yards, and then you get the perfect look to take your shots. "It's a long day when you are forced to throw the ball, and they are able to dictate to you where those windows will be. When you're running the ball, then they have to cheat and put extra guys in the box, and that gives us an opportunity to really dial up our shots." How do you see the depth at running back with young guys such as redshirt freshman Nakia Robinson? "I think they are trying to be consistent every day and take the right steps in areas like ball security and being the same person every day. Reggie [Gallaspy] is the old reliable and a really good running back. We are excited he's on our team. He was phenomenal last year in protection and somebody you know would make sure it was right." Will it be hard to replace the blocking that former tight end Cole Cook pro- vided? How are the younger tight ends? "It's going to be hard to replace Cole Cook. Cole Cook was a very reliable foot- ball player, and in football, that is a huge deal on offense. It will be very difficult to replace his leadership and his on-the-field toughness. "You have a couple of guys work- ing the position. [Redshirt sophomores] Dylan Parham and Thomas Ruocchio have been doing a really good job of pushing themselves. [Redshirt freshman] Damien [Darden] is coming along." What impact can USC transfer and 6-foot-7 tight end Cary Angeline have this season? "I have no idea what Cary can do. I've never seen him with the ball. I've not seen him with this unit. There is still a question mark on when exactly he'll be ready to go. Whatever value he adds will be determined during fall camp. "I know we're excited about him. I've gotten reports that he's adapting well and training and all that. "We have proven playmakers that are definitely going to get the ball. If you're open, you're going to get it. I'm excited about him, but I do want to temper expec- tations." Does it start with senior center Gar- rett Bradbury up front? "Garrett is a leader, a tremendous player, has great work ethic and is very serious about taking his responsibility. The biggest thing is just being consistent every day and understanding it is their opportunity, and working on being better. "Nobody is satisfied with what we ac- complished last year. We have to continue to push and get better." How is the right tackle competition? "It is competitive between a lot of guys. [Redshirt sophomore] Justin Witt is getting a lot of those reps and played last year. There is a lot of ability in our offensive line. Our offensive line coach [Dwayne Ledford] does an incredible job of cross training guys. We'll get the best five out there." ■ Drinkwitz noted Finley has great chemistry and trust with his returning wide receivers because they've been together for so long. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN