The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1000643
56 ■ THE WOLFPACKER QUARTERBACKS his 6-4 and 210-pound frame would help. "We obviously want him to gain some weight, continue to get his weight up to 215 and hold it," Drinkwitz said. "We want to see him make more consistent throws down the field. There are some games that we didn't win, that if he made a couple of game-changing throws we would have had a better chance to win. "Focusing on those and then continuing to provide leadership to this football team and not letting anybody get complacent or buy into the hype." The hype has been real this offseason, with USA Today doing a feature on Finley and Bucky Brooks of NFL.com calling the Pack leader one of five quarterbacks to watch thanks to his efficiency in a "West Coast offense-like system." The NFL Draft discussion will likely be a talking point in the media all year, assuming Finley is playing well. Drinkwitz noted he expects his quarterback will be dissected thoroughly and pub- licly, but that's the territory that comes with being a possible high pick in the current landscape of high salaries and year-round draft coverage. "You have to look for things, but we also need to remember that these owners are investing multi-million dollars into these first- round draft picks," he explained. "The more information they can have, the more informed decisions they can make. "On the flip side for Ryan and for us, the more information we have for the process, the more he can be prepared for it and we can be prepared for it." The other looming question in the fall is about who will emerge as NC State's quarterback of the future — redshirt freshman Matt McKay or true freshman Devin Leary. Either is one play away from taking over the Wolfpack offense. "It's a combination of making sure that they can grasp the infor- mation we're giving them, but also playing with speed," Drinkwitz said. "We have a saying: 'You're dead when you're in your own head.' You can't be overthinking and playing football. "You have to be able to relax and make plays, but the only way you can relax is to knowing the information and processing infor- mation on the field." ■ Sicklerville (N.J.) Timber Creek head coach Robert Hinson knew that Devin Leary had the potential to be a star quarterback before he even arrived at high school. Leary had generated some buzz as an eighth-grader, and private schools in the region — including some in nearby Philadelphia — were hoping that the signal-caller would enroll with one of them. Yet Leary's friends that he had played with or against grow - ing up were going to Timber Creek, and he wanted to be with them. "I think it says a lot about what kind of kid he is in terms of loyalty and how much he values friendships and how much he values the experience," Hinson said. "He wanted to play with his guys. "That was a big part of it and says a lot about who he really is." Leary waited behind a talented senior in Khalil Troutman in the fall of 2014 until Troutman was injured during a 32-12 win over Winslow Township in the first round of the Group 4 playoffs. With Troutman at less than 100 percent, Leary helped Timber Creek beat Kingsway High in overtime in the semifinals and then win at Triton High in the annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving. Hinson turned back to the senior Trout - man — who had thrown for almost 2,400 yards and rushed for more than 400 yards in his final season, and who would eventually sign with Morgan State — for the state title game against Shawnee High in Medford, N.J., which Shawnee won 28-7. "In hindsight, [Leary] may have at that time given us the better chance to win because our other quarterback was still hurt," Hinson said. "We knew from then on he had a chance to be pretty special." Leary's success on the field has been undeniable. In his first full season as a starter, the sophomore completed 181 of 284 passes for 2,605 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading Timber Creek back to the state title game. This time, though, his squad beat Shawnee in a rematch. As a junior, Timber Creek rolled to a 12-0 record and a repeat Group 4 championship. Leary completed 198 of 316 passes for 3,688 yards with 48 scores and just four picks. He set a state single-season record in passing yards and touchdowns, and was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year. Although Leary did not three-peat for Tim - ber Creek his senior year, he was once again named Gatorade State Player of the Year after he threw for 2,863 yards and 31 scores. "Athletically he's a legitimate high-4.6, low- 4.7 [seconds in the 40-yard dash], which is plenty fast for a quarterback," Hinson said. "We just don't ask him to do it. "From an arm standpoint — I've been coaching high school 22 years now — I've never had a kid or coached against a kid with that arm strength." But Leary's attributes extend past his physical skills. "He is a quarterback," Hinson said. "He [ran] all our offseason workouts. He's very involved in seven-on-seven in the summer. He was a captain as a sophomore and junior and probably could have been a captain as a freshman. "He could have been a four-year captain in our program. It's just that 'it' factor there." All of which made Leary an attractive target for colleges. Baylor, Boston College, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Wake Forest and West Virginia were among the programs that gave him offers, but he picked NC State. Wolfpack wide receivers coach George McDonald and offensive coordinator/quarter - backs coach Eli Drinkwitz led the recruitment. "He handled the recruiting process about as well as you can for a high-profile quarter- back," Hinson noted. "I know he and his family are happy." — Matt Carter Leary was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in New Jersey his final two campaigns after throwing for a combined 6,551 yards and 79 touchdowns at Sicklerville (N.J.) Timber Creek. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN Quick Facts Position Coach: Eli Drinkwitz (third season) Returning Starter: Ryan Finley (26 career starts at NC State and 29 total) Starter Lost: None FYI: Athlon ranks the NC State quarterback group No. 2 in the ACC and No. 14 nation- ally … Athlon tabbed Finley as a first-team All-ACC performer … Lindy's has Finley as the No. 11 quarterback in the country, first-team All-ACC and the "most accurate passer" in the league … Lindy's, courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com, ranks Finley as the No. 5 quarterback draft prospect … Street & Smith's selected Finley as first-team All-ACC, the Wolfpack's "top NFL prospect" and the "best passing QB" in the conference … Rivals. com ranked redshirt freshman Matthew McKay as a three-star recruit and the No. 41 player in North Carolina's class of 2016 … True freshman Devin Leary was ranked as the No. 240 overall prospect and the No. 9 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2018 by Rivals.com … Leary was invited to the Rivals.com Five-Star Challenge and Nike Elite 11 Quarterback Camp before his senior year, and then played in the Polynesian Bowl in Hawai'i Jan. 20. Getting To Know: Devin Leary