The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1000643
62 ■ THE WOLFPACKER RUNNING BACKS in the 2018 class by Rivals.com, he enrolled early at NC State after a stellar senior season at Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage High during which he rushed for 2,230 yards and 38 touchdowns. Person then shined in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game, winning North Carolina's Offensive MVP after rushing 15 times for 180 yards and two scores while also catching a touchdown pass. However, he did not participate in many activities during the spring after having wrist surgery. "The benefit of him enrolling early is it allowed our doctors and our trainers to help repair that wrist that he had injured in his playoff run in high school," Kitchings said. Another Wake County product enrolling for the fall is Trent Pennix from Sanderson High in Raleigh. He rushed for more than 1,200 yards as both a junior and a senior. Although not as highly ranked as Person, Kitchings fully anticipates Pennix making an immediate contribution. "With our roster situation, he's a guy that has an opportunity," Kitchings said. "The expectation is that he'll come in and be a con- tributor until he shows us that he can't." The quest for another 1,000-yard running back will likely start with Gallaspy, but the supporting cast will be an open audition. "It's going to be a great competition," Kitchings said. "Obviously Reggie is established, and then you look at the rest of the group from Ricky to Trent to Nakia to Damontay. Where are those other four guys going to fall in line? "It's going to take two to three backs to make it through the season." ■ Ricky Person Jr. enrolled early at NC State, but was limited in spring practice due to a wrist injury suffered in high school. He's still expected to make an instant impact during his rookie year. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Quick Facts Position Coach: Des Kitchings (7th season) Returning Starter: None Starter Lost: Nyheim Hines (21 career starts) FYI: Athlon listed the Pack running back corps as the eighth best in the ACC … Senior Reggie Gallaspy II led the state of North Carolina in rushing as a senior at Southern Guilford High in 2014 with 3,318 yards … Walk-on redshirt junior transfer Damontay Rhem rushed for 5,326 career yards at East Wake High in Wendell, N.C., before signing with UNC Pembroke … Redshirt freshman Nakia Robinson Jr. was a three-time regional finalist in track in the hurdles … Freshman Ricky Person Jr. was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game, where he rushed four times for 39 yards, including a 35-yard run that was the East squad's longest play of the game … Person was Rivals. com's highest-rated player in North Carolina (No. 85 nationally) to stay in-state for col - lege … Freshman Trent Pennix was rated as the No. 25 recruit in the state by Rivals.com. ■ By The Numbers 5 Years in a row, starting in 2013, in which NC State has rushed for at least 2,000 yards as a team in a season. 10 Years in a row prior to 2013 when the Wolfpack rushed for fewer than 2,000 yards as a team. 945 Rushing yards needed this season for senior Reggie Gallaspy II to become the 14th running back in school history to reach the 2,000-yard mark for his career. Running Back Roster STARTER No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 25 Reggie Gallaspy II Sr. 5-11 236 High Point, N.C. He will look to build off his strong closing game of 2017, when he rushed 11 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 52-31 win over Arizona State in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 20 Ricky Person Jr. R-Fr. 6-1 212 Wake Forest, N.C. Rivals.com rated the early enrollee as the No. 5 recruit in the state and the No. 4 all- purpose running back in the nation. 24 Nakia Robinson Jr. R-Fr. 5-11 193 Miami The former All-Dade County performer had a good spring game, carrying the ball nine times for 87 yards and a touchdown. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 33 Brady Bodine 5th-Sr. 5-10 202 Camp Lejeune, N.C. The walk-on from Camp Lejeune High is one of the best special teams players on the team. 26 Trent Pennix Fr. 6-2 200 Raleigh Rivals.com rated him as the No. 37 running back nationally after he rushed for 1,247 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at Sanderson High. 5 Damontay Rhem R-Jr. 5-11 221 Wendell, N.C. The former East Wake standout walked on after transferring from UNC Pembroke and will have a chance to get into the backfield rotation. 39 Darius Walton Fr. 5-7 160 Elizabeth City, N.C. Walk-on from Northeastern High ran for 487 yards and three touchdowns while hauling in an additional 604 yards and five scores through the air as a senior. ■ Preseason Analysis **** Among country's best; *** Among ACC's best; ** Solid or has potential; * Too unproven Starter **½ Senior Reggie Gallaspy II has rushed 232 times for 1,055 yards (4.6 per carry) and 13 touchdowns while serving as a backup running back for the past three years. He's waited patiently for this opportunity and will provide a power back to compliment what should be a wide-open passing attack. Experience *½ The ball carriers behind Gallaspy on the depth chart have combined for zero career carries with the Wolfpack. While Gallaspy has played in 37 games at NC State, he has only averaged 6.3 carries per contest in his career, including 9.0 a game last year. Depth *½ The three scholarship running backs behind Gallaspy are all either true or redshirt fresh - men, meaning the depth is unproven. That said, Ricky Person Jr. was a four-star signee, and both Nakia Robinson Jr. and Trent Pennix had other Power Five options, so there is talent among them. Overall grade ** The bet is that the combination of Gallaspy's experience and the talent among the new - comers will be enough to carry the load, especially when NC State has a potent passing game to assist them.