The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1087622
62 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WOLFPACK FOOTBALL Headlining the group was quarterback Ryan Finley, who is aiming to join four other former NC State signal-callers in the NFL next season. Finley threw for 10,501 yards and 60 touchdowns while completing a school-record 64.5 percent of his passes during his Wolfpack career. He ranks sec- ond in many of the program's passing categories to Philip Rivers, including in passing yards, passing efficiency rating, completions and attempts. Finley, though, is not likely to be the first NC State player chosen. That will probably be a battle between center Garrett Brad- bury and wide receiver Kelvin Harmon. Bradbury, fresh off a strong performance in January's Senior Bowl at Birmingham, Ala., was NC State's eighth consensus All- American and won the Rimington Award for college football's best center in 2018. Harmon left school early and is viewed by some as a potential first-round pick. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at NC State, joining Torry Holt and Jerricho Cotchery as the only NC State receivers to achieve that feat. He was first-team All- ACC in 2018 after hauling in 81 receptions for 1,186 yards and seven touchdowns de- spite sitting out the Pack's bowl game. Fellow wide receiver Jakobi Meyers will also be at the combine. Like Harmon, Mey- ers left school a year early after setting a program record with 92 receptions in 2018. He had 1,047 receiving yards and four scores en route to being named first- team All-ACC. He also participated in the Senior Bowl with Bradbury and Finley. Joining Bradbury in the offensive line drills at the combine will be NC State's starting left tackle for the past three years in Tyler Jones. He earned an invite to the East-West Shrine Game in January at St. Pe- tersburg, Fla., and was named first-team All-ACC in 2018. The Athletic's Dane Brugler listed him among 15 players on his "Underrated NFL Prospect Team," noting Jones "has the skill set to be a starting guard in the NFL" and "looks like the mid-round version of Isaiah Wynn," last year's 23rd overall pick out of Georgia. Rounding out the invites was linebacker Germaine Pratt, another first-team All-ACC performer in 2018 and Senior Bowl partici- pant. He was second in the ACC last season with an average of 9.45 tackles per game and likely would have led the conference in total tackles had he not missed two games, including the bowl. The NFL Combine took place Feb. 26 to March 4 in Indianapolis. Roster Undergoes Changes Ahead Of Spring Practices In addition to wide receivers Kelvin Har- mon and Jakobi Meyers, who both left after their junior seasons to turn pro, the Pack has had several other players leave the program in the offseason. Offensive tackle Philip Walton Jr., nickel Freddie Phillips Jr. and cornerback Vernon Grier all departed as graduate transfers. Walton and Grier played sparingly, while Wide receiver Kelvin Harmon turned pro after his junior season and is projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN NC State Adds Transfer In early February, Coastal Carolina sophomore defensive end Jeffrey Gunter thought he knew his next stop. He had made the decision to transfer, and after an official visit to Syracuse he was certain he was headed to the ACC. Turned out he was correct — he even had the right division of the league. He just won't be suiting up for the team he first figured. After originally picking Syracuse, Gunter re-evaluated his decision and is running with the Wolfpack, announcing the news Feb. 26. "I was always a NC State fan coming up, and when I had the opportunity to play here it was like fulfilling a lifelong dream," Gunter, a product of Riverside High in Durham, N.C., admitted. The 6-4, 255-pound Gunter proved himself at the Sun Belt Conference level. He was named first-team all-conference as a sophomore, when he had 49 tackles, 14 stops for loss, five sacks, two passes broken up and one blocked field goal. Gunter announced his decision to transfer in January, and a whole new recruiting experience unfolded for him. "The transfer process was different to say the least," he noted. "I wasn't highly recruited out of high school, so having big-name programs call me meant a lot to me." Gunter is excited about the new reality that he will be playing ACC football near his hometown. "This is a dream come true, having all my family there with," Gunter noted. "I really couldn't ask for a better situation." Barring a waiver, Gunter will sit out next season and then have two seasons of eligibility left. — Matt Carter Defensive end Jeffrey Gunter notched 49 total stops, 14 tackles for loss and five sacks as a sophomore at Coastal Carolina this past fall. PHOTO COURTESY COASTAL CAROLINA ATHLETICS