The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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56 ■ THE WOLFPACKER RUNNING BACKS of the season. He didn't play in two other contests and never truly got to show the breakaway burst that made him so touted coming out of high school. "We know he can catch the ball, we know he can run the ball and he's capable of blocking," Kitchings said. "If he is able to practice and have repeat days of practice, he can continue to get better men- tally and see things and react — and then his athletic ability can take over even more so." Pennix brings a different size to the equation. He has gone from 225 pounds down to 213 this offseason and could provide some of the between-the-tackles power that was lost with Gallaspy having exhausted his eligibility. Pennix redshirted last year, but took advantage of the new NCAA rule that allowed him to play in four games. He had 22 carries for 68 yards, and caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. "It gave him some exposure," Kitchings said. "It's beneficial to a lot of freshmen to realize, 'I'm not quite ready for this.' Or they use those four games for the light bulb to go on and just carry it on the rest of the year. I think it's a good rule." Knight has also been compared to Hines due to his breakaway speed. The 6-0, 188-pounder originally committed to Duke, but eventually switched to NC State. He played in a Wing-T offense at Southern Nash High in Bailey, N.C. He showed his potential in the Kay Yow Spring Game, rushing 17 times for a game-high 139 yards and a touchdown while also catch- ing three passes for 26 yards. He will challenge for the starting job. "He's very even-keel, very observant, listening, taking in infor- mation, asking questions," Kitchings said. "Then out on the field, his speed and athleticism show. He's a tough kid." ■ Getting To Know: Trent Pennix Departed NC State running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. provided the power between the tackles last fall. The 5-11, 235-pound senior rushed 228 times for 1,091 yards and 18 touchdowns. Wolfpack redshirt freshman running back Trent Pennix hopes to fill some of that physical void, and has the frame at 6-2 and 213 pounds. "One of my goals that I sent to [co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach] Coach [Des] Kitchings was to use my body to my advantage," Pennix said. "I want to use all 213 pounds to fit up linebackers and defensive linemen — anyone that comes into the gap. "I want to do what Reggie did. He was pretty much a second lineman in the backfield [for blocking]." The former Raleigh Sanderson High standout was able to play in four games in 2018 before ultimately redshirting. He finished with 22 carries for 68 yards and had five receptions for 74 yards, the bulk of which came on a 56-yarder versus Georgia State. "It was much different this spring because I know the playbook and am getting com - fortable with it," said Pennix, who is majoring in criminology. Pennix and sophomore Ricky Person Jr. represented the class of 2018 at running back, but three freshmen have joined the duo. Early enrollee Zonovan Knight is the most likely of the trio to carve out a role next fall. "Zonovan is an explosive guy," Pennix said. "He is great to be around. If you put a great group of guys together, you can build something special." Pennix was a versatile performer at Sanderson High, where he played with NCSU sophomore defensive tackle Alim McNeill. Pennix rushed 201 times for 1,247 yards and 16 touchdowns, and caught 34 passes for 397 yards and three scores his senior year. He also added 15 tackles and two interceptions at safety. Some colleges liked him at safety or outside linebacker, and some thought Pennix could be a H-Back in the Jaylen Samuels role at NC State. He even played as an option quarterback his sophomore year, but seems to have settled in at running back. "I'm very reliable with my hands," Pennix said. "I trust my hands a lot. I need to work on when I am in the hole to get a good grip on the ball and make sure nobody rips it out of my hands." Attrition at running back almost led Pennix to play the full season as a true freshman, but NC State opted to play him in only four contests to maintain his redshirt. "I had a talk with Coach [Dave] Doeren, and he didn't want to burn my redshirt," he said. "I understood that, but I was willing to do it." — Jacey Zembal Pennix played in four games last season, and carried the ball 22 times for 68 yards while also recording five receptions for 74 yards and one score. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Quick Facts Position Coach: Des Kitchings (eighth season) Returning Starter: None Starter Lost: Reggie Gallaspy (15 career starts) FYI: Athlon listed the NC State running backs corps as the ninth best in the ACC … Prior to the recent three-year stretch, the last time the Wolfpack produced a 1,000-yard rusher in three straight seasons was 1976-78, when the ACC's all-time leading rusher Ted Brown (1,088; 1,251 and 1,350 yards, respectively) was toting the ball for NCSU … Reggie Gallaspy Jr. equaled a school record with 18 rushing touchdowns and set a new program best with 19 total scores in 2018 … The Pack returns just 32.3 percent of last year's rushing yards (598 of 1,858) … Ricky Person Jr. ranked third on the team in explosive plays (runs of 10-plus yards, and receptions or returns of 20-plus yards) last season, all 17 came on the ground, with a long run of 38 yards versus Virginia. ■ By The Numbers 5 Games when an NC State running back rushed for more than 100 yards last year. Reggie Gallaspy Jr. achieved that feat four times and Ricky Person Jr. did it once. 20 Receptions for NC State's running backs last year — Reggie Gallaspy (eight), Trent Pennix (five), Ricky Person (three), Damontay Rhem (two), Brady Bodine (one) and Tyler Baker-Williams (one) each contributed. 151 Rushing yards for freshman running back Zonovan Knight in the 2018 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game. He had a 61-yard touchdown and was named the North Carolina Offensive MVP. "He's very even-keel, very observant, listening, taking in information, asking questions. Then out on the field, his speed and athleticism show. He's a tough kid." ■ Running backs coach Des Kitchings on freshman Zonovan Knight