The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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64 ■ THE WOLFPACKER OFFENSIVE LINE "Riley has been great this summer," the coach said. "He spent a lot of extra time. He comes up here and he'll say, 'Coach, what are we going to do today?' He wants a plan, and he's excited about developing." Fifth-year senior tackle Emanuel McGirt Jr., a once touted four- star signing, is also competing and trying to overcome injuries in his final shot to get on the field. "He had a great spring," Garrison said. "I'm excited to see what he can do, and I know what he can do. I think he can accelerate his game even further. "I didn't know McGirt before, but just seeing the excitement in his eyes with rejuvenation and what he has become, it's very exciting." Redshirt sophomore guard Bryson Speas has bulked up to nearly 290 pounds on his 6-4 frame and will also be in the mix to get playing time. "He's a smart player," Garrison said. "He is going to take the right angles and put himself in the right positions. We just have to continue to get him stronger." Likewise, redshirt junior tackle Kendall Brown could also com- pete for time after building his size up to 288 pounds following a weight loss earlier in the spring. "His rear end, back and shoulders, everything has filled out," Garrison said. "He is trending in the right direction, and not to just to be a backup or role player. He can be a potential starter, as most of them can. He has put himself in that situation." ■ NC State redshirt sophomore Grant Gibson has learned from his own family the value of making sacrifices for the greater good. His grandfather was the first African-American to enroll as a student at Clem- son University. One story that he vividly remembers hearing is how his great- grandmother asked her son not to sit near a window for fear that he might get shot from far away. "He had to fight through it because he wanted for his grandchildren and his kids to have their lives improve," Gibson noted. "I understand that somebody that was close to me fought hard for me to get where I am today. Without him, I might not be here. Obviously I know how important the stuff he did was. I'm just blessed that somebody close to me worked hard for me to get here today." Gibson now lines up on the offensive line at NC State, which was not the posi - tion he intended to play in college. As a four-star prospect at state powerhouse Mallard Creek High in Charlotte, he wanted to be a defensive tackle. He even showed promising early signs for the Pack at the position, winning the team's Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year award while redshirting in 2017. However, Gibson's offensive line coach at Mallard Creek always told him he would end up on offense in college. He warned the player that he would call his old coach up one day to let him know he had been moved to the other side of the ball. Sure enough, a few games into the 2018 season, head coach Dave Doeren asked Gibson to move to offense. His high school line coach could only laugh, but his long-ago prediction helped Gibson take the move in stride. "I called my dad before because I knew they would ask me, and he said, 'You got to do what's best,'" Gibson recalled. "And I felt like this was not only best for me, but best for the team at this point." Gibson has already seen the benefits of making the change. "I feel like offensive line is where I am supposed to be," he admitted. "For a long time, I was just trying to fight it and stay away from it. But this is where I am supposed to be at." The timing could work well for Gibson. NC State must replace Garrett Bradbury at center. The consensus All-American and Minnesota Vikings' first-round draft choice leaves a significant void and a wide-open competition behind him. Gibson has some experience at the pivot after playing center at Mallard Creek. He noted that snapping "came back to me quickly" last fall. "I'm not mad about being moved to offense," said Gibson. "I'm enjoying it. I love playing over here with the guys. I'm just blessed to be here." — Matt Carter Gibson made the move from defensive tackle to the interior offensive line shortly after the start of the 2018 season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Quick Facts Position Coach: John Garrison (first season) Returning Starters: Joshua Fedd-Jackson (13 career starts) and Justin Witt (12) Starters Lost: Garrett Bradbury (39), Tyler Jones (45) and Terronne Prescod (28) FYI: NC State's offensive line was ranked No. 4 in the ACC by Athlon … Athlon also named junior guard Joshua Fedd-Jackson a third-team preseason All-ACC choice … Fedd-Jackson was dubbed the No. 4 non-senior guard for the 2020 NFL Draft by ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. … He was the only NCSU player to make Kiper's positional rankings … Redshirt junior Joe Sculthorpe was a preseason third-team all-conference pick by Lindy's … Freshman Dylan McMahon's older brother Ryan started a school-record 53 straight games at center and was an All-ACC performer at Florida State … Freshman Ikem Ekwonu's twin brother, Osita, signed to play linebacker at Notre Dame … Fresh - man Timothy McKay's older brother is redshirt sophomore quarterback Matthew. ■ By The Numbers 3 Consecutive seasons of 1,000-yard rushers at NC State, and all by three different running backs. The Pack has never had four straight years of 1,000-yard rushers. 11 Sacks allowed last season, the fewest at NC State since the 2002 Gator Bowl squad also surrendered just 11. NC State's 0.85 sacks allowed per game was best in the ACC and ranked fifth nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). 13th Florida Atlantic's ranking in the FBS for sacks allowed last year (1.17 per game) under new Pack offensive line coach John Garrison's tutelage, and also its national ranking in rushing yards per game at 241.83. Garrison doubled as FAU's run-game coordinator. Getting To Know: Grant Gibson