The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1137844
FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2019 BY MATT CARTER E ach year, The Wolfpacker staff votes on the top 25 players on the team. The preseason list is a good bal- ance of offensive and defensive players, with 13 defenders and 11 from the other side of the football making the cut. If this list proves accurate, the future is also bright. Seventeen of the 25 are under- classmen who would have another season of eligibility remaining. Here is the preseason top 25: No. Player Year Pos. 1. James Smith-Williams 5th-Sr. DE At the top of the list is appropriately the player chosen to wear the coveted No. 1 jersey for NC State. With the Pack's de- fense potentially having to carry a larger load this season while the offense breaks in some newcomers, Smith-Williams — who tied for the team lead with six sacks in 2018 — will be counted upon to provide a consistent pass rush. 2. Emeka Emezie Jr. WR It is not often that a team loses a pair of 1,000-yard receivers and still feels pretty good about its pass-catching corps, but that shows how good Emezie has been thus far and the potential he has now that he is expected to be the go-to wideout in the Wolfpack offense. 3. Jarius Morehead 5th-Sr. S Is NC State's returning leading tackler after finishing second with 81 last season. He also led the Pack with three intercep- tions, returning one for a touchdown. He is the likely captain of the defensive second- ary, which will be striving for more consis- tency in the fall. 4. Christopher Dunn So. K Some may wonder why a kicker so high, but go back to what NC State experienced prior to Dunn arriving to get the answer. The rookie provided a huge lift for NCSU last year, and in the spring he showed even more leg strength by making a 53-yarder. 5. Larrell Murchison 5th-Sr. DT Had his breakout performance in 2018 against Virginia with three sacks, and at the end of the year he won the team's Cary Brewbaker Award for Defensive Lineman of the Year and the Alpha Wolf Rising Award for Most Improved Player. 6. Ricky Person Jr. So. RB When healthy last season, he was the Pack's most dynamic running back. He was the first rusher to break 100 yards in a game last year when he ran 14 times for 108 yards against Virginia. He used the spring to get healthy and be 100 percent ready for the fall. THE PACK'S BEST The Preseason Top 25 For NC State Last year, fifth-year senior James Smith-Williams tied for the team lead with six sacks and ranked second with 9.5 tackles for loss. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 98 ■ THE WOLFPACKER