The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1285691
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 ■ 23 19. Grant Gibson, R-Jr., C The only player on NC State's offense to start every game in 2019 was Gibson, a 6-1, 300-pounder who arrived in Raleigh as a Rivals.com four-star defensive tackle signee and then converted to offensive line during his redshirt freshman season. Like Moore, Gibson has emerged as a valuable leader this offseason, and PFF named him preseason honorable mention All-ACC. 20. Dylan Autenrieth, 5th-Sr., TE Last season, Autenrieth was supposed to be NC State's best blocking tight end and a valuable leader. He was voted a team captain, and he started the first three games. Then, the 6-4, 240-pounder suffered a sea- son-ending injury at West Virginia. Auten- rieth had proven his value as a blocker in NC State's offense in 2018, when the team averaged 151.0 rushing yards per game in the 11 contests he played (eight starts), but only 99 yards in the first two outings of the year that he missed. A healthy Autenrieth combined with a healthy backfield is a potentially big combi- nation for the Wolfpack in 2020. 22. Devin Carter, R-So., WR The 6-4, 216-pounder was forced into a prominent role last season due to injuries in the receiving corps, but he held his own during his rookie season. He led the Pack in receiving at Florida State (four receptions for 68 yards) and at Boston College (six catches for 140 yards). Carter finished the year with 32 receptions for 456 yards, and if he can build off that improvement in 2020, he is a good bet to become a breakout star on the offense. 24. Justin Witt, 5th-Sr., OT Since 2018, Witt had started 16 of 17 games he played at right tackle, and the one time he did not start was because he was suspended for the first half of a game due to an altercation after an overtime win at UNC the week prior. However, the 6-5, 307-pound veteran missed the final seven games of last season after having a shoulder injury that required surgery in October. He also had another operation on his other shoulder in January. That may open the door for sixth-year senior Tyrone Riley to potentially grab the starting position. Riley missed all of last season with a foot injury suffered in pre- season camp. 25. Drake Thomas, So., LB The younger brother of Thayer Thomas is part of a good problem that newly promoted defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Tony Gibson faces: how to get playing time for so many quality linebackers. As a true freshman, the 6-0, 236-pounder started three games while playing in all 12 contests and had 34 tackles, four stops for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also had an intercep- tion at West Virginia. ■ 23. C.J. Riley, 5th-Sr., WR When healthy, there may not be a more physically gifted player in the receiver corps than the 6-4, 225-pounder. However, Riley is looking to bounce back from a torn ACL that he suffered early in the season-opening win over East Carolina last fall. Last year was supposed to be a breakout for Riley, who had 28 catches for 315 yards and two scores in 2018 on a receiving corps that included Emezie, current NFL players Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers, and accomplished veteran Stephen Louis. Like Autenrieth, Riley has already been granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS 21. Vi Jones, R-Jr., LB If you are looking for a newcomer to watch on defense, the answer may be Jones. It might be challenging to break through at linebacker given all that is returning, but the 6-3, 230-pounder is now eligible after sitting out last season as a transfer from Southern Cal and may be too talented to keep off the field. Jones was the Scout Team Player of the Year for both defense and special teams last fall while redshirting. Prior to that, he had 18 tackles (three for loss) in 22 games at USC. He was a blue-chip prospect coming out of Westlake High in Austin, Texas, and comes from impressive genes. His father, Robert Jones, was a starting linebacker and won three Super Bowls for the Dallas Cow- boys. Jones' uncle Jeff Blake was a star quarterback at East Carolina who started in the NFL, and his older brothers Caleb and Isaiah also played in the NFL. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS