The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1285691
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 ■ 21 several points last season, including when he had a 53-yard touchdown run while rushing 12 times for 139 yards against national runner- up Clemson. 3. Payton Wilson, R-So., LB Despite leaving one game (Clemson) early with an injury that cost him the next contest versus Louisville and also only starting once the entire year, the 6-4, 240-pounder still led NC State in tackles last fall with 69 (four for loss). He also broke up three passes and had an interception that he returned 16 yards. The playmaking abilities are not surprising considering Wilson was a ballyhooed recruit who famously switched from UNC to NC State before signing in December 2017. Last fall was a breakout season after he missed the 2018 campaign with a torn ACL. With a year under his belt and a likely ex- panded role coming, Wilson is a prime can- didate to be a star performer in 2020. Athlon certainly thought so, tabbing him to its fourth- team preseason All-ACC squad. 4. Thayer Thomas, R-Jr., WR/PR Thomas contributes to the team in so many ways. As a receiver, he has 65 receptions for 717 yards and two touchdowns through two years while playing primarily in the slot. During his redshirt sophomore campaign, Thomas averaged 13.7 yards per punt return, which is the third-highest average for a season since 2000 behind former first-round NFL Draft pick Koren Robinson's 15.6 in 2000 and Rashard Smith's 14.1 in 2013. It is pos- sible that Thomas could also help on kickoff returns in 2020. The 6-0, 195-pounder can even throw the occasional pass. He has completed 4 of 6 attempts for 130 yards and two scores on various trick plays throughout the past two seasons. What Thomas did last season was espe- cially notable since he played chunks of the year nursing a nagging hamstring injury. 5. Ikem Ekwonu, So., OT Ekwonu has the makings of a future star at NC State, and he is expected to be the all- important left tackle for the Wolfpack, protect- ing likely starting quarterback Devin Leary's blindside. The 6-4, 325-pounder was named a Fresh- man All-American by both the Football Writ- ers Association of America and PFF after leading NC State with 37 pancake blocks in 2019. The Dean's List student was a first-team preseason All-ACC choice by Phil Steele and listed on the second team by PFF and Athlon. Ekwonu posted the third-highest PFF season- long grade in 2019 among returning offensive linemen in the ACC. 7. Tyler Baker-Williams, Jr., Nickel Head coach Dave Doeren used the word "special" to describe what Baker-Williams has been doing for the Wolfpack in preseason camp. The 6-0, 200-pounder is not techni- cally a returning starter, but he played more snaps than any other nickel last fall. In that action, Baker-Williams had 39 total stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and three passes broken up. PFF graded out Baker-Williams as the fifth-best defensive player for NC State re- gardless of how many snaps were played and gave him the highest marks for pass coverage on the team. With starter Stephen Griffin having ex- hausted his eligibility, Baker-Williams is expected to take on a prominent role in the secondary in 2020. 8. Christopher Dunn, Jr., PK In two seasons, Dunn has become one of the most popular players in recent Wolfpack history thanks to his ability to solidify a kick- ing position that had been a sore spot for a few years. The 5-8, 180-pounder has made 44 of 50 field goal tries with a long of 49 yards and is a perfect 79 of 79 on extra points. The 2019 second-team All-ACC performer was also a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to college football's best kicker, last year. Chris Sailer Kicking named Dunn a pre- season fourth-team All-American. 9. Tanner Ingle, Jr., S A healthy Ingle might have led NC State in tackles last season. He missed the season finale to finish with 68 hits, one shy of Wil- son's team-high mark. Nevertheless, Ingle was NC State's De- wayne Washington Award winner as the team's best defensive back, and he was picked by Phil Steele as a fourth-team pre- season All-ACC choice. The 5-10, 182-pounder already has 18 ca- reer starts to his credit, and he is expected to be the leader of the secondary. 10. Emeka Emezie, Sr., WR On the surface, 56 receptions for 576 yards and two touchdowns seems like a very good season, but Emezie would be the first to pro- claim he did not have as successful a cam- paign as he was hoping for in 2019. The 6-3, 220-pounder has switched back to his old No. 86 after wearing No. 3 last fall in an attempt to get back to being himself, he said. He remains NC State's most accom- plished receiver with 122 career receptions for 1,355 yards and eight touchdowns. 11. Devin Leary, R-So., QB In many respects, Leary may belong higher on the list, as the potential success of the offense and the team may rest on his strong right arm. The 6-1, 212-pounder flashed last fall why he was a record-setting Elite 11 quarterback and four-star signing out of Timber Creek 6. Joe Sculthorpe, 5th-Sr., OG PFF picked Sculthorpe for its preseason first-team All-ACC unit while Athlon had him on the third team, making Sculthorpe a standout on the Wolfpack offensive line entering 2020. The former state champion wrestler earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2019 according to PFF after starting all 11 games in which he played. Last season, the 6-3, 307-pounder had NC State's top grade on the offensive line against East Carolina and Syracuse. He finished the year with 13 knockdown blocks and 13 pancakes while allowing only 1.5 sacks. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS