The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1343401
MARCH/APRIL 2021 ■ 39 Two prominent pieces to the puzzle that were injured in the fall were sixth-year se- nior tackle Tyrone Riley, who started the first four games of the year at left tackle and then the fifth on the right side before get- ting hurt, and promising redshirt freshman tackle/guard Timothy McKay. NC State is also adding Division II gradu- ate transfer Chandler Zavala from Fairmont State to the mix, but he is not expected to arrive until the summer. Find Replacements At Tight End Like on the offensive line, a pair of se- niors have chosen to decline the chance to return for one more year: starter Cary An- geline and team captain Dylan Autenrieth. Angeline is pursuing his NFL dreams af- ter catching 27 passes for 412 yards and six touchdowns last year. Autenrieth repeated as team captain last fall, proving his value as a leader not only among tight ends but the entire offense. Former quarterback and fifth-year senior Dylan Parham caught four passes for 52 yards and played in 11 games last year, rep- resenting NC State's most experienced tight end option on the roster. Walk-on freshman Andrew Jayne had a five-yard reception at UNC. Jayne is a former Baltimore Orioles farmhand who hung up his MLB dreams to pursue college football. Redshirt freshman Kam Walker played nine games, all on special teams, while red- shirt sophomore walk-on Camden Woods carved out a similar role in eight contests. Freshman Ezemdi Udoh did not see any ac- tion in his debut season. Settle The Quarterback Depth Chart The decision of redshirt junior Bailey Hockman, who went 5-4 as NC State's starter in 2020, to transfer to Middle Ten- nessee State in the offseason likely clears up one looming question: who is starting? That appears to be redshirt sophomore Devin Leary. Leary was the presumed starter going into 2020, but a training camp COVID-19 quar- antine set him back and opened the door for Hockman. When Hockman led NC State to a season-opening win over Wake Forest, he received a second chance to start. However, Hockman was ineffective at Virginia Tech and benched for Leary. Leary would then start the next three games, all wins, before breaking his leg in the second half of a victory over Duke. Leary finished the year completing 66 of 110 passes (60.0 percent) for 890 yards with eight touchdowns and two picks. Spring will be a good time to gauge how far along Leary is in his recovery, but also a great opportunity to determine who backs him up. Freshman Ben Finley impressed when given a chance to play at UNC, complet- ing 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards with a score, but he was also intercepted twice and fumbled once. Incoming freshman Aaron McLaughlin enrolled early, and the former Auburn com- mit from Denmark High in Alpharetta, Ga., is a touted prospect with high physical upside. Introduce New Receivers Coach Joker Phillips There are not many question marks about the wide receivers themselves, talent-wise. Emeka Emezie's decision to return for a re- peat senior season sets him up for an assault on the Wolfpack's record books. He enters his final year of eligibility fourth in school history for receptions (only 33 away from tying all-time leader Jaylen Samuels) and seventh in receiving yards. It also means that every wide receiver that caught a pass on the 2020 roster is back this spring. Furthermore, the Pack is adding three early enrollees to the mix, including Rivals. com four-star prospect Micah Crowell from Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth High. It's a good situation for Phillips to walk into. He replaced George McDonald, the only receivers coach that any player on the Wolfpack roster has ever known. McDonald served in the role for the past six years, but in January he accepted a position as the as- sistant head coach and receivers coach as his alma mater, Illinois. Phillips, a former head coach at Ken- tucky, spent the past two seasons as the receivers coach for Maryland. ■ Head coach Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack went 8-4 — including a school-record seven ACC wins — and earned a bid to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl this past season. PHOTO BY ETHAN HYMAN, THE NEWS & OBSERVER/COURTESY ACC MEDIA