The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1389905
32 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WIDE RECEIVERS Weapons Everywhere BY JUSTIN H. WILLIAMS O ne of the most pleasant surprises for NC State in 2020 was the improvement of its receivers from the season prior. Despite being an 8-4 team that didn't have to pass as much as the 4-8 2019 squad that often played from behind, the Pack improved from being the 10th-best passing offense in the ACC with an average of 229.1 yards per game to ranking sixth with 262.8. Add in the fact that the Wolfpack had to go most of last season without starting quarterback Devin Leary, and the wideouts deserve a lot of credit for the improvement in the passing game. Senior Emeka Emezie led the team and ranked seventh in the ACC with 738 receiving yards. He finished the season with 47 receptions, while av- eraging 15.7 yards per catch and hauling in five touchdown grabs. From the slot, redshirt junior Thayer Thomas was the second-leading receiver, catching 42 balls for 529 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. He was also the Pack's trick-play quar- terback and threw a 31-yard touchdown pass in the Miami game, the third of his career. Redshirt sophomore Devin Carter was a consistent deep-ball threat, averaging 16.4 yards per catch, a team-high among receivers with five or more receptions. He finished third with 29 receptions for 477 yards and two touchdowns. Graduate C.J. Riley is also back for a sixth and final year of college football after catching nine passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns following an ACL tear he suffered in the 2019 opener, the second of his career. SPOTLIGHT PLAYER SENIOR EMEKA EMEZIE Emeka Emezie, a 6-3, 210-pound former three- star recruit from Waxhaw, N.C., is utilizing the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted last fall for a fifth collegiate season after leading the Wolfpack in receptions and receiving yards each of the past two campaigns. After seeing his production drop from 616 yards in 2018 to 576 yards in 2019, Emezie tallied a career-best 738 yards last fall. In 50 career appearances and 33 starts, he has hauled in 169 catches for 2,093 yards and 13 touchdowns. He ranks fifth in school history for career receptions and is one of seven Wolfpack receivers all time to post more than 2,000 career re - ceiving yards. He ended last year with a catch in 32 straight games, the fifth-longest such streak in program annals. PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTERS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 86 Emeka Emezie Sr. 6-3 212 Waxhaw, N.C. 5 Thayer Thomas R-Jr. 6-0 197 Wake Forest, N.C. 88 Devin Carter R-So. 6-3 216 Clayton, N.C. RESERVES 19 C.J. Riley 5th-Sr. 6-4 230 Coconut Creek, Fla. 14 Porter Rooks Fr. 6-1 190 Charlotte 15 Keyon Lesane So. 5-11 190 Lumberton, N.C. WAITING IN THE WINGS 82 Max Fisher R-Jr. 6-2 202 Upper Marlboro, Md. 84 Jasiah Provillon R-So. 6-2 208 Irvington, N.J. 21 Jalen Coit Fr. 5-11 156 Cheraw, S.C. 83 Josh Crabtree Fr. 6-3 193 Wake Forest, N.C. 24 Christopher Scott Jr. Fr. 6-0 160 Dacula, Ga. 85 Anthony Smith Fr. 6-2 185 Huntingtown, Md. 89 Jakolbe Baldwin Fr. 6-0 207 Hamlet, N.C. 22 Micah Crowell Fr. 6-1 215 Winston-Salem, N.C. 20 Julian Gray Fr. 5-11 193 Charlotte ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTERS ★★½ Senior Emeka Emezie is one of the ACC's top returning receivers and will end up seeing his name among the program's greatest pass catchers in the record books if he can put together a season comparable to 2020. Redshirt junior Thayer Thomas is among the conference's most reliable options in the slot, and he presents plenty of trick-play possibilities. Redshirt sophomore Devin Carter provides the Pack another vertical threat to space the field, and he has proven to have great chemistry with starting QB Devin Leary. DEPTH ★★½ Graduate C.J. Riley is an experienced reserve option who has 38 career appear- ances and five starts. Freshman Porter Rooks had the fifth-most receptions (24) and receiving yards (276) on the team in his debut. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck also praised sophomore Keyon Lesane for "a really good spring." EXPERIENCE ★★½ Emezie, Thomas, Carter and Riley all bring a veteran presence to the position group with 81 combined starts. Beyond that, there is a deep pool of skilled under- classmen to develop. OVERALL ★★½ The Pack returns all three of its starters from last year's campaign, when each enjoyed the best statistical seasons of their careers. If the starting trio of Emezie, Thomas and Carter carry over their upward trajectory from last season, and if the Wolfpack's talented reserves get in on the action, NC State could be a contender for one of the conference's top pass-catching units. BY THE NUMBERS 14th Is the placement redshirt junior Thayer Thomas is tied for on the school's all-time touchdown receptions list. Thomas has 12 career catches for scores, including a career-high six last season. 2nd Is NC State's preseason ranking among ACC wide receiver units in the 2021 Athlon Sports College Football Preview. 10 Is the increase in Wolfpack receiving touchdowns from 2019 (14) to 2020 (24). PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS