The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1389905
JULY/AUGUST 2021 ■ 33 TIGHT ENDS A Veteran And Unproven Talent BY JUSTIN H. WILLIAMS A fter injuries plagued the tight end room in 2019, the position group was able to stay healthy and productive for a majority of last season. The Pack had a proven 6-7, 250-pound pass catcher in Cary Angeline, a veteran run blocker in Dylan Autenrieth and a well-rounded option with Dylan Parham. Entering 2021, only Parham remains from that trio after Angeline signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent and Autenrieth moved on after graduating. Parham, a 6-5, 245-pound local product, was originally recruited as a quarterback in the 2016 class before transitioning to tight end after redshirting his first season with the program. He's registered 31 career appearances with five starts. In 11 appearances (three starts) in 2020, Parham reeled in four receptions for 52 yards, and earned both the highest run-blocking and pass-protection grades among NC State's tight ends with at least 50 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. The only other tight end on the roster to take an offense snap during his career is Andrew Jayne, a preferred walk-on. He was a two-sport athlete at Terry Sanford High in Fayetteville, N.C., and was selected in the 19th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. After 52 games in the minor leagues, he returned home and decided to play college football at NC State, where his education is paid for as a part of his baseball contract. Redshirt sophomore running back Trent Pennix, who is listed at 6-3, 236 pounds, could also see some time at tight end after taking snaps as an H-Back in the spring game, similar to the role former Wolfpack running back Jaylen Samuels played. "We'll miss Cary and Dylan, but we gained a lot more athleticism and speed at that position," offensive coordinator Tim Beck said this summer. "They're tough kids that run and will stick their face in there. They're 240 to 250 pounds. "You don't have to be ginormous to be there, not with what we're asking them to do." SPOTLIGHT PLAYER FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR DYLAN PARHAM Dylan Parham, a three-star pro-style quarterback, was listed as the No. 47 player in North Carolina's 2016 class by Rivals. After redshirting in his first season with the program, he transitioned to tight end, where he's seen his usage increase year by year and now has 475 career snaps. All four of Parham's receptions last season came in the first three games, but a pair of dropped passes against Duke and North Carolina were the last times he was targeted the remainder of the year. PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTER No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 28 Dylan Parham 5th-Sr. 6-5 245 Raleigh RESERVES 46 Andrew Jayne (walk-on) Fr. 6-6 232 Fayetteville, N.C. 43 Ezemdi Udoh Fr. 6-5 247 Fayetteville, N.C. WAITING IN THE WINGS 87 Kameron Walker R-Fr. 6-5 250 Canton, N.C. 29 Christopher Toudle R-Fr. 6-4 240 Wilmington, N.C. 48 Fredrick Seabrough Fr. 6-4 215 Swainsboro, Ga. 47 Cedric Seabrough Fr. 6-4 215 Swainsboro, Ga. ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTER ★★ Fifth-year senior Dylan Parham is the antici- pated starter considering he is the only player on the depth chart with significant experience at the position. Because Cary Angeline did the majority of the pass catching among tight ends last season, Pack fans may not be as familiar with Parham. How - ever, the Raleigh native provides an experienced, solid option at a position that requires blocking ability as much as it does pass-catching skill. EXPERIENCE ★ Other than Parham and freshman Andrew Jayne, who has three career offensive snaps, freshman Kameron Walker is the only other tight end on the depth chart to have seen action in a game after making nine appearances on special teams last season. Parham is a weathered veteran entering his sixth season with the program, but there is no real experience behind him. DEPTH ★½ Behind Parham, questions exist that can only be answered with an actual sample size of game experience. Jayne and freshman Ezemdi Udoh are the next men up on the pecking order, but are still unproven talents. "Our young tight ends are really talented," of - fensive coordinator Tim Beck said. "I love Udoh, I love what he and Andrew Jayne are doing. But there is separation between a proven player in Dylan that's played a lot of football and an un - proven player that has shown signs." OVERALL ★½ Parham possesses all of the skills necessary for success at tight end, but the questions of depth and inexperience behind him leaves the tight end group vulnerable to becoming the weakness of the offense. If Jayne, Udoh, redshirt sophomore Trent Pennix or a freshman can step up as consis - tent pass catchers, the group could outperform preseason expectations. BY THE NUMBERS 69.2 Percent of Dylan Parham's receiving yards came after the catch in 2020. 147 Receptions accumulated by An- drew Jayne over three seasons at Terry Sanford High in Fayetteville, N.C. A two-time all-league selection in high school, he gained 2,263 yards and scored 26 touch- downs in three years at the varsity level. 3,776 Passing yards for Parham in two seasons at South- east Raleigh High. He converted to tight end in the summer of 2017 after redshirting in 2016 at NC State. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS