The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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32 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Airing It Out BY ETHAN MCDOWELL R obert Anae arrived at NC State ready to implement an air raid base offense. In the process, he divided up the coach- ing responsibilities the same way he learned from the late Mike Leach years ago. The Wolfpack offensive coordinator coaches tight ends and slot receivers, while Joker Phillips works with the outside re- ceivers. Playing within that system allows NC State to roll out a variety of formations on game day, and dividing up the coaching helps information travel faster. "We can bounce into four wide, three wide, double tight," Anae said. "The teach- ing and the learning has been distributed to where we can just go." Quick communication is crucial in Anae's system. During his 35 years of coaching, the coordinator said he has refined an offense that helps athletes make plays without let- ting their legs get tied up by their heads. "Players with clear minds have fast legs," Anae said. "If that thinking is slowed down, the legs go slow because now there's a lot of caution." This season, the Wolf- pack has to replace three key members of last year's rota- tion after Darryl Jones and Thayer Thomas used up their eligibility and Devin Carter transferred to West Virginia. Keyon Lesane returns as the Pack's lone starter from last year. The senior pass catcher finished second on the team in 2022 with 342 yards and 2 touchdowns on 31 re- ceptions. Terrell Timmons Jr., Porter Rooks and Ju- lian Gray are now primed to compete for roles in the starting lineup. Timmons impressed as a true freshman even though he only caught 3 passes. He averaged a whopping 26.3 yards per recep- tion and scored 1 touchdown. The receiver also broke off a long catch-and-run for a touchdown during the spring game. Rooks caught 66 passes for 725 yards during the past three seasons, including a career-high 298 yards as a sophomore. Gray is quite possibly the most electric athlete in the Pack's receivers room, and he showcased that big-play ability as both a receiver and a returner, averaging 23.8 yards per kickoff return to rank second in the ACC. The redshirt sophomore caught 11 passes for 105 yards last year. True freshman early enrollees Juice Ver- een and Kevin Concepcion could both challenge for early playing time after impressing during spring practice. WIDE RECEIVERS ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTER ★★ Keyon Lesane is a consistent and sure-handed presence on the outside, and it will be interesting to see if he can emerge as a No. 1 option now that he's the senior leader of this position group. Both Terrell Timmons Jr. and Porter Rooks boast explo - sive upside, but neither athlete has produced at the volume that will be required this fall. EXPERIENCE ★ While Lesane played the majority of NC State's of- fensive snaps last year, the rest of the receiver corps, which includes a pair of true freshmen, cannot say the same. Rooks adds some upperclassman depth. DEPTH ★ Rooks and Concepcion will both compete for significant playing time in the slot, and it would not be surprising to see one of them assume a starting role. NC State needs a go-to red zone receiver, and 6-foot-4 Clemson transfer DJ Collins is probably best suited for that role. OVERALL GRADE ★½ NC State's wide receivers room is filled with ques- tion marks. The talent is there, especially in the slot, and nine months of development in Robert Anae's system should have this group ready to make a leap forward. PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTERS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 15 Keyon Lesane Sr. 5-11 195 Lumberton, N.C. 4 Porter Rooks Jr. 6-1 195 Charlotte 82 Terrell Timmons Jr. So. 6-2 190 Greensboro, N.C. BACKUPS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 8 Julian Gray R-So. 5-11 195 Charlotte 80 Kevin Concepcion Fr. 5-11 180 Charlotte 86 DJ Collins R-So. 6-4 215 Atlanta WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 11 Juice Vereen Fr. 6-4 210 Havelock, N.C. 21 Jalen Coit R-So. 5-11 170 Cheraw, S.C. 85 Anthony Smith R-So. 6-2 195 Huntingtown, Md. BY THE NUMBERS 1,019 Kevin Concepcion's all-purpose yardage total as a high school senior. 71 Keyon Lesane's career-high for receiving yards in a game, which he re- corded during a performance against Wake Forest last year. 20.4 Anthony Smith's average yards per catch in three seasons with the Wolfpack. SPOTLIGHT PLAYER FRESHMAN KEVIN CONCEPCION Concepcion enrolled at NC State in January after signing with the program as a three-star receiver from Charlotte. He made an immediate impression during the Wolfpack's spring game and could challenge for substantial playing time this year. Dave Doeren praised the freshman's ability to track and adjust to the football when it is in the air. The head coach also complimented the intensity he shows on the field. "For his size, he's very tough, and he's not afraid to put his face in there and block," Doeren said. "After the catch, he can do some unique things." During his senior year at Chambers High, Concepcion finished with 31 recep- tions for 505 yards and 5 touchdowns in nine games. KEVIN CONCEPCION PHOTO BY LKEN MARTIN