The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1506671
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 ■ 33 We wanted to add another guy with length to help us," Doeren said. "Bradley went through a lot of inju- ries at Rice and then had a really good season last year and showed that he can run by people and jump up and make some plays." The head coach added that 6-foot-4 Clemson transfer wide receiver Dacari Collins will also help add height to the unit this fall. NC State's receivers room is young, and Rozner looks forward to mentoring some of the program's underclassmen. When he arrived in Raleigh, he moved in with Armstrong for a few weeks. The two lived together in early August before Rozner was able to move into his own apartment. The Wolfpack graduate student quar- terback was impressed with what he saw from Rozner on the first day of fall camp. "It was good to see him out there," Armstrong said. "I saw him make a good amount of plays. He has great hands, from what I saw." Rozner is impressed with the Wolf- pack's offensive scheme, and he's look- ing forward to filling a significant role in it during his final collegiate season. "I like the quick pace and getting the ball out," he said. "It feels like it's faster. It's more exciting, and I just want to hopefully go in there and be able to make some big and exciting plays." ■ College football has changed dramatically with the advent of the transfer portal and the easing of restrictions that for decades had dissuaded athletes from switch- ing schools. But even before the recent changes, NC State was providing a platform for incoming transfers to thrive. Here's a look at the most successful transfers of the Dave Doeren coaching era. 1. Quarterback Ryan Finley (Boise State) Finley won the starting quarterback job in the fall of 2016 and led a successful three-year run for Doeren. The former Boise State signal-caller also broke the re- cord for highest career completion percentage at NC State at 64.5 percent. Finley's 10,505 passing yards made him the second quarterback in NC State football history to go over the 10,000-yard mark, joining Philip Rivers in that elite club, and his career average of 269.4 yards per game edged Rivers' 264.4 for a new school best. In 2018, Finley led the league in passing yards (3,928) on his way to being named first-team All-ACC, a year after he was a third-team all-conference selection. The Wolfpack went 25-14 in Finley's three years as a starter, including 14-10 in the league. Following his days at NC State, Finley was drafted in the fourth round by the Cin- cinnati Bengals, where he played two seasons, including making four starts. 2. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (Florida) Brissett helped get Doeren's program off the ground at NC State. After the Pack went winless in the ACC and 3-9 overall in Year 1 under Doeren, Brissett took over as quarterback, leading the team the next two seasons to a 15-11 record and a pair of bowl appearances. Brissett completed 458 of 765 passes for 5,268 yards and 43 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions, and he added 899 yards and 9 scores rushing in a Wolfpack uniform. Now with the Washington Commanders, Brissett is entering his eighth season in the NFL. 3. Defensive tackle Cory Durden (Florida State) Durden's move to nose tackle after arriving at NC State turned the former Florida State defensive lineman into an all-conference performer. He was named first-team All-ACC in 2021 and additionally was selected as the team's best defen - sive lineman. Durden was chosen third-team all-conference a year later. 4. Tight end Cary Angeline (Southern Cal) The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Angeline proved to be a reliable pass catcher and dan- gerous red zone threat during his three seasons in Raleigh (2018-20). He caught 61 passes for 950 yards and 12 touchdowns in that span. In 2020, the senior tied for fifth nationally among tight ends with 6 touchdown catches among his 27 receptions for 529 yards. He was one off the school record for scoring hauls by a tight end in a season. 5. Defensive lineman Daniel Joseph (Penn State) Joseph had been part of a crowded depth chart at Penn State and arrived at NC State as a grad transfer in 2020. He took advantage of the opportunity, tallying a team-high 6.5 sacks and finishing second with 10 tackles for loss. Joseph was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week when he had 1.5 sacks in a win over Liberty, the lone loss the Flames suffered that year. Joseph took advantage of an extra season of eligibility to play one more year with NC State and added 9 tackles for loss and 5 sacks in 2021. — Matt Carter NC State's Five Best Transfers Under Dave Doeren Ryan Finley, a transfer quarterback from Boise State, led the ACC with 3,928 passing yards in 2018. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN