The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JULY/AUGUST 2024 ■ 29 ❱ ❱ ❱ RUNNING BACKS A STEP FORWARD BY ETHAN MCDOWELL N C State completely revamped its running backs room over the past couple of years. Only one member of this season's rota- tion recorded a carry during the 2022 campaign. This year, a mixture of transfers, promising underclassmen and returning veterans will combine to form a deep and talented backfield. NC State's running backs room is poised to take a sig- nificant step forward. Duke graduate transfer Jordan Waters will play a significant role. He rushed for 12 touchdowns in 2023 with the Blue Devils, fourth-most in the ACC, and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Waters arrived in January after making the short move from Durham to Raleigh and quickly established himself as a leader. "We knew we were getting a good person," NC State running backs coach Todd Goebbel said. "I didn't know we were getting an elite person." Waters shined in the spring game, totaling 69 yards on 7 car- ries. With five seasons of ACC experience under his belt, the graduate student is the Pack's likely starter in the backfield. Expect the other running backs to compete at a high level as well. Sophomore Kendrick Raphael started two games last sea- son, redshirt senior Demarcus Jones II is an experienced veteran, and redshirt freshman Hollywood Smothers is only 18 months removed from being one of the top running back recruits in the country. Former linebacker Jordan Poole will factor into the rotation as a fullback/H-back, and true freshman Duke Scott could compete for early snaps. Waters, who topped 500 yards rushing in each of his last two seasons at Duke, will set the standard, but the other running backs will push him. "When you have an older veteran who does it the right way, the younger guys get to see it visually, how it's done," Goebbel said. "But at the end of the day, it's a competitive world. Their job is to go replace him. The competition in the room, all the way down, I'm excited about." Raphael will compete for a prominent spot in the rotation after rushing for 309 yards as a true freshman. He impressed the staff and earned playing time due to his pass-blocking ability. Smothers and Scott are both talented un- derclassmen. The former spent one season at Oklahoma, and Goebbel is excited to watch him grow. Scott arrived in January with im- pressive maturity and focus. BY THE NUMBERS 405 Kendrick Raphael's total offensive yardage as a true freshman. 83 The yardage of Jordan Waters' touch- down run against NC State last fall, part of a 123-yard performance. 40 Duke Scott's touchdown total as a high school senior. ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTER ★★★ Set to be the feature back in a talented offense, Jordan Waters has All-ACC poten- tial in 2024. At 6-foot, 215 pounds, he is extremely tough to stop once he reaches the second level and should create some home run plays for the Pack. EXPERIENCE ★★★ Waters has played five seasons of ACC football. He knows the league and what it takes to succeed in it. In addition, Kendrick Raphael has a jump on most second-year running backs after playing 284 snaps in 2023. DEPTH ★★★ At minimum, Waters and Raphael will provide a standout one-two punch for NC State's backfield. Demarcus Jones II will be a consistent presence in short-yardage situations, and Jordan Poole should take another step forward as a blocker in his first full season at running back. If Hollywood Smothers and/or Duke Scott emerge as reg- ular contributors, this will be one of the best backfields in the conference. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ A year ago, NC State was led in rushing by a quarterback and a wide receiver. This year, offensive coordinator Robert Anae will have more freedom to establish a productive run game, field two-back sets and rotate personnel regularly. Both the ceiling and the floor of this unit are much higher than in 2023. PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTER No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 7 Jordan Waters Gr. 6-0 215 Fairmont, N.C. BACKUP No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 0 Kendrick Raphael So. 5-11 195 Naples, Fla. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 28 Demarcus Jones II R-Sr. 5-10 219 Wendell, N.C. 3 Jordan Poole R-Jr. 6-0 230 Oakboro, N.C. 24 Duke Scott Fr. 5-10 212 Stockbridge, Ga. 20 Hollywood Smothers R-Fr. 5-11 182 Charlotte, N.C. SPOTLIGHT PLAYER GRADUATE JORDAN WATERS Waters will be one of the most experienced run- ning backs in the ACC this fall. He rushed for 819 yards for Duke last year, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. That's more than double the yardage of NC State's top running back in 2023. Running backs coach Todd Goebbel is very impressed with what he has seen out of the experienced ACC star so far. "Whether it's how he interacts with teammates, ev - eryone knows his decorated résumé, the humbleness, the work ethic, I could go on and on," Goebbel said. "At the end of the day, he handles himself like a pro." One of Waters' best games last season was a 113- yard, 2-touchdown effort against North Carolina. He's already accustomed to running over the Tar Heels, which should endear him to Wolfpack fans quickly. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP JORDAN WATERS