The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/223560
issues similar to the ones that plagued the team in Dave Doeren's debut campaign, but they shouldn't with Florida transfer Jacoby Brissett eligible. The coach has not shied away from admitting how much he thinks of the junior, and the signal-caller will have had three semesters, plus two full summers, to learn the system when the 2014 season opens. The 6-4, 231-pounder was a top-100 recruit and appeared in 13 games with three starts for the Gators. He has thrown 74 passes with three touchdowns and four interceptions, and has added three scores on the ground. With the return of redshirt junior Pete Thomas, the Pack is in the enviable position of having two experienced quarterbacks; Thomas is actually the veteran compared to Brissett with 30 games played, including 27 starts, during his career at Colorado State and NCSU. He has totaled 22 touchdowns and 30 interceptions during that time. Wide Receiver/Tight End If there was one positive to the plethora of injuries suffered at wide receiver, it was that they allowed some youngsters to get opportunities, and the freshman class showed flashes. Rookie Jumichael Ramos finished third on the Pack with 24 catches, which went juries and finished with 22 receptions for 281 yards. However, the headliner among the returnees will be redshirt junior Bryan Underwood. The speedster missed the final five games with an injury, but still finished second on the team with 32 receptions. He also proved to be an effective rusher on the Pack's jet sweeps and totaled 517 yards from scrimmage, which was third best on the team. Sophomore Travares Copeland will provide another speedster, while the other options include a promising rookie class in Johnathan Alston, Bra'Lon Cherry — who both played in 2013 — and intriguing 6-6 target Pharoah McKever. Redshirt freshman David J. Grinnage flashed soft hands at tight end while he played in every game with seven starts, but the team must find depth after the graduation of fifth-year senior Asa Watson. Redshirt freshman tight end David J. Grinnage saw action in every game with seven starts this fall, and finished with 15 receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown. photo by ken martin for 352 yards, and he tied for the team lead with three receiving touchdowns. Classmate Marquez Valdes-Scantling started the season strong and was actually the team's leading receiver after the first three games. He missed the next two contests with in- The Future Of The Offense Here are three players that redshirted this fall who could impact NC State's offense in 2014 and beyond. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett The Florida transfer is Dave Doeren's quarterback of the future and he has not shied away from saying as much. Brissett started just three games for the Gators, but did so in some of the nation's toughest venues — as a true freshman he started at No. 1 LSU and at No. 24 Auburn. He finished the campaign with two touchdown passes, as well as a pair of rushing scores. The following year, the Florida native saw action in just four games, but came off the bench with the team trailing Louisiana-Lafayette in the third quarter and led the way to a 27-20 victory. He started the following week in a win over Jacksonville State and finished with a season passer rating of 134.9. The former four-star recruit has played in a total of 13 games and thrown 74 passes. He is expected to be the man next year under center as a redshirt junior, and also has great leadership abilities — he was elected to the team's Leadership Council despite having to sit out the year. Offensive tackle Patrick Roane It never appeared like the 6-7, 310-pounder's redshirt was in danger of coming off, but Roane was still listed on the depth chart as a second-string tackle several times throughout the season. He was an athletic two-star sleeper discovered at the NC State summer camp, and had a great senior year en route to being named all-state. If he can continue the rapid improvements he showed in high school and add strength, Roane could become an anchor for the NCSU front. Offensive guard/tackle Tylar Regan The 6-5, 298-pounder played mostly guard in high school, and that's probably where he projects to see action with the Pack. The Florida native was ranked as a three-star recruit and the nation's No. 28 offensive guard. He was also one of five recruits that came into NC State tied for the class' highest Rivals rating at 5.7, which is just one step below four-star status — two of the others were running back Matt Dayes and defensive tackle Monty Nelson, who both made immediate impacts in Raleigh. Even if Roane and Regan can't crack the starting lineup next fall due to the numerous veterans, they are big building blocks for the future of the Pack. — Ryan Tice Running Back The running attack was the most successful part of the 2013 NC State offense. The Pack's average of 162.7 ground yards per contest was the program's best mark since 1997, and the backfield brings back every player of consequence from a year ago. Shadrach Thornton, who was suspended for the season opener but emerged as the go-to back, leads the returners. The sophomore finished with 768 rushing yards and four scores, while his clip of 78.9 rushing yards per conference game ranked third in the ACC. Next year, he should threaten to become the Pack's first 1,000-yard rusher since T.A. McLendon in 2002. Matt Dayes flashed big-play ability as a rookie and forms a potentially potent one-two combination with Thornton. He rushed for three touchdowns in the season opener and ripped off gains of at least 40 yards against Central Michigan, Duke and Boston College. He finished with 425 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, redshirt junior Tony Creecy is a team leader who has appeared in 35 games with 12 starts. The steady contributor boasts career totals of 12 touchdowns, more than 1,000 rushing yards and 73 catches. The running game should also be bolstered by the return of Winkles, a contactseeking fullback and capable receiver out of the backfield. The redshirt junior has five starts in 22 appearances and has hauled in a pair of touchdown passes, while classmate Tyler Purvis, a veteran with 31 appearances and six starts, provides a similar weapon. ■ 38 ■ the wolfpacker 36,38.2014 FB Offense.indd 38 12/5/13 3:59 PM