The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/535299
JULY 2015 ■ 63 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2015 BY RYAN TICE R unning backs coach and recruiting coordinator Des Kitch- ings could see how lucky he was when he looked around his meeting room this spring, and his full roster of rushers for the upcoming season was not even on campus yet. Shadrach Thornton returns for his senior year after pacing the Wolfpack on the ground for the third straight cam- paign. Versatile junior Matt Dayes, an outstanding complement to the hard-charging Thornton, is back to defend his Offensive MVP honor earned last year, while redshirt sophomore Dakwa Nichols and walk-on Brady Bodine have the respect of their teammates and coaches. Early enrollee Reggie Gallaspy II, part of a talented incoming group of in-state rushers, joined the crew in January after posting more than 3,300 yards on the ground and 52 touchdowns, while fel- low four-star signees Johnny Frasier and Nyheim Hines will arrive this summer. NC State will boast one of the ACC's top run- ning back groups with proven production, experi- ence, depth and — most importantly — plenty of talent. The coach went into last year thinking his group would be a strength of the offense and was correct, but the backfield should be even stronger this fall. "We had a goal in our room — just to do what was asked of us, be efficient and take care of the football," he said. "I think we did a pretty good job of that. Now, we need to do more. We need to do a better job of all those things to help us go from eight wins to whatever that next number is. "The unknown is obviously the three freshmen and Dakwa Nich- ols, who is talented. It will be a good preseason camp for those four guys, and we will maintain and allow Shad and Matt to get better with the things they do." The top two backs are very different — the senior wears his emotions on his sleeve, while the junior is much more reserved. Kitchings describes Thornton as "more of a blue-collar kind of grunt, a knees and elbows-type runner. "He's wired different. He does not want to lose and is an extra-effort guy. He's very emotional and takes a lot of pride in not letting his teammates down with his performance on the field." Meanwhile, Dayes has the best pair of hands Kitchings has ever coached on a running back. He has also "gotten better at being a physical runner, is versatile as a pass catcher and is so elusive out in the field." The two players share several traits that run throughout the entire group, too. At the top of the list is competitiveness, but it doesn't stop there. "I'm very blessed to coach a group of guys who are unselfish," Kitchings said. "When we add the freshmen, I think we're adding the same thing. They are teams guys and good kids." Gallaspy made an immediate impact this spring, and the coach noted he really hit his stride around the 10th practice. With Thorn- RUNNING BACKS PLENTY OF HORSES NC State's Backfield Is Loaded In 2015 Running Backs Roster STARTERS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 21 Matt Dayes Jr. 5-9 203 Weston, Fla. Triple threat made his presence felt in 2014 as a rusher, receiver and returner. Led squad with 1,278 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns, while being named Offensive MVP. 10 Shadrach Thornton Sr. 6-1 218 Hinesville, Ga. Powerful runner has steadily improved on the field, but must keep his nose clean off of it. Despite splitting carries, he could threaten the 1,000-yard mark if he stays out of the doghouse for a whole season, which would be a first in his career. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 22 Johnny Frasier Fr. 5-10 230 Princeton, N.C. Four-star recruit who turned down Alabama and Florida State; he was viewed as the No. 215 overall prospect in the class of 2015. 25 Reggie Gallaspy II Fr. 5-11 212 High Point, N.C. Led the state of North Carolina with 3,318 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns as a senior before enrolling early. He shined in the spring game with 131 rushing yards. 7 Nyheim Hines Fr. 5-9 190 Garner, N.C. Was listed as the 2015 class' top recruit by Rivals.com, which ranked him as the No. 94 prospect nationally regardless of position and the No. 2 all-purpose back in the land. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 20 Brady Bodine R-Fr. 5-10 200 Conway Spring, KS Walk-on who played at Camp Lejeune High in North Carolina. 27 Dakwa Nichols R-So. 5-9 195 Rockingham, N.C. A speedster who has the potential to carve out a role for himself as a reserve and on special teams. Quick Facts Position Coach: Des Kitchings (4th season) Returning Starter: None Starter Lost: Tony Creecy (20 career starts) FYI: A total of 2,296 of the Pack's 2,659 rushing yards gained last year (86.4 percent) were recorded by players who are still on the roster this season … They also return 23 of last year's 26 touchdowns on the ground … Senior Shadrach Thornton is the ACC's No. 4 returning rusher after he posted 907 yards in 2014 … Thornton ranks ninth in school history with an average of 4.9 yards per carry in his career, while his 2,369 rushing yards rank 10th and his 16 touchdowns on the ground are 12th … In five career games against nationally ranked Clemson and FSU squads, Thornton has averaged 129.4 all-purpose yards per contest and has scored seven times … The Pack's running backs were ranked No. 5 in the ACC by Athlon … Lindy's ranked NC State's incoming running back class as the third best in the country … The trio combined for 20,115 rushing yards and 298 touchdowns dur - ing their prep careers … Each had one 3,000-yard rushing season … Lindy's listed junior Matt Dayes as a preseason second-team All-ACC selection as an all-purpose player, while Thornton was the third-team pick at running back. ■ By The Numbers 3 Players posted at least 300 yards receiving, rushing and on returns last year, but Matt Dayes was the only one in the country to do so with five touchdowns both through the air and on the ground. 12 Years since NC State has had a 1,000-yard rusher in a season, the longest drought in the ACC. 204.5 Average rushing yards per game last year, which was the team's best since 1992 and ranked 37th nationally. NC State's Top Rusher The Past 10 Seasons Year Name Yards 2014 Shadrach Thornton 907 2013 Shadrach Thornton 768 2012 Shadrach Thornton 694 2011 James Washington 897 2010 Mustafa Greene 597 2009 Toney Baker 773 2008 Andre Brown 767 2007 Jamelle Eugene 667 2006 Toney Baker 688 2005 Andre Brown 667