The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JULY 2015 ■ 71 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2015 BY MATT CARTER Y ou can understand why tight ends/fullbacks coach Eddie Faulkner feels optimistic about his position group. The bud- ding talent collection will likely figure more prominently into the offense this fall. "It's a good group," Faulkner said. "I really like my group." At tight end, redshirt junior David J. Grinnage looks to build off his sophomore season during which he caught 27 passes for 358 yards and a co-team-high five touchdowns. Faulkner does not take exception to chatter that Grinnage could be an All-ACC candidate this year. "I'm his coach, so I'm always finding ways that he can improve," Faulkner noted. "Everybody is trying to find tight ends because it's hard to find them. If you look at the NFL, a lot of them are trying to find those guys. A lot of them are basketball players that converted to football. David is special in that regard: to have his size and that ability is uncommon. "When you talk about comparing him to other kids in our confer- ence, I think he's right in the upper tier of those guys, if not one of the best. I really believe that. Obviously, production has got to match. I think as the year went on last year he got more production. He's obviously a big receiver. You can't find guys like him, so I am very excited about what lies in front of him." The depth at the tight end position is also in solid shape. Grinnage actually missed most of the spring while nursing an injury, allowing sophomore Cole Cook and fifth-year senior Benson Browne to get the majority of the reps with the first-stringers. Faulkner likes the combination of Cook's upside and Browne's reliability. "Cole Cook gets better every single day," Faulkner said. "He's over 250 pounds. He's an outstanding blocker, but he's making huge strides as a receiver. "Benson Browne is a great leader, reliable guy. You know he is going to know what he is doing when he gets in there. He leads the group. He's go- ing to actually have a role in helping us this year." The threesome of Grin- nage, Cook and Browne should allow talented red- shirt freshman Micah Till to develop at his own pace. "Micah Till just has to continue to grow," Faulkner said. "He has a high upside, but he's got to continue to get better. When you have competition in our room like we've got, he's got to be really good and kind of break into that mix. He knows that, but he's going to help us eventually whenever that is. "I like his skill set. He has unbelievable hands. There are details that he has to understand that are the difference between winning and losing games. He knows that and is working to get better at it." In addition to Grinnage at tight end, expect to see a larger role for sophomore Jaylen Samuels at fullback — and for good reason. Samuels has a natural knack for making plays. Last season, Samuels carried 15 times for 143 yards and one touchdown, and caught six passes for 96 yards and a score. That's an average of 11.4 yards per touch and a touchdown once every 10.5 times he got his hands on the ball. TIGHT ENDS ■ FULLBACKS EMERGING PLAYMAKERS David J. Grinnage And Jaylen Samuel Will Be Featured More On Offense Tight Ends Roster STARTER No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 86 David J. Grinnage R-Jr. 6-5 265 Newark, Del. Was named to the midseason watch list for the Mackey Award, given to college football's top tight end, last season and has 42 career receptions for 508 yards and five scores. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 89 Benson Browne 5th-Sr. 6-6 255 Cincinnati Has yet to catch a pass in his career, but he saw action on offense in every game last season. 48 Cole Cook So. 6-6 250 Carrollton, Ga. Heralded blocker played more snaps in the win over UNC than any other tight end on the roster and has earned praise for his improvements in the passing game. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 42 Micah Till R-Fr. 6-5 268 Upper Marlboro, Md. Was a two-way standout at Wise High that was a first-team all-state pick as a senior defensive line- man, and also averaged more than 13.0 points per game in basketball as both a junior and senior. Fullbacks Roster STARTER No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 28 Jaylen Samuels So. 5-11 236 Charlotte, N.C. Pack will try to find more ways to get Samuels the football after he rushed 15 times for 143 yards and two scores, and caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown last season. RESERVE No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 36 Max Stoffer R-Fr. 6-1 230 Nashville, Tenn. Walk-on moved from linebacker to fullback this spring. ■ Preseason Analysis **** Among country's best; *** Among ACC's best; ** Solid or has potential; * Too unproven Starters *** Both redshirt junior tight end David J. Grinnage and sophomore fullback Jaylen Samu- els have the potential to be among the top playmakers at their respective positions in the ACC. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada and head coach Dave Doeren have both mentioned getting them more touches as a focal point of the offense this fall. Experience *** Grinnage has 18 career starts at tight end, and both fifth-year senior Benson Browne and sophomore Cole Cook saw action on offense in every game last year. Cook played starter-level snaps in the final three contests of the season. Additionally, Samuels started twice last year. Depth ** While both Browne and Cook have playing experience, they also both have yet to make a career reception. Likewise, redshirt freshman fullback Max Stoffer is a converted linebacker. Thus the potential fall-off in the impact on the offense between starters and reserves is noticeable. Overall grade *** If they remain healthy, Grinnage and Samuels should have significant impacts on the offense and add multiple dimensions to the attack that other ACC teams are not as fortunate to claim. Year-By-Year Leading Tight End Receiver Year Name Catches Yards 2014 David J. Grinnage 27 358 2013 David J. Grinnage 15 150 2012 Mario Carter 34 367 2011 George Bryan 33 331 2010 George Bryan 35 369 2009 George Bryan 40 422 2008 Anthony Hill 19 234 2007 Marcus Stone 36 452 2006 Anthony Hill 45 478 2005 T.J. Williams 36 407