The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/846301
JULY 2017 ■ 67 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 WIDE RECEIVERS BY MATT CARTER T hrough dogged efforts on the recruiting trail, NC State has stockpiled a young roster of receivers high on potential. The hope is that in 2017 those wideouts break through. Leading the way will be redshirt junior Stephen Louis and sopho- more Kelvin Harmon. Both offer a combination of size (Louis is 6-2, 217 pounds and Harmon is 6-3, 213 pounds) and playmaking abilities. Louis caught 35 passes for 678 yards (a team-best 19.4 yards per reception) and two touchdowns in 2016. He had 100-yard receiving games against East Carolina, Wake Forest and UNC, becoming the first Wolfpack player since Jerricho Cotchery in 2003 to post three in one season. It was quite a comeback for Louis, who redshirted in 2015 after rehabbing from surgeries on both shoulders. Harmon was likewise an unknown. The Rivals.com four-star prospect, though, served notice during his rookie season that he had the potential to be a go-to receiver in the ACC. Harmon caught 27 passes for 462 yards and five touchdowns, a school record for scoring hauls by a freshman. He broke the century mark with four catches for 101 yards and a touchdown at Syracuse, while he caught five passes for 80 yards and a score against Boston College. As wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator George McDonald noted, opposing teams learned quickly how good Har- mon and Louis could be. "Now, they are the two guys that people will know about as the two guys with returning catches at the position," the coach explained. "It is always different when people know who you are when they line up against you. They have to be ready. "They won't be underestimated because they have earned the respect of guys that they'll face based off things they did last year." The question McDonald faces is finding depth to help spread the catches around. Junior Nyheim Hines moved to the running back room in the spring after leading NCSU receivers with 43 catches (for 525 yards) a year ago. Bra'Lon Cherry, who caught 30 passes for 434 yards and three scores, exhausted his eligibility before he spent some time with the Tennessee Titans this summer. The good news for McDonald is he has candidates to break through in similar fashion to what Louis and Harmon showed a year ago. Perhaps the ultimate wild card is fifth-year senior JuMichael Ramos. Ramos missed last year with knee surgery and sat out spring drills. McDonald said that he is getting closer to returning. In 2015, Ramos led Wolfpack wideouts with 34 catches for 457 yards and three scores. "My hope is that he can come back playing and be in shape and BUILDING ON PROGRESS NC State Hopes To See Continued Improvements From Its Pass Catchers Wide Receiver Roster STARTERS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 3 Kelvin Harmon So. 6-3 213 Palmyra, N.J. The Rivals.com four-star prospect set a school record for touchdown catches by a freshman (five) and will strive for more consistency in 2016. He had three games with no catches and another two with just one during his rookie year. 12 Stephen Louis R-Jr. 6-2 217 West Palm Beach, Fla. Averaged 19.37 yards per catch last season, which ranked third in the ACC, 13th nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision and ninth in school history for a single season. RESERVES No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 30 Gavin Locklear 5th-Sr. 5-10 195 Apex, N.C. Former walk-on from Apex High that bounced back from a 2014 injury to carve out a role as a reserve the last two seasons, catching nine passes for 90 yards. 11 Jakobi Meyers R-So. 6-2 193 Lithonia, Ga. One-time quarterback has made an impressive transition to receiver, catching 13 passes for 158 yards as a rookie. 85 JuMichael Ramos 5th-Sr. 6-2 200 Lovejoy, Ga. Two years ago caught 34 passes for 457 yards and three scores, but must overcome a knee injury that held him out of last season and spring drills. 8 Maurice Trowell R-Jr. 5-11 196 Durham, N.C. Has caught 21 passes for 359 yards and three scores in two seasons at NC State, and has the speed to stretch a defense. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 31 Tyler Dabbs R-Fr. 5-9 192 Eden, N.C. Walk-on who played high school football at Morehead High. 86 Emeka Emezie Fr. 6-3 195 Waxhaw, N.C. Prolific receiver caught 236 passes for 3,584 yards and 38 touchdowns during his career at Marvin Ridge High, and was rated the No. 81 receiver nationally in the 2017 class by Rivals.com. 82 Max Fisher Fr. 6-3 205 Upper Marlboro, Md. Made 41 receptions for 583 yards and four touchdowns as a senior at Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C. Chose NCSU over offers from Boston College, Indiana and Wake Forest, among others. 19 C.J. Riley R-Fr. 6-4 204 Coconut Creek, Fla. Strong candidate to emerge from this group in 2017 after missing last season with a knee injury. Caught 40 passes for 1,047 yards and 13 touchdowns his senior year at North Broward High. 83 Daeshawn Stephens R-Fr. 6-1 214 Durham, N.C. Redshirted last fall after catching 71 passes for 989 yards and 17 touchdowns his senior year at Durham (N.C.) Hillside. 80 Antoine Thompson Fr. 6-1 183 Plant City, Fla. Early enrollee was a four-star prospect that missed his senior season with a knee injury. Is likely to redshirt while rehabbing. ■ Preseason Analysis **** Among country's best; *** Among ACC's best; ** Solid or has potential; * Too unproven Starters **½ Redshirt junior Stephen Louis and sophomore Kelvin Harmon showed flashes last season of becoming top-level ACC receivers. The next step is for them to do it more con- sistently while becoming a focal point of opposing defensive coordinators' game plans. Experience *** Harmon, Louis, fifth-year senior JuMichael Ramos, redshirt junior Maurice Trowell, redshirt sophomore Jakobi Meyers and fifth-year senior Gavin Locklear have all logged considerable playing time in their careers. NC State does not have to rely on newcomers. Depth **½ A lot depends on how well Ramos recovers from his knee injury; how much improve - ment Locklear, Meyers and Trowell show; and how quickly redshirt freshmen C.J. Riley and Daeshawn Stephens or true freshmen Emeka Emezie and Max Fisher acclimate themselves to the college game. Overall grade **½ By season's end, this grade may prove to have underrated the talent on the receiving corps, especially if Harmon and Louis improve on their 2016 performances.