The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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68 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 WIDE RECEIVERS get back in a role," McDonald said. "I hope he has a good senior year and he has earned the right to get back out there and play for our fans and stadium one more time, with just how he has handled himself and been a mentor to the guys behind the scenes." Redshirt sophomore Jakobi Meyers entered preseason camp last year believing he would compete for the starting job at quarterback. He ended the year as a wide receiver with 13 receptions for 158 yards. "He's really bought into the process of be- ing a receiver at this level," McDonald said. "He is one of the guys I'm excited about seeing at training camp just be- cause he has added 10 to 15 pounds. He has really attacked the weight pro- gram with Coach Thun- der [Dantonio Burnette] and his staff. His body has really changed." A couple of slot re- ceivers that could pro- vide help are redshirt junior Maurice Trowell and former walk-on fifth-year senior Gavin Locklear. Trowell, a speedster, has hauled in touchdown passes of 59, 83 and 70 yards in ACC action during his first two years. Two redshirt freshmen hoping to get into the mix are C.J. Riley and Daeshawn Stephens. Riley, who at 6-4 and 204 pounds has great size for a receiver, was touted as a potential rotational candi- date as a true freshman before suffering a knee injury. "The physical tools, he has all of them," McDonald said. "He has the height and the speed, and he can catch. Now, it's just a matter of getting as comfortable as he can as fast as he can." In his third year at the job, McDonald feels that the receivers now understand what it takes to play for him and what he expects. Now it's his job to find who meets those demands. "Deciding who plays is still going to be determined in training camp," he said. ■ NC State redshirt freshman wide receiver C.J. Riley is excited to show what he can do this season. Riley had a lot of buzz after signing with the Wolfpack, but then suffered a season-ending, non-contact knee injury before fall camp and redshirted last year. The hype, though, was justified for the lanky 6-4, 204-pounder. He clocked a 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had a 35.1-inch vertical jump while com - peting at the Nike Opening combine before his senior season at North Broward Prep in Coconut Creek, Fla. Rivals.com ranked Riley as a three-star prospect and the No. 98 player in the Sun- shine State for the class of 2016. He caught 40 passes for an impressive 1,047 yards and 13 touchdowns his senior year. Riley and classmates Kelvin Harmon (6-3), who did play last year, and Daeshawn Ste- phens (6-1), who redshirted, continued the Wolfpack's trend of getting taller wide receiv- ers. Riley's height is part of a simple philosophy while in high school that he hopes to continue at NC State. "When the ball is in the air, I want to be the only one to come down with it," he said. "It is like running routes in air [versus a short cornerback]." NC State landed Riley in an intense recruitment. He eventually picked the Wolfpack over Nebraska, Duke and Pittsburgh. The guy who recruited him now coaches him — wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator George McDonald. "He has been coaching me up," said Riley, who is majoring in sports management. "I want to be a coach after football just like Coach McDonald." Riley was able to do some parts of spring practice, but estimated he was probably 85 percent in March. The knee injury was déjà vu for the Riley family. His mother had torn her ACL while playing basketball in college. "It was a learning experience because I never sat out, ever in my life," Riley said. "I learned a lot watching the players." The redshirt freshman noted he was able to learn the plays while he also kept a keen eye on defensive backs and how they react to various situations. Riley also watches film of some of NFL receivers, including one former legendary performer. "I pattern my game off of Calvin Johnson," Riley said of the former Detroit Lions stand - out. "If I could talk to him, I'd ask him about his releases and how he gets off the press. I'd want to know how he gets into his routes quicker." The youngster might never be the weight of Johnson, who was 6-5 and 239 pounds, but he does want to get up to 215 pounds during his NCSU career. He has added at least 24 pounds since last summer. "I've been doing a lot of work," Riley said. "I didn't really lift weights in high school. I just want to get bigger and stronger." — Jacey Zembal Getting To Know: C.J. Riley Quick Facts Position Coach: George McDonald (third year) Returning Starter: Stephen Louis (12 career starts) Starter Lost: Bra'Lon Cherry (22) FYI: NC State's wide receivers and tight ends were ranked No. 6 in the ACC by Athlon … Phil Steele's College Football Preview listed the unit the 28th best nation- ally and fourth in the conference … NC State hasn't had the same wideout be its leading receiver in back-to-back seasons since Jerricho Cotchery in 2002-03 … Freshman Antoine Thompson was one of three class of 2016 signees from Plant City, Fla., which has an estimated population of 38,200 in 2016 and is near Tampa, Fla. … Thompson played little league football with fellow signee Erin Collins, a running back … Redshirt sophomore Vernon Grier also ran track at Mallard Creek and helped the 4x100 relay team win the national title as a junior … Redshirt sophomore Jakobi Meyers was a standout baseball player for Lithonia (Ga.) Arabia Mountain High and also played hoops there … Freshman Emeka Emezie's full name is Chukwuemeka Chitabera Emezie … Freshman Max Fisher's father, Paul, played football at Bloomsburg and his mother, Jody, was a soccer player at Maryland. ■ By The Numbers 4 Receivers who had at least one catch of 60 yards or more a season ago, and three of them (sophomore Kelvin Harmon, redshirt junior Stephen Louis and redshirt junior Maurice Trowell) are returning this fall. 13 Number of seasons NC State has gone without a 1,000-yard receiver. The last one was Jerricho Cotchery, who had 1,369 yards in 2003. 15.2 Average yards per catch collectively by NC State's receivers in 2016, led by Louis' 19.4 (which ranked 13th in the FBS). Riley is hoping to get playing time after missing last season with a knee injury. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN NC State's Top Receptions Leader The Past 10 Seasons Year Name Catches Yards 2016 Jaylen Samuels 55 565 2015 Jaylen Samuels 65 597 2014 Bo Hines 45 616 2013 Rashard Smith 49 530 2012 Tobais Palmer 54 781 2011 T.J. Graham 46 757 2010 Owen Spencer 60 912 2009 Jarvis Williams 45 547 2008 Owen Spencer 31 691 2007 John Dunlap 45 375