North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Depth Chart Starting to Take Shape
8/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 25, 2005
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - When NC State opens its college football season against nationally ranked Virginia Tech on Sunday night September 4th, sophomore Darrell Blackman will be the Wolfpack's starting tailback. But given the talented stall of ball carriers behind him, Blackman's standing as the starter will be tenuous at best. As they have done throughout the preseason, veterans Bobby Washington and Reggie Davis along with talented freshmen Toney Baker, Andre Brown and Jamelle Eugene will continue to push for meaningful playing time in the NC State backfield from week to week.
"He better not slip," Amato said of Blackman, "because he may not get demoted but someone else may get promoted. He's our number one and we've got five number twos."
Blackman's experience, ability to quickly pick up new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman's system and pass catching skills ultimately gave him an edge in the battle for the No. 1 spot.
"He's a very good athlete that can make things happen, not that the other ones can't," said Amato. "They'll all get their chance. What separated him from the others is that he, Bobby and Reggie went through spring practice with the new terminology. The youngsters that come in here are 15 days behind and these words are all Greek to them. Everything is as clear as mud to them, but someday it's going to open up as clear as a rose petal. They're all very talented, they really are."
Along with his duties on offense, Blackman will also be a key cog in NC State's special teams, returning both kickoffs and punts. As a freshman in 2004, Blackman led the ACC and ranked third nationally in punt returns with a 17.83 average. He also returned a punt 87 yards for a score against Florida State.
"I feel that Darrell is doing a great job," said tight end T.J. Williams. "All the running backs have the great athleticism and they're good backs. They've got Darrell up there as the number one tailback going into the first game, so it will give him the opportunity to prove himself. I feel like he's a complete back and he catches the ball out of the backfield very well. That's a good thing in this offense."
In NC State's second preseason scrimmage on Saturday, Blackman carried the ball five times for 75 yards, a performance that included a 34-yard burst on the first place from scrimmage. Brown, a physical 230-pound freshman from Greenville, also had a good day, rushing for 81 yards on five carries. Sixty one of those yards came on one scoring play.
In the Wolfpack's first scrimmage back on August 13, Baker was the top runner with 98 yards on 11 carries. Not to be forgotten, Washington was NC State's most productive running back in the spring, while Davis and Eugene have continued to impress as well.
The situation is a far cry from what happened back in 2002 when Amato had to recruit running backs from his secondary while T.A. McLendon, a freshman at the time, was nursing a shoulder injury early in the season.
"I can remember three years ago begging players `would you like to move to running back,'" Amato said. "I asked Lamont Reid, who came here as a running back, and he said thanks but no thanks. Greg Golden came and knocked on my door and said `yea, I can do it.' Marcus Hudson came to my door and said `only if I can play wide receiver, too.' Now we've got the problem the other way and it's a good problem to have. Everyday a different one does something amazing. And the only thing they have in common is that every one of them has a two in their number."
NC State also appears to be solidifying the starters along its offensive line. According to the depth chart released on Wednesday, Derek Morris is holding off a challenge from Jon Holt for the starting right tackle job. At right guard, converted defensive tackle Dwayne Herndon is listed as the starter ahead of freshman Curtis Crouch.
"Dwayne went over there although he was reluctant at first," Amato said. "He's made a great sacrifice. That was a team thing that Dwayne did because he played an awful lot of football in the last three years as a defensive tackle. To make that move in your last year, that's what you call team."
On the defensive line, sophomore DeMario Pressley and Tank Tyler are still neck and neck at one of the tackle positions. The starting linebackers are LeRue Rumph (SAM), Oliver Hoyte (middle) and Stephen Tulloch (WILL).
Garland Heath will get the start at rover, while Miguel Scott is listed as the starter ahead of J.J. Jones at the free safety position.
