North Carolina State University Athletics
#STATEOFGRIND
2/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 27, 2015
SITTING OUT
Several players will miss spring drills with various and assorted injuries. All of them, however, are expected to be back for fall camp:
Justin Jones, DT
Monty Nelson, DT
Evan Pritt, OL
Mike Rose, DE
Eric Shute, OL
Charlie Twitty, CB
Limited for Spring Drills:
Garrett Bradbury, DT
David J. Grinnage, TE
Gavin Locklear, WR
M.J. Salahuddin, LB
STRIKING A BALANCE
Head coach Dave Doeren said when he was named head coach at NC State that he wanted to field a “balanced” offense. His second Wolfpack squad did just that, tallying 2,659 yards on the ground and 2,652 through the air - a difference of just seven yards! That made the Wolfpack the nation’s most balanced offense in 2014.
The Wolfpack rushed for 204.5 yards per game in 2014, the school’s best mark since 1992 and the 12th-best mark in school history. Over the last three games, the Pack averaged 312 rushing yards.
That balance moving forward will rely heavily on the development of the wide receiver corps. Two of the top three producers from this unit are gone and the most experienced returnee (Bra’Lon Cherry) has just 35 career catches. New WR coach George McDonald has the bodies, but spring may determine who is going to step up into starting leadership roles.
A PROVEN LEADER
For the first time in his brief tenure, Doeren will have the luxury of a returning starter at quarterback in 2015. Jacoby Brissett finished his junior campaign ranked among NC State’s all-time leaders in several career and single-season statistical categories, including the seventh-best total offense mark in school history. Brissett is the only quarterback in NC State history to throw 20+ touchdowns (23) and have five or less interceptions (5).
PRIMARIES IN SECONDARY
Although there are some gaps to fill in the front six on defense, the back five spots will be in experienced hands. All five starters in the defensive secondary from 2014 will return this season, including three of the team’s top tacklers in FS Hakim Jones (1st), Nickel Dravious Wright (4th) and SS Josh Jones (5th). Cornerbacks Jack Tocho and Juston Burris return for their third and fourth years as starters, respectively.
IT’S ALL ABOUT DAYES
Junior running back Matt Dayes is one of just 16 players from the Power 5 conferences in the last decade to post 300+ rushing, receiving and kickoff return yards, plus 10 TDs.
In 2013 and in 2014, Dayes topped 125 yds in all three categories and had five or more TDs. The only other ACC players to accomplish that feat since 2004 were Clemson’s T.J. Spiller, UNC’s Brandon Tate, Georgia Tech’s Orwin Smith and Virginia Tech’s David Wilson.
BREAKING IT DOWN
NC State will return seven starters on offense and eight on defense next season.
2014 Letterwinners by Position (43 returning, 21 lost)
OFFENSE (19 returning/11 lost)
OT(0/2): Tyson Chandler, Rob Crisp
OG (4/2): Tony Adams, Alex Barr, Andy Jomantas, Ali Kassem, Bryce Kennedy, Joe Thuney
C (1/0): Quinton Schooley
TE (3/0): Benson Browne, Cole Cook, David J. Grinnage
WR (5/5): Johnathan Alston, NaQuan Brown, Dayton Campos, Bra’lon Cherry, Bo Hines, Stephen Louis, Maurice Morgan, Jumichael Ramos, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Bryan Underwood
QB (1/0): Jacoby Brissett
RB (3/1): Tony Creecy, Matt Dayes, Dakwa Nichols, Shadrach Thornton
FB (2/1): Jaylen Samuels, Devin O’Connor, Tyler Purvis
DEFENSE (24 returning/8 lost)
DT (4/3): Kenton Gibbs, B.J. Hill, Justin Jones, T.Y. McGill, Monty Nelson, Tyler Smith, Thomas Teal
DE (3/2): Drew Davis, Pharoah McKever, Art Norman, Mike Rose, Kentavius Street
LB (4/2): Bradley Chubb, Jerod Fernandez, Airius Moore, Rodman Noel, Brandon Pittman, Ernie Robinson III
CB (6/0): Juston Burris, Malcolm Means, Niles Clark, Mike Stevens, Jack Tocho, Troy Vincent, Jr.
S (7/1): Shawn Boone, Tim Buckley, Jarvis Byrd, Hakim Jones, Josh Jones, Germaine Pratt, Josh Sessoms, Dravious Wright
SPECIAL TEAMS (0 returning/3 lost)
P/PK (0/2): Wil Baumann, Niklas Sade
SN (0/1): Scott Thompson
RALEIGH, N.C. - Spring practice opens on Sunday, March 1. Follow our #STATEOFGRIND from now until the Kay Yow Spring Game on April 11 via our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Wordpress accounts.
#STATEOFGRIND
NC State ended the 2014 season with a tremendous amount of momentum, winning four of the last five games including a bowl victory. But Dave Doeren’s third squad isn’t trying to rest on its laurels. Instead, the Wolfpack enters spring practice with a workmanlike mentality ... a #STATEOFGRIND.
The teams returns 14 starters, including players who made significant contributions on offense and defense in 2014. Student-athletes that accounted for 86 percent of the team’s rushing, 99 percent of the passing, 69 percent of the receiving and 73 percent of the tackles will return for 2015.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
The following players have a new position for the start of spring workouts:
| Name | Former Pos. | New Pos. |
| Garrett Bradbury | TE | DT |
| Coult Culler | LB | DE |
| Elliott Davis | CB | WR |
| Ty Linton | LB | DE |
SITTING OUT
Several players will miss spring drills with various and assorted injuries. All of them, however, are expected to be back for fall camp:
Justin Jones, DT
Monty Nelson, DT
Evan Pritt, OL
Mike Rose, DE
Eric Shute, OL
Charlie Twitty, CB
Limited for Spring Drills:
Garrett Bradbury, DT
David J. Grinnage, TE
Gavin Locklear, WR
M.J. Salahuddin, LB
STRIKING A BALANCE
Head coach Dave Doeren said when he was named head coach at NC State that he wanted to field a “balanced” offense. His second Wolfpack squad did just that, tallying 2,659 yards on the ground and 2,652 through the air - a difference of just seven yards! That made the Wolfpack the nation’s most balanced offense in 2014.
The Wolfpack rushed for 204.5 yards per game in 2014, the school’s best mark since 1992 and the 12th-best mark in school history. Over the last three games, the Pack averaged 312 rushing yards.
That balance moving forward will rely heavily on the development of the wide receiver corps. Two of the top three producers from this unit are gone and the most experienced returnee (Bra’Lon Cherry) has just 35 career catches. New WR coach George McDonald has the bodies, but spring may determine who is going to step up into starting leadership roles.
A PROVEN LEADER
For the first time in his brief tenure, Doeren will have the luxury of a returning starter at quarterback in 2015. Jacoby Brissett finished his junior campaign ranked among NC State’s all-time leaders in several career and single-season statistical categories, including the seventh-best total offense mark in school history. Brissett is the only quarterback in NC State history to throw 20+ touchdowns (23) and have five or less interceptions (5).
PRIMARIES IN SECONDARY
Although there are some gaps to fill in the front six on defense, the back five spots will be in experienced hands. All five starters in the defensive secondary from 2014 will return this season, including three of the team’s top tacklers in FS Hakim Jones (1st), Nickel Dravious Wright (4th) and SS Josh Jones (5th). Cornerbacks Jack Tocho and Juston Burris return for their third and fourth years as starters, respectively.
IT’S ALL ABOUT DAYES
Junior running back Matt Dayes is one of just 16 players from the Power 5 conferences in the last decade to post 300+ rushing, receiving and kickoff return yards, plus 10 TDs.
In 2013 and in 2014, Dayes topped 125 yds in all three categories and had five or more TDs. The only other ACC players to accomplish that feat since 2004 were Clemson’s T.J. Spiller, UNC’s Brandon Tate, Georgia Tech’s Orwin Smith and Virginia Tech’s David Wilson.
BREAKING IT DOWN
NC State will return seven starters on offense and eight on defense next season.
2014 Letterwinners by Position (43 returning, 21 lost)
OFFENSE (19 returning/11 lost)
OT(0/2): Tyson Chandler, Rob Crisp
OG (4/2): Tony Adams, Alex Barr, Andy Jomantas, Ali Kassem, Bryce Kennedy, Joe Thuney
C (1/0): Quinton Schooley
TE (3/0): Benson Browne, Cole Cook, David J. Grinnage
WR (5/5): Johnathan Alston, NaQuan Brown, Dayton Campos, Bra’lon Cherry, Bo Hines, Stephen Louis, Maurice Morgan, Jumichael Ramos, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Bryan Underwood
QB (1/0): Jacoby Brissett
RB (3/1): Tony Creecy, Matt Dayes, Dakwa Nichols, Shadrach Thornton
FB (2/1): Jaylen Samuels, Devin O’Connor, Tyler Purvis
DEFENSE (24 returning/8 lost)
DT (4/3): Kenton Gibbs, B.J. Hill, Justin Jones, T.Y. McGill, Monty Nelson, Tyler Smith, Thomas Teal
DE (3/2): Drew Davis, Pharoah McKever, Art Norman, Mike Rose, Kentavius Street
LB (4/2): Bradley Chubb, Jerod Fernandez, Airius Moore, Rodman Noel, Brandon Pittman, Ernie Robinson III
CB (6/0): Juston Burris, Malcolm Means, Niles Clark, Mike Stevens, Jack Tocho, Troy Vincent, Jr.
S (7/1): Shawn Boone, Tim Buckley, Jarvis Byrd, Hakim Jones, Josh Jones, Germaine Pratt, Josh Sessoms, Dravious Wright
SPECIAL TEAMS (0 returning/3 lost)
P/PK (0/2): Wil Baumann, Niklas Sade
SN (0/1): Scott Thompson
Coach Doeren Signing Day Presser (Dec. 3rd)
Wednesday, December 03
FB Players Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Weekly Press Conference (Nov. 24)
Monday, November 24