Nick Weaver
It’s college football’s opening week, which means it’s time for an annual tradition among sports writers: predictions. The Technician sports brain trust made its picks for how this season will shake out for NC State football, who its standout players will be and more.
Record
Andrew: 9-3 — With a top-tier passing attack and a retooled defense that will outperform expectations, NC State beats last year’s regular season by a game. The Wolfpack will have the better quarterback in all but one of its games (West Virginia), and is still the second-best team in the ACC Atlantic with so much coaching and quarterback turnover elsewhere. The Pack will drop a shootout at home to the Mountaineers, a home tilt against an on-the-rise Boston College team that includes a Heisman dark horse in running back A.J. Dillon and a road matchup with title contender Clemson.
Alec: 9-3 — The schedule isn’t too tough for the Pack, and nine wins is a pretty high mark that is fairly attainable. A pesky Syracuse game on the road following a tough matchup at Clemson will be one loss, with home against West Virginia and at Clemson being the other two.
Camden: 8-4 — Offensively, the Pack can compete with the top teams in the country, but there is a little worry about the defense and its ability to stop high powered offenses. A couple slip-ups around the home losses against West Virginia and Clemson will put a slight damper on the season. Look for Boston College and Syracuse to be two teams that could take down the Pack.
Offensive MVP
Andrew: Ryan Finley — No need to get cute here. The Pack has a great receiver trio, and you could make a case for Kelvin Harmon here, but Finley is the straw that stirs the drink. He’s the best quarterback in the ACC, and one of the best in the country. None of the other pieces on offense could carry this team without Finley.
Alec: Ryan Finley — Finley is next-level good, and will continue to improve in his final season. With so many weapons to spread the ball around to, it will be Finley that really stands out for what should be an exciting Wolfpack offense.
Camden: Ryan Finley — One of the nation’s best quarterbacks should be the leader of the offense and create opportunities for not only the receivers but also the run game. Kelvin Harmon could be in the running for this category, but Finley’s ability to spread the ball throughout the offense will overshadow Harmon’s great season.
Defensive MVP
Andrew: Germaine Pratt — Pratt finished fourth on last year’s team with 69 tackles despite not starting a game as the team’s third linebacker, and will be the quarterback of this year’s defense. He’s capable of making plays all over the field (he had two touchdowns last year), and will force at least one turnover (and return it for a touchdown) that swings the outcome of a game.
Alec: Darian Roseboro — It’s finally Roseboro’s time to shine, after sitting as a backup to Bradley Chubb and Kentavius Street. Roseboro is set up for a massive season with NC State’s edge-rushing style, taking over the spotlight of Chubb as the defense’s superstar.
Camden: Germaine Pratt — Pratt has finally stepped into a starting role after coming off the bench last season and will solidify the middle of the field. His play last year was still outstanding and as one of the older guys on the team, he will certainly be the leader of the defense.
Breakout player
Andrew: Reggie Gallaspy Jr. — After serving as a backup to future NFLers the past two seasons, the starting running back job is finally Gallaspy’s. He’s motivated, in shape, the coaching staff is impressed with him and his bruising, downhill running style will work well behind another strong offensive line. The senior back has an outside chance at being the Pack’s third straight 1,000-yard rusher.
Alec: Germaine Pratt — It’s tough to consider Pratt a breakout player, considering he was fourth on the team with 69 tackles last year, but as he moves into a starting role, Wolfpack fans should see even more from the talented linebacker. Pratt will lead NC State in tackles this year, and will be an improvement on the two guys he sat behind last season.
Camden: Reggie Gallaspy Jr. — Like Pratt, Gallaspy will step into the starting role as the lead back. Behind a strong offensive line and while the defense is distracted by the passing game, Gallaspy will find a plethora of holes to gain big yardage. He’s motivated to show what he can do as the main rusher.
Unsung Hero
Andrew: Garrett Bradbury — The center is the most underappreciated position in football. Snapping the ball to the quarterback is a pretty important job. NC State’s offensive line was a huge factor in last year’s breakout, and Bradbury will play a critical role in both run blocking and pass protection, as well as bridging the gap for an O-line that returns its left side but is breaking in a new right side. Bradbury doesn’t, and won’t, get enough praise for all he does to make this offense hum.
Alec: Eurndraus Bryant — Defensive tackles don’t get a lot of love, but they should. B.J. Hill and Justin Jones attracted blockers and paved the way for Chubb’s monster season last year, and Bryant should do the same for Roseboro this season. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s finally getting his chance.
Camden: A.J. Cole III — The punter doesn’t get a lot of love on the football field. Cole is among some of the best punters in school history and is a vital member of the team with his ability to flip the field. He leads all returning ACC punters in punts and yards after his third-team All-ACC performance last season.
Best win
Andrew: Florida State — The Seminoles will still be a step below previous editions, but should be much improved from last year’s team under first-year head coach Willie Taggart with Deondre Francois back at quarterback and dynamic running back Cam Akers coming in with a year of experience under his belt. Knocking off Clemson and winning the Atlantic isn’t happening, but NC State has a great chance to finish second in the Atlantic again. Florida State is its top competitor for doing so, and getting this victory at home will seal the deal for the Wolfpack.
Alec: Florida State — The Pack probably won’t win at Clemson, so this is the next best potential win on the schedule. Florida State may not be what it normally is, but it will still put a talented team on the field. At Carter-Finley Stadium though, the Wolfpack should top the Seminoles for the second year in a row.
Camden: Florida State — The Seminoles are not the same team that they have been in the past, but with Francois at quarterback, they will be a solid ACC contender. With the crowd pumped up, the Pack will have enough to take this one. There is an unlikely chance to beat Clemson and West Virginia is no sure bet either.
ACC Champion
Andrew: Clemson — Not a very tough call. Clemson’s offense is loaded with playmakers, and all four of their defensive linemen are NFL-caliber players. The Tigers are on another level completely above the rest of the ACC. As a bonus, Clemson is also my pick as this year’s national champion.
Alec: Clemson — The Tigers are far-and-away the best team in the ACC, and it’s not very close. It should be fairly smooth sailing for Clemson in the ACC yet again, and the Tigers will book their fourth straight ticket to the College Football Playoff, which they very well might win.
Camden: Clemson — This is an easy one. Clemson is by far the best team in the ACC and one of the best in the country. The defensive linemen are all NFL-caliber players and it will be tough to slow them down. Clemson will also find a spot in the College Football Playoff later in the year.