The NC State football team had a good season this year. There’s no doubt there was more left on the table, and it’s hard not to think what could have been, but there’s probably only one team in the country who isn’t going to think that at the end of the year.

Regardless of what didn’t happen, the Pack will travel to the Gator Bowl with a chance to win its 10th game of the season for the second time in school history. That’s a good season, even though, yes, there could’ve been more. However, it’s what happens off the field before and after the game that will be what’s most important for the progress of the program.

The focus is going to be on who will replace graduate quarterback Ryan Finley. Redshirt freshman Matt McKay, freshman Devin Leary and incoming transfer Bailey Hockman will compete for the spot. McKay and Leary are already on campus and will have an advantage over Hockman because of that. Once the bowl game is over, that’s where the focus will be. Which of those three can replace Finley?

They present different styles; McKay is more of a runner, Leary is a pocket passer who can move and Hockman is a left-handed dual threat. It won’t be an easy task, but just based on numbers, you have to figure the quarterback spot is in good hands moving forward.

The rest of the offense is taking a hit as well. Junior wide receiver Kelvin Harmon has already declared for the NFL draft, senior running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. has exhausted his eligibility, as have three offensive linemen who will likely be drafted: Tyler Jones, Terronne Prescod and Garrett Bradbury.

Graduate receiver Stephen Louis has applied for a sixth year of eligibility after his season was cut short by injury this year. Lastly, redshirt junior receiver Jakobi Meyers will certainly look to get feedback from the NFL on where he could be drafted. If Meyers does indeed depart for the NFL, the Pack won’t have a returning senior starter on offense. That’s a lot of talent and experience to replace, similar to what happened to the defense last year.

The good news is the cupboard isn’t bare. At running back, freshman Ricky Person Jr. showed immense potential while fighting injuries all year. If he can stay healthy, he’s a game-changer. At wide receiver, sophomore Emeka Emezie and redshirt freshman Thayer Thomas have shown they are more than adequate. On the offensive line, redshirt sophomore Joe Sculthorpe has played well in a reserve role, but offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford will have his hands full to replace three seniors.

Speaking of Ledford, he’s going to be a hot commodity this off season, as will other Wolfpack coaches. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Eli Drinkwitz and running backs coach Des Kitchings, along with Ledford, will likely have suitors and could be tough to keep in Raleigh, especially if they are offered head coaching jobs. It’s impossible to blame coaches for leaving for better job opportunities, and assistant coaches are never going to be around forever.

On the positive side, Doeren has shown time and time again that hiring assistants is one of his strengths as a head coach. While losing any assistant coach on the staff right now would be a big blow, it’s not insurmountable. The NC State program is in a great place, and Raleigh is a great place to live, so it won’t be hard for Doeren to attract coaching talent.

Back to the roster, the defense is going to have to replace its best player for the second year in a row. This year, it’s graduate linebacker Germaine Pratt. Others will graduate, like defensive linemen Darian Roseboro and Eurndraus Bryant and safety Dexter Wright, but if there’s one thing to be excited about in the future of the program – and there’s many reasons to be excited – the young defensive talent in the program is the best reason.

The biggest reason to have faith in Doeren and his staff is because of what happened this season. Nine senior starters left the defense this year, and a legitimate argument could be made that the defense was better this year than it was last year. It was a reload, not a rebuild. That’s not saying next year’s offense will be better than this year, but it shows there may not be as big a drop-off as expected.

There’s also the matter of the early signing period, where the Pack will look to get all of its top-25 recruiting class signed between December 19th and 21st. A top-25 recruiting class is huge for a program like NC State, and these last two classes compare favorably to the 2014 class which jumpstarted Doeren’s tenure.

It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks, but the focus should be on winning the bowl game right now. The significance of a 10th win can’t be overstated.

The quarterback competition won’t ramp up until spring practice. Meyers has until January 15th to make a decision on the NFL, and the coaching carousel doesn’t settle down until after bowl season.

Next season is looking like a rebuild, but then again, so was this past season, and the Pack cranked out a 9-3 record. If this offseason turns out to be successful, which would include Meyers and most or all assistant coaches returning, plus finding a quarterback for the next three or four years, the Wolfpack could be looking at a reload, not a rebuild, which would set NC State up to continue to build its program and reach even greater heights than it has the last two years.