It’s not common for freshmen to step right in and be successful, especially in a wide receiver corps full of veterans like junior John Dunlap, senior Lamart Barrett and junior Darrell Blackman. Not to mention junior tight end Anthony Hill, who leads N.C. State in receptions.There simply aren’t enough balls to go around.But Geron James and Donald Bowens have found their way into the lineup early in their careers.James is a redshirt freshman who actually made his debut for the Wolfpack last year in his true freshman year and had an immediate impact. In his first game, against Eastern Kentucky, James caught a touchdown pass. But he played just 22 snaps before injuring his shoulder and missing the rest of the season. After undergoing surgery last October and receiving a medical redshirt, he has come back this year and has seen action in five of State’s seven games.”I wanted to contribute so bad last year,” James said. “But I knew that my arm couldn’t get through the whole season. So I just worked real hard in the off-season to get the rehab done on my arm because I really wanted to contribute to the team this year. And it happened.”After playing sparingly in the first five games of the season, James burst back on to the scene to lead the Pack in receiving with four catches for 91 yards and a touchdown grab in the second half against Florida State as State mounted its comeback.But for sophomore cornerback Levin Neal, who played in high school with James in Wilmington, it was no surprise to see him play well in a big game.”You could characterize Geron as more of a gamer,” Neal said. “In the game he steps up more.”Neal added, however, James has the talent to get more playing time but his work ethic in practice has held him back and caused some friction with the coaches.”Practice, he doesn’t take as serious as the games,” Neal said. “A lot of people don’t take practice as serious, but out here we have so many good wide receivers that you have to take practice serious or you don’t get as much playing time. He has the ability and the talent to play. That’s not what the coaches are questioning. They question his will and how serious he’s taking the game.”Coach Chuck Amato said James, who was forced to sit out the first game of the season for undisclosed reasons, had improved lately, but it had taken some time to happen.”It’s early in his career,” Amato said. “But we’ve been expecting this from Geron for a while.”As for Bowens, his transition into the lineup has been a smoother one. The true freshman from St. Petersburg, Fla., has started three games already this year and led the team in receiving against Southern Mississippi. He’s fourth in receiving yards and tied for second on the team with two touchdown catches. Bowens said his goal when he arrived in Raleigh was to have an impact as a freshman.”I worked real hard over the summer,” Bowens said. “And for [my goals] to come true — I think I deserved it.”One thing to which he attributes to both he and James’ success is size. Bowens is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and James is 6-foot-4, 185 pounds — both bigger than the three veteran wide receivers.”Size can definitely help,” Bowens said. “The [freshmen] that came here this year are all tall. But even the receivers who were already here are great. The combo of small, speedy guys and big guys all works together.”Amato pointed to Bowens’ blocking skills in the running game after the Wake Forest game as a reason for his increased involvement in the offense. For Bowens, it’s something in which he takes a lot of pride.”In high school my coach always pushed me to block,” Bowens said. “I’ve always been an aggressive wide receiver, but he emphasized that blocking was very important. So I just came here and did it. Being an all-around receiver has definitely helped me get on the field.”But even though the two young receivers have contributed early and possess the talent to be a big part of the offense, Amato cautions it’s still the beginning of their careers as college football players and both have plenty of room for improvement.”They’re every bit of what we thought [they were],” Amato said. “But they’ve got a ton to learn and a long way to go yet.”