Redshirt junior Daniel Evans will start at quarterback for N.C. State on Saturday at Florida State, first-year coach Tom O’Brien told the media during his weekly Monday press conference.
Previous starter Harrison Beck is out with a separated shoulder, and there is no timetable for his return. Redshirt freshman Justin Burke is listed as the back-up, and O’Brien said he has no intention of playing Burke, unless Evans is injured.
Evans will have the priveledge of going against a Florida State defense that junior offensive lineman Curtis Crouch described as the “toughest defensive unit” the team has seen thus far.
While Crouch said the team is excited about going against a strong defense, he said the Wolfpack has a tough task at hand.
“Yeah, we are going to have our hands full for sure. They’re real fast. Like I said, we will have our hands full and have to watch film and get our hands dirty this game. I’m pretty excited myself.”
O’Brien described Beck’s injury as week-to-week and said he is out indefinitely. He did say when Beck returns, he can expect to have his starting position back.
“You don’t lose your starting job because of an injury, dependent upon how long you’re out,” O’Brien said. “If Lou Gehrig shows up, then maybe you got to change the rules. For the most part, you don’t lose your job because of an injury.”
He did say if the injury prolongs to multiple games, it could change the entire situation though.
“You start talking four or five games, that’s different than one or two,” he said.
Also during O’Brien’s press conference, the coach announced that three players are no longer with the program. Junior cornerback Levin Neal, redshirt freshman punter Nathan Franklin and freshman receiver Marcus Bond have been granted transfers.
“We’ve had three guys — Levin Neal, Franklin and Bond — have decided they don’t want to be a part of the football team. So they’ve been granted releases to transfer wherever they want to go,” O’Brien said.
Neal and Franklin both lost their starting jobs early in the season after the two started in the season opener against Central Florida. Bond did not have any career starts.
Franklin lost the starting punter position to redshirt junior punter Bradley Pierson after averaging only 31.9 yards per punt, while Pierson is averaging 37 yards per punt.
O’Brien, who learned about Neal wanting to transfer last week, said he will allow him to transfer within conference, if he chooses to do so.
“It’s kind of tough. He’s only got one year of eligibility left. If he transfers, he has to pay his way if he goes in conference,” O’Brien said. “If he wants to do that, that’s fine.”
While O’Brien recommended to Neal that he stick it out until the season finished, Neal was ready to leave the program.
“I thought he should at least stay with it until the end of the season and then make a decision from there. He didn’t think that was the case, so that’s fine,” O’Brien said.