Ahead of the upcoming NC State football season opener against the University of South Carolina Saturday three players have emerged as candidates to share the weight of the running game for the 2017 season.
Of the players that the Wolfpack lost to either graduation or the NFL draft at the conclusion of its 2016 season, one of the biggest was, without a doubt, running back Matt Dayes. Dayes, who is currently fighting to keep his spot in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, accounted for the majority of State’s running yards with 1,166 last season. By comparison, the Wolfpack running back with the next highest stats, junior Reggie Gallaspy II, garnered only 234 yards.
During the offseason and preseason, many questions surrounded how NC State would adjust for the gaping hole left by Dayes’ departure. The answer wasn’t a single running back to fill the hole, but rather three: Gallaspy, junior Nyheim Hines and redshirt graduate Dakwa Nichols.
Gallaspy was Dayes’ main backup and the Pack’s second-leading rusher in 2016. Gallaspy recorded two rushing touchdowns and 234 yards in the 12 games that he played. Standing at 5 feet 11 inches and weighing 225 pounds, Gallaspy is the biggest physical threat that NC State possesses.
Hines, who played primarily wide receiver and kick returner a year ago, switched positions to running back over the offseason. As a wideout, Hines was third in receiving yards in 2016, recording 525 yards, but failed to catch a touchdown pass. Hines, who also runs for the NC State Track & Field team as a sprinter in the spring, uses his speed as his edging factor.
Finally, Nichols, who played in 11 games, rushing for 98 yards and scoring one touchdown, has returned to the lineup for the Pack after missing the final two games of the 2016 season. Nichols has the advantage of experience on his side, seeing as he has been with the team since 2013.
While some may think the above three backs are vying for the number-one position on the depth chart, it doesn’t appear as if that is head coach Dave Doeren’s plan. Instead, Doeren has expressed that he would like to see the three players share time and get equal touches in games in order to play to their individual strengths.
“You’ll see all three [in the home opener] … Nyheim, Reggie and Dakwa,” Doeren said to NC State Athletics. “We feel like all three are going to be needed and all three have different things that they can bring to our offense.”
Doeren continued to say that he doesn’t want to have a situation like last year where one running back was getting the ball 30 or more times a game because it left that player at a greater risk for injury.
“It’s in our best interest, and I think most football teams will tell you this, to make sure those guys are all getting work, and they will,” Doeren said.
Whether Doeren’s tone changes based off of the performances of Gallaspy, Hines or Nichols during the early part of the season, only time will tell. As for now, however, NC State’s backfield will remain a joint effort.
