While the NC State football team is undoubtedly losing some key players on both sides of the ball, there’s still a host of talent from last year’s squad set to return.
Jaylen Samuels
Senior tight end Jaylen Samuels is arguably the most important returning player on offense.
Last year, Samuels racked up 565 receiving yards on a team-high 55 receptions, while also finding the end zone 13 times — another team best — and scoring nearly half of them on the ground, showcasing his versatility. With Matt Dayes gone, Samuels could play a larger role in State’s rushing attack.
He finished the year with 183 rushing yards, although he had nearly double that in 2015. While NC State has a few backfield options to replace Dayes, Samuels has proven to be a viable option, and State may rely on him more if it becomes necessary.
Nyheim Hines
Hines is another multitalented player who should have a big impact on the field next season.
The junior slot receiver tallied 43 receptions for 525 yards in 2016 and also finished second on the team in all-purpose yards by recording 782 yards returning kickoffs. Hines is more than just a talented football player, as he also competes for the track and field team, proving to be one of the fastest sprinters in the ACC.
Hines showed this speed to Wolfpack fans and viewers nationwide, with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown early in the fourth quarter of the Independence Bowl to end Vanderbilt’s comeback hopes.
Keeping Dayes’ loss in mind, there’s evidence that Hines could also see his rushing responsibilities increase. Not only is he still listed on the roster as a running back, but he also had his fair share of carries in 2015. In fact, he left high school as his school’s all-time leading rusher.
The bottom line is Hines can be dangerously explosive with open field in front of him, regardless of where he lines up. If the coaching staff finds a way to utilize him even more, then the ceiling is high for Hines.
Ryan Finley
Although there’s a chance Jalan McClendon could beat out Finley for the starting role at quarterback next year, based on their respective performances last season, all signs point to Finley maintaining his status as the starter.
In addition to Samuels and Hines, Finley will have two other solid deep threats downfield. One is last year’s leader in receiving yards, redshirt junior Stephen Louis, and the other is sophomore Kelvin Harmon, who finished second on the team in receiving touchdowns as a true freshman. Also, don’t forget that wide receiver JuMichael Ramos is set to return for his senior year after medically redshirting last season.
Ultimately, Finley will clearly have a plethora of targets. The only question is can he continue to be efficient and effective. In 2016, Finley threw for 3,055 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while completing over 60 percent of his passes.
The redshirt junior was fairly average throughout the year and struggled at times, especially with the deep ball. However, if he can work on some minor flaws and be more consistent, then next year could be a big year for him.
With Finley at the helm once more, and a talented, experienced group of players making up the majority of the supporting cast, there’s no reason not to think Eliah Drinkwitz’s offense could really open up and start clicking in year two.
Shawn Boone
Boone makes this list because of the huge hit the secondary takes with the loss of Josh Jones and Jack Tocho.
The senior safety finished fourth on the team in tackles last year, and he will need to contribute just as much or more in 2017. He’ll also need to act as a leader for this unit, alongside cornerback and fellow senior Mike Stevens.
For a secondary that struggled at times last season, next year could be even tougher as some younger, less experienced guys step into starting roles. Boone will play a large role in determining how the group fares this fall.
Airius Moore and Jerod Fernandez
Unlike the secondary, NC State’s linebacking corps remains intact with senior Moore and redshirt senior Fernandez both set to return.
Fernandez accumulated the second-most tackles on the team last fall with 88 stops and 4.5 tackles for loss. While Moore’s mark of 86 tackles fell just short, he recorded seven more TFLs than Fernandez and also tacked on 2.5 sacks.
Both these seniors will need to keep up this level of play in order for the Pack to continue its defensive success.
Bradley Chubb
Lastly, the Wolfpack’s defensive line will need to be dominant again for State to maintain its defensive prowess.
In 2016, this unit was the anchor of one the stoutest rushing defenses in the country, and it’s very likely it could be among the best in the nation next season too. The entire starting lineup returns, and the only loss from last year is reserve defensive tackle Monty Nelson.
Chubb leads this group and is without a doubt the most influential defensive lineman on the roster. He’s even been described as the most underrated defensive end in college football.
He’s earned that kind of praise with his phenomenal play last season. His 22 TFLs rank him among the top-five players nationally for 2016. In fact, fans should be grateful that he chose to stay, given that he had the potential to be a highly coveted NFL draft pick.
Perhaps he felt there was some unfinished business, after last year’s close losses and a disappointing final record of 7-6. If that’s the case, then expect Chubb and the rest of the veteran players to come back fired up and better than ever.
Junior defensive end Bradley Chubb comes away with the fumble recovery in the first quarter setting up the Wolfpack on a short field for a touchdown, taking them to 14-0. The Wolfpack took down the Tar Heels 28-21 in Kenan Stadium on Nov. 25, 2016.
