The NC State football team (4-8, 1-7 ACC) concluded one of the most frustrating seasons in the recent history of the team, with its last win coming against Syracuse in October. The loss to Georgia Tech sealed the coffin on the fate of NC State’s hopes for a bowl game, and the 41-10 rout at the hands of UNC-Chapel Hill added insult to injury, as the Tar Heels qualified for a bowl with the win.

Despite the loss and poor season, NC State fans should continue to support the team and pack the stands next season. The reason why is simple: This season should not be viewed as an indictment of the NC State football program. Yes, the team has been lackluster, to say the least, but injuries have ravaged this team for the entirety of the season, and the quarterback carousel only stopped after a couple of ACC games.

Redshirt freshman Devin Leary was thrust into the starting spotlight in the middle of ACC play, which is a lot to ask from any quarterback taking the starting position, let alone a freshman. None of the quarterbacks in the line-up looked like the answer, and yes, that was a huge part of the problem, but all three were young quarterbacks and the play-calling for them was questionable.

Redshirt sophomore Matthew McKay saw easier opponents and still looked mediocre, but he led the team in passing yards until the Georgia Tech game, 6.5 games after his role was taken by redshirt sophomore Bailey Hockman, and later Leary. After losing his role and realizing he would have to compete with at least three other quarterbacks in the offseason, McKay entered the transfer portal, leaving the program.

Furthermore, redshirt junior C.J. Riley was forced out of his starting position early in the season, thrusting redshirt freshman Devin Carter into the limelight. While Carter looked like a stud for the Wolfpack offense, Riley was still expected to play a big role in a corps that lost Stephen Louis, Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers last season.

Other notable players to miss time on the offense include blocking tight ends redshirt junior Dylan Autenrieth and redshirt junior Dylan Parham, as well as graduate Emanuel McGirt Jr. on the offensive line. It is no coincidence that the offensive line was mediocre, to say the least, this season, and this is a huge reason why, especially when redshirt junior Cary Angeline does not do much blocking for the team. The offensive line utilized Autenrieth and Parham quite often last season on the line, so those losses are more significant than it would appear.

While the freshmen duo of running backs Zonovan Knight and Jordan Houston looked strong this season, sophomore Ricky Person Jr. had high expectations coming into this offense, and also missed multiple games for the team.

All of these injuries are on the offense alone, and the defense is where it all stands out. For multiple games this season, the Pack has started its CB6 and CB7 on the depth chart, showing a ridiculous amount of injury that has occurred in the secondary. While NC State when fully healthy still does not boast an impressive secondary, it does not help when the team started two freshmen on the outside for games, and it shows, especially when NC State took on prolific passing offenses like Wake Forest, Clemson, Louisville and UNC, who all torched the Pack in the skies.

Star graduate defensive end James Smith-Williams missed multiple games due to injury. Smith-Williams has the talent to go pro, but the Pack was unable to keep up consistent pressure when Smith-Williams seemed to miss every other game, having played in only six games this season.

There have been dozens of injuries that have plagued this team all year, but the problems do not end there. Some of the upperclassmen on the team did not make the jump they were expected to make before the year, and some holes have been impossible to fill, such as Germaine Pratt’s undeniable presence on the interior as a linebacker.

Whether this is an indictment on the coaching staff or just a true reflection of the talent of some of the players on the team is a toss-up, but the entire team should feel good about the young players that have shown signs this season of becoming staples on the team. Defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable, a former linebackers coach, was fired already, and there will almost assuredly be more coaching changes before the start of next season.

To start, Knight, Houston, Person and even redshirt freshman Trent Pennix make up one of the most promising backfields in the ACC. Knight and Houston both look like they have the ability to be RB1, and look to be a tag-team duo for years to come, while Person is a pass-catching threat of a back, and Pennix is one of the best blockers on the team. The sky is the limit for this crew.

True freshman Ikem Ekwonu came onto this team at one of the hardest positions to play as a freshman, offensive tackle, and while the line struggled, this much experience for a young lineman is impressive.

Sophomore De’Von Graves and redshirt freshman Malik Dunlap, the aforementioned CB6 and CB7, are also playing extremely hard positions, and while they did not play to the best of their abilities, these players have already gained valuable lessons from the time they were able to see the field.

This is just scratching the surface of the young players on the team, and not to mention the recruits the team will add over the summer, including four-star wide receiver Porter Rooks, who is going to help comprise a receiving corps that should return nearly every player, including junior Emeka Emezie.

While the team will lose graduate defensive tackle Larrell Murchison, Smith-Williams and senior safety Jarius Morehead, as well as others, this program has shown an elite ability to develop players towards pro-readiness and should be able to replace their production in the next couple of years.

With the sheer number of young players, and the devastating injuries that would be impossible for any team to overcome, as well as a tough quarterback situation, NC State fans should not feel too bad about this season. When one begins to place this season in the grand scheme of things, and the future outlook of this program, the future looks a lot brighter.