As we head into the 2021 season, let’s take a look at NC State’s depth across the entirety of the roster. Starters, reserves, names to know for the future of NC State football — it’s all here in your guide to the 2021 edition of NC State football roster.
Quarterback
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary leads the way for NC State. Coming off a short but successful 2020 campaign stunted by injury, the New Jersey gunslinger looks to put it all together as he heads into a second year with the same offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the first time. QB guru Tim Beck worked wonders with Leary and Bailey Hockman despite a shortened offseason in 2020, and now he and Leary are starting to speak the same language as Beck implements his full system.
“We’ve been able to expand our offensive communication, we’ve been able to reach out to different personnels and experience different guys in different spots,” Leary said. “Being able to have coach Beck here for a whole fall camp now and all the spring [after] last year just allows us to gravitate even more closer to him, understand him more than he understands us, a lot more.”
With the starting role as quarterback for NC State comes outside expectations, one of which being that Leary is seen as the figurehead of the team. Though he wasn’t ready as an underclassman, Leary now embraces that added responsibility.
“For myself really, it’s just being able to lead the guys and be the best possible servant leader that I can to our team,” Leary said at the ACC Kickoff. “Because they’re looking at me this year to be the leader of the team, to be the guy that leads them each week — game in and game out. So if I can consistently fulfill that role, that’s my ultimate goal.”
Freshmen quarterbacks Ben Finley and Aaron McLaughlin provide depth for the Wolfpack, though Finley is much more game ready. The second-year frosh had what should’ve been a two TD performance against UNC-Chapel Hill last year and has looked impressive in the glimpses the media has gotten of him.
Running back
NC State has a bona fide running back stable, though maybe not on the level of a Georgia or Alabama. Still, between sophomore back Zonovan Knight and junior Ricky Person, Jr., the offense returns over 1,400 rushing yards and 14 TDs. Knight has NFL potential with a great 2021 and Person can get back into that conversation if he can.
What about sophomore Jordan Houston? It appears the scatback’s making the move to slot receiver in order to see the field. A lack of snaps can’t explain him jumping into the deepest position group on the team, but keep in mind that the one death knell for a player’s college career is being jumped by a younger player. And Beck’s brought up freshman back Demie Sumo as a young player making an impression on the coaching staff.
“That guy, he’s fast; he’s still got some learning he’s got to do, but he’s just talented,” Person told Inside Pack Sports. “He’s gifted. That’s how I see him. He’s starting to pick up on the system. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he’ll put his nose in the fire when it’s time for him to block. He’s an all-around good player.”
Wide receiver
To call the situation NC State has at wide receiver a logjam is an understatement. The group returns eight players with game experience, led by senior Emeka Emezie, redshirt junior Thayer Thomas and redshirt sophomore Devin Carter. That trio combined for 1,744 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, and behind them waits a slew of young players eager to see the field.
Freshman Porter Rooks is a key reserve for the group, leading last year’s freshmen in yards and games played while freshmen Anthony Smith and Chris Scott Jr. put their speed on display in the minimal action they saw. With a true offseason to grow, Smith and Scott should grow into legitimate deep ball threats — and the only ones on the team if graduate C.J. Riley isn’t the same after his injuries.
Behind those with game experience sit freshmen Julian Gray, Jalen Coit and Micah Crowell. Gray received high praise from Beck this offseason, while Coit has taken strides forward according to Thayer Thomas, and Crowell was the top player in NC State’s class of 2021. In any other year, Crowell would likely challenge to see the field.
Tight end
With Dylan Autenrieth and Cary Angeline gone, things are uncertain at tight end, but three players should make an impact: redshirt senior Dylan Parham, redshirt sophomore Trent Pennix and redshirt freshman Chris Toudle. Parham is the most experienced end on the team, and as such will likely receive the most trust in important situations while Pennix, converted from running back, tries to add a different element to the group as a hybrid, Jaylen Samuels-type back. Coming over from receiver, Chris Toudle is likely eyeing Angeline’s now vacant role as a receiving end; someone who can run the seam and exploit mismatches with players in the secondary. Between those three, NC State’s tight end group should regress but remain competitive.
Offensive line
The story of depth continues with the offensive line, led by stalwarts in redshirt junior center Grant Gibson and sophomore left tackle Ikem Ekwonu. Both have season-ending award and NFL potential, and will anchor NC State’s passing and rushing attacks. At the other tackle spot, swing player Bryson Speas fills in. Speas factored in heavily last year, and gained some weight for the move to tackle.
At guard, certified freak redshirt freshman Dylan McMahon, graduate Chandler Zavala and redshirt sophomore Derrick Eason are fighting for spots but it’s likely the former two are the ones who take the field. Still, between those guys, redshirt freshman Tim McKay (back from injury), transfer sophomore Anthony Belton and second-year freshmen Sean Hill, Ethan Lane and Patrick Matan, John Garrison has a ton of players to work with.
Defensive line
C.J. Clark anchors the defense in the absence of now-Detroit Lion Alim McNeill, and last year’s top pass-rusher, graduate Daniel Joseph, returns to play alongside him. They’ll likely be joined by Florida State grad transfer Cory Durden to fill out NC State’s three-man defensive line, with redshirt junior Ibrahim Kante, freshman Davin Vann and sophomore Savion Jackson filling out the second group. Durden in particular has drawn rave reviews from the staff regarding his versatility and talent, so keep an eye on him this year.
Absent from those six is redshirt freshman Terrell Dawkins, a starter at the end of last year, who I didn’t notice on the field at the start of NC State’s fall camp. Dawkins had surgery after the 2020 season and missed spring ball, and may still be recovering. Still the line goes three deep at points, as Josh Harris, known for his goal line stands, factors in at defensive tackle as well.
Linebacker
This group will go down as one of the best linebacking corps NC State’s fielded, and one of the best in the nation. It all starts of course, with NFL-bound redshirt sophomore Payton Wilson, but don’t discount redshirt junior mike linebacker Isaiah Moore. The duo combined for a whopping 202 tackles and 22.5 TFLs last season, and it should be more of the same this year.
At the last backer spot, Drake Thomas and Vi Jones could be the strongest first team/second team duo in the country especially considering what Jones adds in special teams. Thomas, though he dealt with injuries, had a solid 2020 and Jones had three blocked kicks or punts last year including a game-sealing field goal block against a ranked Liberty squad in Carter-Finley. Needless to say, the sam spot is well taken care of between starter and backup.
Other names to know include sophomore Jaylon Scott, reserve at middle linebacker and freshman Devon Betty, reserve at will linebacker. Behind even them, freshmen Jordan Poole and Caden Fordham have drawn some early rave reviews and may be the future of this corps.
Secondary
There aren’t many surprises at the five secondary spots for NC State. At nickel, junior Tyler Baker-Williams is the veteran of the bunch and will start for the Wolfpack, while at the safety spots Jakeen Harris and Tanner Ingle are bolstered by transfer players. Rakeim Ashford, who saw some action last year before suffering a shoulder injury, returns, while newcomer Florida State transfer Cyrus Fagan is in his first year on the team. Both ensure that should everyone remain healthy, defensive coordinator Tony Gibson will have a steady safety rotation rather than one player taking all the game’s snaps.
At cornerback, a 2020 starter returns in Shyheim Battle, and the group gains two from injury in Chris Ingram, who last played during the 2019 season, and Teshaun Smith, who was injured midway through last season. It also added Derrek Pitts Jr., a transfer from Marshall, who’s pushing to start at corner. Freshman cornerback Aydan White, who saw some action and had an interception last year, adds to the mix as do freshman nickel Josh Pierre-Louis and sophomore cornerback Cecil Powell. Pierre-Louis and Powell were both forced into starting roles last year either because of injury or contact tracing, and that experience bolsters this group. Everywhere you turn, NC State has players that have been in games and it’s part of why this defense has the potential to be so good this season.
Special teams
NC State’s got two of the most reliable players in two of its most important positions: kicker and punter. Kicker Chris Dunn has all but erased the bad trauma NC State fans have from those who came just before him, and will go down as one of the greatest kickers in program history. Fighting through injury at times last year, he kicked 12 of 17 with a long of 53 yards but should be back to his old self this season.
At punter, Trenton Gill also had a bit of a down year last season, but it’s harder to punt when the offense is able to move the ball downfield. His average punt length dropped by about 2 yards from 2019 to 2020, though he remains the program’s career leader in average punt length at 46.3 yards. Between Gill and Dunn, NC State is set in its special teams.
Freshman kicker Christopher Dunn goes for an extra point during the 52-10 rout of Louisville on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, in Cardinal Stadium.
