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AP writer Ralph Russo wrote a piece today on some possible Heisman candidates that aren’t really getting any buzz.  He makes the point that you don’t have to be a front runner with all of the hype to finish with the trophy in your hands.  Russo points out that Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton, and Jameis Winston won it in their first year in a starting role.

Russo spotlights 6 players that he believes are “down-the-ballot” candidates that could have Heisman worthy seasons, and NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett was one of them.

JACOBY BRISSETT, QB, NORTH CAROLINA STATE

For one quarter last September, Brissett and the Wolfpack were the story of college football. They led Florida State 24-7 and Brissett was making Heisman-worthy plays. It didn’t last, but the Florida transfer had a nice first season with North Carolina State, passing for 2,606 yards and 23 touchdowns and running for another 529 and three scores. If the Pack can complete an upset or two and emerge as a surprise contender in the ACC, Brissett will get more than 15 minutes of fame. (AP)

The other 5 on Russo’s list were:

Kyle Allen – QB – Texas A&M
Christian Hackenberg – QB – Penn St.
Gunner Kiel – QB – Cincinnati
Seth Russell – QB – Baylor
Nick Wilson – RB – Arizona

ESPN’s David Hale wrote a piece in correspondence with Russo’s examining Brissett’s place on the list.  Hale points out the oddity of Brissett being listed here when he is being ranked as the 5th or 6th best quarterback in the ACC.

Despite that, Hale does point the following statistic out.

Power 5 quarterbacks with combined 3,000 yards, 25 total TDs and no more than five interceptions in a season the last decade:

Tim Tebow, Florida (twice)
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
Russell Wilson, Wisconsin
Matt McGloin, Penn State
Marcus Mariota, Oregon (twice)
Bryce Petty, Baylor
Connor Shaw, South Carolina
Cody Kessler, USC
Brett Hundley, UCLA
Jacoby Brissett, NC State

Hale points out that every one of these quarterbacks is currently in the NFL, except Kessler, who is a favorite to win the Heisman this year.  He thinks that it is a stretch for Brissett to win the Heisman because of the lack of weapons and the offensive scheme that he is a part of, but he also thinks that Brissett is one of the elite quarterbacks in college football.

Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Football

Former NC State Running Back Jordan Houston Signs with Marshall

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Former NC State Running Back Jordan Houston has officially transferred to Marshall for his final year of eligibility. NC State played Marshall this past season, but Houston didn’t play against the Thundering Herd, because he had already opted to redshirt the remainder of the season.

After playing in three games this past season, Houston opted to redshirt the remainder of the season (despite the fact that he was the starter at the time), giving him the ability to transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.

Houston played in 51 games for NC State over 5 years on the field, rushing for 1,392 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and 6 touchdowns. He also caught 60 passes for 398 yards and 1 touchdown.

Houston was a 3-Star prospect in NC State’s 2019 recruiting class out of Flint High School in Oakton, Virginia.

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NC State Football

Philip Rivers will Finally be Enshrined in the NC State Hall of Fame in April

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Wolfpack legend Philip Rivers will finally be inducted into the NC State Hall of Fame on April 20th!

Rivers was elected into the Hall of Fame back in 2013 (2nd year of the NC State Hall of Fame), but he has deferred his enshrinement over the years due to time constraints.

 

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Rivers pretty much owns every NC State record for Quarterbacks, and still has the most Career Passing Yards and Passes Completed in ACC history, and he ranks 3rd in Touchdown Passes. Rivers was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2000, and the ACC Player of the Year in 2003.

You can buy your tickets here.

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NC State Football

DJ Burns Had a Word for Wolfpack Fans After Winning the ACC Championship

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When NC State’s DJ Burns was giving his acceptance speech after receiving the 2024 ACC Tournament MVP Award, Burns had the following quote to say when asked what he wanted to say to the fans.

“I’m going to keep it real simple. Thank you to the ones who’ve been consistent throughout the ride, and welcome back everybody else.”

Burns’ words struck a chord.

Throughout much of this season, it was embarrassing to see all the empty seats in PNC Arena.

As the Wolfpack lost 7 of their final 9 regular season games, it was clear that this team wasn’t just losing games, but they were also losing much of the fanbase.

It’s clear from Burns’ words that the empty seats were noticed, and so were the words of fans online.

NC State finished the regular season 10th, and much of the fanbase was frustrated, and rightfully so.

But, frustrated doesn’t have to mean giving up.

‘Never giving up’ is kind of supposed to be NC State’s thing.

The words of Jimmy V reverberate throughout the history of NC State basketball.

This team didn’t always put W’s in the Win column this season, and it wasn’t always an easy watch, but never for a moment were these players not playing as hard as they could for their school, one another, and their coach.

They never gave up.

Fans have a right to be frustrated, but you can still show up for a team, even when they struggle, because that’s what loyal fans do. When players wear a jersey with NC State across the chest, and they don’t give up, their fans shouldn’t either.

NC State fans aren’t known to be fair weather fans. Let’s not get in the business of leading our players to think we are.

But, like Burns said, whether you’ve been along for the ride all season or not, it’s time to hop on.

 

 

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NC State Football

WATCH: PackInsider’s 2023 Sean Brown Highlight Reel

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This past season was a breakout season for Junior Safety, now turned Linebacker, Sean Brown.

This past season, Brown started in 11 of the 13 games that he played in, and ranked 3rd on the team in tackles (66) and pass breakups (5). He also had 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. Brown’s PFF Grade of 63.7 ranked 13th on the team. His Tackling Grade of 86.6 ranked 2nd on the team behind Payton Wilson.

As you will notice in our Highlight Reel ABOVE, Brown lived in the box, and is a very ferocious tackler. He will fit right in at Linebacker next year for the Wolfpack.

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