Junior Jack Tocho has started in 20 of the 25 games that he has played in over the past two years. He led the team in pass breakups with 11 last season, and was awarded the Dewayne Washington Award for the teams top defensive back as well. He had 40 tackles and 1 interception in 2014. Tocho is the starting Left Cornerback.
RS Graduate Juston Burris has played in 38 career games at NC State, which ties him with Mike Rose and Hakim Jones for the most on the team. What Burris has that they don’t have, is 30 starts in his belt, which is the most of any player on the team. He had 29 tackles, 5 pass breakups and 1 interception last year. Burris graduated with his undergraduate degree in December. He is the starting Right Cornerback.
RS Junior Niles Clark earned more and more playing time as the 2014 season wore on. He played in 216 snaps last season, and 160 of them came in the final 5 games (75%). Clark had 10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 3 pass breakups in 2014. He is the backup Left Cornerback.
Sophomore Mike Stevens also saw his playing time escalate at the end of the season last year. He played 65% of his snaps in the final four games of the season. Stevens had two key pass breakups in the Wolfpack’s victory over Central Florida in the Bitcoin Bowl. He finished the season with 7 tackles and 2 pass breakups in 2014. Stevens is the backup Right Cornerback.
ON3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the Top-25 College Football Coaches heading into the 2024 season, and NC State’s Dave Doeren ranks 23rd.
Here’s what Simonton had to say about Doeren:
23. Dave Doeren, NC State
Doeren became the Wolfpack’s all-time winningest head coach last season, overcoming all manors of offensive ineptitude to win eight games for the fourth straight season. He still hasn’t busted through the glass ceiling and taken NC State to an ACC Championship, but the Wolfpack have legitimate conference title hopes in 2024 with the offseason work Doeren has done via the portal (quarterback Grayson McCall, tailbacks Jordan Waters and Hollywood Smothers and receivers Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes).
In 11 seasons in Raleigh, Doeren’s program has been steadily consistent and has become a model for development (17 NFL Draft picks since 2018) and strength and conditioning. (ON3)
ACC Coaches in the Top-25
6. Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
7. Mike Norvell (FSU)
20. Jeff Brohm (Louisville)
23. Dave Doeren (NC State)
The 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft will begin this evening at 8pm on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. NC State has had 19 players drafted in the 1st round.
NC State ranks 8th in ACC history in 1st Round Picks.
Three of the Wolfpack’s 1st Round Picks have come under Dave Doeren’s watch, which ranks 2nd all-time in school history. Chuck Amato had 5 players drafted in the 1st round, which is the most ever under a coach at NC State.
Chuck Amato – 5
Dave Doeren – 3
Mike O’Cain – 2
Dick Sheridan – 2
Bo Rein – 2
Earle Edwards – 2
While most projections don’t have Wolfpack Linebacker Payton Wilson going in the 1st round tonight, a few do. Wilson was invited to attend the NFL Draft, but he will be tuning in from his home in Hillsborough. We’ll have to tune in tonight to see if Wilson hears his name called on the 1st night of the 2024 NFL Draft.
