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NC State defeated Old Dominion 49-22 last night, to improve to 2-1 on the season. Here are some of the things that the Wolfpack did well.

  • QB Ryan Finley continues to play really efficient football. He was 24 of 28 for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns. He seems completely poised and confident in the pocket. One of Finley’s incompletions was a throw away, which pointed towards his intelligence. He isn’t married to one receiver that he is going to throw to on a play, constantly checking down to find the open man. Finley’s passing efficiency was 205.4, and he connected with 11 different receivers. He is also becoming proficient in the art of throwing the shovel pass.
  • QB Jalan McClendon came into the season expecting that he would be the starter, and he wasn’t alone in that thought. Most of the media outlets covering NC State projected that he would be the starter as well. After not seeing a snap in the East Carolina game, Offensive Coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz found creative ways to instill confidence in McClendon. Twice McClendon came out in goal line scenarios, and ran the read option, keeping it for two rushing touchdowns. The next time he was brought in at the goal line, he faked the sweep and threw a touchdown pass to Thaddeus Moss. It was encouraging to see McClendon given the opportunities to use his gifts and build some confidence.
  • WR Stephen Louis proved that last weeks performance against East Carolina wasn’t a fluke. Louis followed up last weeks 3 reception/142 yard performance with a 5 reception/80 yard performance. He was targeted 6 times, which was 2 more than any other receiver.
  • The Wolfpack offense was potent once again, tallying 470 yards of total offense. Their 28 first downs tied a season high.
  • TE Jaylen Samuels had two more touchdown receptions. It’s almost not impressive anymore, because it’s become normal. He’s silly in the red zone.
  • NC State covered the spread. They entered the game as 24 point favorites, and beat the Monarchs by 27.
  • The Wolfpack Defense had one sack in each of the first two games, and more than doubled that number against ODU, racking up 5 sacks. Three of those sacks were credited to DE Darian Roseboro, who live in the backfield all night long.
  • NC State’s Defense did a great job containing ODU’s star running back. Ray Lawry is coming off of a 1,000 yard season, and rushed for over 100 yards in the first two contests, but only managed 14 yards on 9 carries.
  • The Wolfpack Defensive Line came into the season with much hype, and they lived up to it last night. Kentavius Street, Bradley Chubb, Justin Jones and Darian Roseboro all picked up tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

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

Transfer Portal Rundown: Who Transferred Out and Who Transferred In?

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NC State Football

NC State Wide Receiver Julian Gray is Entering the Transfer Portal

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NC State Wide Receiver Julian Gray announced today that he will be entering the Transfer Portal.

This past season, Gray had career highs in receptions (16) and receiving yards (170). He ranked 4th on the team in receptions, and 7th on the team in receiving yards.

Gray has served as NC State’s primary Kickoff Returner the past two seasons, averaging 24.9 yards per return. This past year, he averaged 26.0 yards per carry, which ranked 3rd in the ACC, and 11th nationally. It stands as the 5th best single-season average in school history.

Back in 2021, ON3 ranked Gray as a 4-star prospect, the #197 overall player nationally, and the #13 player in the state of North Carolina.

For the past two seasons, Gray has carried a lot of preseason hype that hasn’t ultimately materialized in the season. I’m not saying that’s Gray’s fault, or his role in the offensive scheme. It is what it is, but with the influx of talented Wide Receivers that the Wolfpack brought in through the Portal and the High School ranks, it seems like Gray if he was looking for an increased role in 2024, it probably wasn’t going to be in Raleigh.

Gray has 2 more years of eligibility remaining.

 

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NC State Football

WATCH: Wesley Grimes Steals the Show at NC State’s Spring Game with 2 TD’s

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Junior Wesley Grimes, who transferred to NC State after playing his first to seasons at Wake Forest this offseason, stole the show at the Wolfpack’s 2024 Spring Game, reeling in touchdowns of 30 yards and 90 yards.

Grimes led NC State in receiving yards and touchdown receptions in the contest.

Check out his tape from the Spring Game.

As a Sophomore this past season, Grimes caught 20 passes for 339 yards and 4 touchdowns in 12 games. As a True Freshman the year  before, he played in 6 games, collecting 4 receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown.

In all reality, Grimes is coming home. He was a 4-Star prospect out of Millbrook High School here in Raleigh. ON3, 247Sports and Rivals all ranked Grimes as a Top-250 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, with Rivals ranking him as the #36 overall player nationally, the #4 Wide Receiver, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Back in 2021, Grimes chose the Demon Deacons over NC State, Tennessee, Duke and Louisville. On December 8th, 2023, Grimes decided to come back home and run with the Pack.

 

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NC State Football

WATCH: Noah Rogers Shows Off Well Rounded Game in NC State’s 2024 Spring Game

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Last Saturday was the 2024 Spring Game, and Wolfpack fans finally got to see what it was like for Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver Noah Rogers to play in an NC State jersey.

Rogers was outstanding, with 6 receptions for over 100 yards.

Throughout the game, he showed how well rounded his game is, catching balls through contact across the middle, beating the Cornerback down the sideline, running short slants, or making things happen around the line of scrimmage.

Check out our Highlights of Noah Rogers from NC State’s Spring Game.





Rogers transferred to NC State from Ohio St. this offseason.

ON3 rated Rogers as a 5-Star prospect in the the 2023 class, and the #26 overall player nationally, the #3 Wide Receiver and the #1 player in the state of North Carolina.

Rogers was teammates with Tamarcus Cooley at Rolesville, who transferred to NC State from Maryland this offseason as well. As a Senior at Rolesville, Rogers had 39 receptions for 799 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also returned a Kickoff for a TD. As a Junior, he had 70 receptions for 1,432 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also returned a Punt for a TD.

This past season, Rogers played in 4 games (14 snaps) for Ohio State, but didn’t record any stats. He will be a Redshirt Freshman at NC State in 2024, with 4 years of eligibility remaining.

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