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NC State Football

Camp Q’s: Will Reggie Gallaspy be the Feature Back?

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7 years ago

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When Junior running back Reggie Gallaspy committed to NC State, he was a 3-star recruit according to Rivals. It wasn’t long before Gallaspy’s commitment was overshadowed by the commitments of Nyheim Hines and Johnny Frasier, two players that had one-more star beside their names, and were ranked higher in the state of North Carolina.

Even after leading the state of North Carolina in rushing with 349 carries for 3,318 yards and 52 touchdowns as a Senior, Gallaspy still came to Raleigh in the shadow of the bigger names of Hines and Frazier.

The shadows just continued to grow larger after arriving at NC State, with two talented backs on the Wolfpack depth chart named Shadrach Thornton and Matt Dayes.

A lot has changed since Gallaspy arrived on campus.  Hines was moved to wide receiver instantly as a true freshman to get  more touches, with Thornton and Dayes already in the backfield. Shadrach Thornton was kicked off the team and Johnny Frasier transferred. Matt Dayes graduated and is now a member of the Cleveland Browns.

During Gallaspy’s freshman and sophomore seasons, he was the running back who had the most carries behind Dayes. Gallaspy has averaged 4.8 yards per carry over his first two seasons.

With the exodus of Dayes and the depth at wide receiver, Hines has been moved back to running back. Will Gallaspy fall under the shadow of Hines once again, or will he emerge into the light?

Gallaspy worked hard this off season, trimming down from 234, to a leaner and faster 222. Even with the loss of 12 pounds, Gallaspy is a powerful back that possesses speed, and won’t shy from running over his opponents. From day one, he has proven himself to be arguably the pass blocking running back on the team.

(Exhibit A of Gallaspy running through opponents: start at 0:16 mark)

With the buzz around camp, don’t be surprised to see Gallaspy take a bulk of the carries at running back. He has the size to handle that type of abuse. Even if Gallaspy were to be the Wolfpack’s 1st and 2nd down back, and Hines came in as the 3rd down back, Hines will still get plenty of touches sliding out to receiver, and in both punt and kick return.

Gallaspy has lived in the shadows for years. Here’s my prediction: Gallaspy steps out into the light this year, and by seasons end, his name will be more of a household name than Nyheim Hines.

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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.

NC State Football

WATCH QB Grayson McCall’s Tape from the 2024 NC State Spring Game

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13 hours ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State will have a new Quarterback in 2024 in Coastal Carolina Transfer Grayson McCall. A few weeks back, McCall looked sharp in the 2024 Spring Game, completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown. McCall was accuracy and composure were evident in his first time playing in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Check out McCall’s tape from the Spring Game.

 

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NC State Football

NC State Legend QB Roman Gabriel Passes Away at the Age of 83

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4 days ago

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April 20, 2024

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NC State legend Quarterback Roman Gabriel has passed away at the age of 83.

Gabriel’s Accolades

  • 2 time ACC Player of the Year (1960 & 1961)
  • 2 time 1st Team All-American (1960 & 1961)
  • 2 time 1st Team All-ACC (1960 & 1961)
  • 1st ACC QB to throw for 1,000 yards in a season
  • Left NC State with 22 school records and 9 ACC records
  • #1 pick in the AFL and #2 pick in the NFL
  • 16-year NFL career with the Rams & Eagles
  • 4 time Pro Bowler
  • NFL MVP in 1969
  • Led the NFL in Passing Yards in 1973
  • Led the NFL in Touchdown Passes in 1969 & 1973
  • Inaugural member of the NC State Hall of Fame
  • Ranks 1st all-time in Rams history in Touchdown Passes & 3rd in Passing Yards
  • First player to have their jersey number retired at NC State, on January 20, 1962.

Praying for the Gabriel family!

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NC State Baseball

NC State has Dominated UNC in Athletics in 2023-24

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5 days ago

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April 20, 2024

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After NC State clinched a series victory over UNC last night in Baseball, I thought it would be a good time to relish in how the Wolfpack has dominated the Tar Heels Athletic Program as a whole in 2023-24.

The Wolfpack Baseball team has won the first two games in the series against the Tar Heels, clinching a series victory over UNC for the first time since 2021. It marks the first time NC State has won a series against the Tar Heels in Raleigh since 2016.

NC State defeated UNC in Volleyball 3-1, winning in Chapel Hill for the first time in 25 years. The Tar Heels had won the last 5 matches against the Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels 39-20 in Football in Carter-Finley Stadium. It marked the 3rd consecutive win over UNC.

NC State lost both regular season games to UNC in Men’s Basketball, but when it mattered most, the Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels in the ACC Championship Game 84-76, winning their first title since 1987.

The Wolfpack Women’s Basketball team lost to their rival in Chapel Hill, but defeated UNC 63-59 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 5 of the last 7 against UNC.

In Gymnastics, NC State defeated UNC 196.725-194.925 in Raleigh. This marked the 3rd straight victory for the Wolfpack over the Tar Heels.

NC State’s Men & Women’s Swimming & Diving teams both beat UNC. The Men won 258-93, and the Women won 196-157.

The Wolfpack Wrestling team defeated UNC 33-6 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 11 straight Duals against the Tar Heels.

The NC State Men’s Tennis team defeated UNC 4-0, winning against their rival in back-to-back years.

The Wolfpack Women’s Tennis team has defeated the Tar Heels 4-3 on two occasions thus far this season, and will face their rival again today.

The Cross Country teams didn’t have individual meets against UNC, but the Women obviously beat them, because they won the ACC Championship. The Men didn’t, finishing 8th in the Conference, with the Tar Heels finishing 1st.

The only other NC State athletic team that didn’t taste victory against UNC this year was the Women’s Soccer team, losing 0-4 in Raleigh.

Of course, each of these NC State athletic teams has much higher goals than just beating their rival, but there’s no denying how sweet it is to beat the Tar Heels.

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NC State Football

WATCH: Hollywood Smothers Leads NC State in Rushing at the Spring Game

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6 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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Redshirt Freshman Hollywood Smothers seemingly was the 3rd string Running Back in NC State’s 2024 Spring Game a few weeks back, but at the end of the game, he had more rushing yards than any other back.

Smothers rushed the ball 8 times for 75 yards. He possesses explosive speed, as well as excellent vision.

Check out Pack Insider’s Tape of Smothers from the Spring Game.





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