NC State Returners Depth Chart for Troy

Junior Bra’Lon Cherry will enter the Troy game as the starting Punt Returner.  Last season, Cherry returned 6 punts for a total of 35 yards (5.8 average).  Bo Hines returned 9 punts last season for an average of 3.4 yards.  Cherry’s 18-yard return against Georgia Southern was the longest Wolfpack punt return of the season.

Junior Matt Dayes was the Wolfpack’s primary Kickoff Returner in 2014, and he enters the first game of 2015 in the exact same role.  He returned 21 kickoffs for a total of 384 yards (18.3 average), with his longest going for 50 yards.

Freshman Nyheim Hines is the backup Punt Returner and Kickoff Returner heading into the Troy game.  On August 22nd, Dave Doeren stated that he ultimately wants Hines to be the guy returning punts and kickoffs, but that they would probably let him get hit a time or two on offense before they put him back there.  Click here to watch a compilation of Hines returning kicks at Garner High School over the past couple of years.

Don’t be surprised to see Hines end up as the starter in each of these roles quickly.  The Wolfpack ranked last in the ACC in punt return average last season (3.5 yards) and 2nd to last in kickoff return average (18.3).

Doeren also stated after the final scrimmage that RS Freshman Maurice Trowell was one of the four players they were working back there, and felt confident in.