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

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.