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ASU passed on Ryan Finley. Will it come back to haunt them?

Published

6 years ago

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The N&O pointed out a couple days ago that Ryan Finley may have ended up at Arizona State if it were up to his high school coach.

That didn’t happen because ASU prioritized Joshua Dobbs, who at the last second picked Tennessee over the Sun Devils. After that happened, Finley’s high school coach once again pushed ASU to offer Finley. They finally gave him a look, but it was too late, he stayed committed to Boise State.

ASU ended up with nothing in 2013, but in 2014 they got a commitment from 3-star QB Manny Wilkins.

Wilkins will be behind center when ASU takes on NC State today and he’s a big reason why they are where they are. He finished with 2,918 yards passing (235-370), 17 TDs and 5 ints. He’s also rushed for 269 yards and 6 TDs.

Meanwhile, Finley has thrown for 3,200 yards (288 of 450), 16 TDs and 6 INTs. He’s also rushed for 195 yards and 3 TDs. Both quarterbacks have thrown for just about 64%.

The storyline is interesting. ‘QB ignored by ASU faces off against them in a bowl game.’ But honestly, on paper, these two guys are pretty identical. Based on stats and tangibles alone, it wouldn’t seem like either guy had an advantage it this one.

However, sometimes it’s the intangibles that end up tilting the scale.

There is a chance that this is it for Ryan Finley. The junior is being graded pretty well in mock drafts and in a year where the QB class isn’t all that strong, he could opt to make the jump. Couple that with the fact that Finley has been a ‘beat the odds’ kind of guy his whole career and you could see where he may have more riding on this one.

He came out of high school as 3-star recruit, was passed up by a lot of big-name schools, and then had to come back from a major surgery. He loves a good challenge, and what better challenge then rubbing his success in the face of the school who passed him by.

All things considered, we are predicting Finley has a huge game against the Sun Devils and makes them pay for their mistake.

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NC State Sits in the Top-20 in 247’s Post-Spring 2024 Preseason Poll

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10 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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247’s Brad Crawford released his Post-Spring 2024 Preseason College Football Top-25 recently, and NC State moved up 1 spot to #20.

ACC Teams in the Top-25

11. FSU

14. Miami

16. Clemson

20. NC State

24. Virginia Tech

25. Louisville

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NC State Ranks 8th in Players Selected in the NFL Draft in the ACC in the Last 10 Years

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3 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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The 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone, and NC State had two players drafted: Linebacker Payton Wilson in the 3rd round, and Center Dylan McMahon in the 6th round.

Over the past 10 years, NC State has produced 25 NFL Draft picks, and 3 1st round picks. The 25 Draft Picks ranks 8th in the ACC, and the 3 1st Round picks is tied for 7th.

NC State produced 18 NFL Draft Picks in the first 5 Draft’s of Dave Doeren’s tenure. Only 8 Wolfpack players have been selected in the past 5 NFL Drafts.

Players selected in the NFL Draft under Dave Doeren:

2024

Payton Wilson, LB – Pittsburgh – 3rd – 98th
Dylan McMahon, C – Philadelphia – 6th – 190th

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NC State CB Shyheim Battle Receives Invitation to Jets Rookie Mini Camp

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4 days ago

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April 28, 2024

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NC State Cornerback Shyheim Battle has received an invitation from the New York Jets to participate in their Rookie Mini Camp.

Battle had 1 year of eligibility remaining, but declared for the NFL Draft on January 3rd.

He finished this past year as the most experienced player on the Wolfpack’s defense, starting in 41 of the 51 games he has played in dating back to 2019. In a rarity in this day-and-age, Battle was a 4-year starter at the Cornerback position for NC State. He graduated with a degree in Communications.

In his final season in Red and White, Battle had 46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 4 pass breakups and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF Grade of 70.6 was the 7th best on the Wolfpack defense.

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NC State DB Robert Kennedy III Signs Undrafted Free Agent Deal with the Bolts

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4 days ago

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April 27, 2024

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NC State Nickel Robert Kennedy III has signed an Undrafted Free Agent Deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kennedy III won’t be without a friend. He will be joined by Defensive End Savion Jackson, who also signed an Undrafted Free Agent deal.

Kennedy started for the Wolfpack in every single game this season at Nickelback, tallying 31 tackles, 2 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.

His ProFootballFocus grade for the season is 79.7, which is the 2nd highest grade on the Wolfpack defense, and the highest grade of all the Safeties that came out of the Transfer Portal last year.

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