Yesterday NC State head coach Dave Doeren called into the ACC Teleconference to field the media’s questions. Here’s what he had to say:
DAVE DOEREN: It’s good to get through our spring game healthy. Excited about the guys that we were able to rep through spring practice. The 90-some guys on the roster, you always wish that everybody could be out there, improving daily. That’s kind of the goals we set for the spring. We were able to see a lot of that progress in many of the position groups, and some of the guys that were held out of spring. Obviously, to get healthy, you’re not able to develop the same way.
But the chemistry of our guys and the work ethic of our guys, we feel like we’re in a good place. But we need to have a really good summer. Obviously, we lost quite a bit of talent from our senior class last year, so those opportunities are now there for players that are here and for some of the new players that will arrive as we get into summer school.
Q. To speak on Bradley Chubb and what he can be for an NFL team, some regard him as the top prospect in the entire draft, just what your thoughts are having been his coach?
DAVE DOEREN: I can’t speak on what the guys are that they’re considering over him. All I can say about whoever gets him, they’re getting one of the hardest working players that I’ve been around and one of the top talented guys I’ve been around.
I think his football IQ is incredible. His work ethic matches his talent. He was raised by an incredible group of parents and his brother. It’s a big part of his life and Brandon. It’s the full package. You’re talking about a guy that understands how to treat people, that that’s going to represent their program and his family with class, and that’s going to play every snap with an edge to him.
His desire to win is one of the things that makes him stand out. I mean, he’s just an you knower talented competitor and carries a huge chip on his shoulder when he plays the game. He’s a culture guy for the locker room, and he’s definitely going to demand things from his teammates that make their program better.
Q. As far as moving forward for you on the defensive line, just what you can say coming through the spring with some leadership? Maybe some guys that have stepped up or evolved their
game?
DAVE DOEREN: I think Darian Rosboro is a guy that’s played a lot of football for us and has taken his new role and the most experienced, productive player returning on the front and done a nice job in 15 practices not just improving himself but more for the guys around him. Eurndraus Bryant has played a lot of football for us at defensive tackle, and unfortunately was not able to go through spring, but will be back for the summer. He’s a guy that we need to step up. Probably our most consistent inside player that’s returning that has experience.
The nose tackle position, there will be competition there in fall camp. We have a junior college transfer coming in, are Grant Gibson, who is a red-shirt freshman. Took advantage of a lot of reps this spring and improved.
Shug Frazier was injured and hopefully will be back in the summer. That’s the plan, anyway, to compete for that position inside.
We have a very talented young man that we signed, Alim McNeil coming in, that’s 300 pounds now. Excited about him competing at the defensive tackle spot as well. The other defensive end across from Derion is James Smith-Williams competing with a bunch of different guy, and that’s going to be with the summer and fall camp are going to be about.
We’re not going to have four household names, probably, on the D-line like we did this year, but we are going to have a good rotation and depth at the position. Just looking forward to continuing to work with it, because we’re, by no means, there yet.
Q. I’m curious what your thoughts on the running back situation were throughout the spring? Do you envision a scenario where you prefer a guy like Reggie become sort of the bell cow or do you envision more of a running back by committee approach this year?
DAVE DOEREN: It’s too early to say. I would love to say that that’s what Reggie could do. He did not go through a lot of the spring. He’s limited. Just trying to take care of him a little bit here and there, and he needs to have a really good summer to be in tip-top shape to be in there as much as he can be in there. It’s a wide open position from a rotation standpoint right now. Ricky Person who is here, graduated early. He’s a very talented young running back, and 200-plus pounds of great speed. So I’m looking for Ricky to be a guy that plays early. And Nakia Robinson is another guy that really flashed in the spring game and was a red-shirt last year.
And Damontay Rhem is a transfer from Pembroke, in the Division II program in the State that sat last year, and the transfer rule, and he’s eligible now. He’s a 225-pound guy, a lot like Reggie who plays behind his pads, tough, physical.
I don’t know yet, to answer your question on the committee part of it, or if one guy will emerge, it’s too early to say. I don’t have a preference. We just want to give our best players the ball as much as we can.
Q. Given the success that certainly Ryan had running play action last year, that’s got to be such a crucial part of your game plan, that I assume finding at least some, whether it’s committee or one guy, just finding that answer there is going to be one of the top priorities in the off-season?
DAVE DOEREN: Yeah, I would say running back and tight end, if you look at our offensive unit, they’re the most wide open because of what we lost at running back with Nyheim obviously not coming back, then losing Cole Cook and Jaylen Samuels, so those are three guys that played a lot of snaps that we need to replace, and there are a lot of bodies there. It’s just too early to say. There is good competition, and we’re going to let that play out for a while.
Q. What’s your assessment of the place kicking situation coming out of spring?
DAVE DOEREN: I was really pleased with Chris Dunn as an early grad, transferred in. Was very consistent every day. Has great work ethic and detail and has a nice routine he feels comfortable with. The pressure kicks that he had in front of the team and with the rush, he did a tremendous job and our snapper and holder have done a nice job helping him kind of adapt and not have a lot of things to worry about. So he will be our starting kicker.
The kickoff part of it, we haven’t really made a decision on yet between him and Kyle Bambard.
Q. What is Carson Wise’s health situation there? I guess he didn’t participate this spring?
DAVE DOEREN: No, he has an injury in his leg and probably won’t play again.
