BR: NC State Wide Receiver Corps #3 Heading into 2018

Bleacher Report broke down the Top 10 Wide Receiver Corps heading into the 2018 season, and NC State ranks 3rd.

The Star: Kelvin Harmon (69 REC, 1,017 YDS, 4 TD)

Prior to Harmon, it had been a hot minute since North Carolina State had a 1,000-yard receiver. You have to go all the way back to 2002 and 2003 to find Jerricho Cotchery as the most recent name on that list. And the remarkable thing is that Harmon got there primarily in small chunks. He only had three receptions of 40 or more yards, none of which went for at least 50. Yet, he had at least 100 yards in six games.

 

Other Key Contributors: Jakobi Meyers (WR), Stephen Louis (WR)

Replacing the versatile Jaylen Samuels (75 catches, 593 yards, 4 TDs) won’t be easy, but the Wolfpack do have three returning wide receivers who accounted for more than 580 yards each in 2017. Louis has eclipsed that mark in each of the last two seasons, and Meyers got there by recording at least seven receptions for 76 yards in four of NC State’s final five games.

And you can just about take it to the bank that the backfield will feature prominently in the receiving game, as per usual. Nyheim Hines had 89 receptions for nearly 1,000 yards over the last three seasons, and he was just the latest in a long line of pass-catching rushing options for the Wolfpack. True freshman Ricky Person could be a big benefactor here.

 

The Quarterback: Ryan Finley (65.1% CMP, 3,514 YDS, 17 TD, 6 INT)

The Boise State transfer has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, and there’s a strong case to be made that he’s the best quarterback in the ACC for the upcoming campaign. He doesn’t get a ton of touchdowns, but he also isn’t going to make many back-breaking mistakes. Finley didn’t throw his first interception until NC State’s eighth game last season, and three of his six on the season were desperation heaves either right before halftime or at the end of the game. (BR)