Thus far we’ve previewed the Quarterbacks and the Running Backs. As we continue previewing each position group leading up to NC State’s season opener against James Madison on September 1st, next up is the Wide Receivers.

The Starters

There is no position battle for the starting wide receiver spots. That’s not to say the 2’s aren’t pushing the 1’s, but Junior Kelvin Harmon, Graduate Senior Stephen Louis and Redshirt Junior Jakobi Meyers have solidified themselves as the starters, and deservedly so.

Kelvin Harmon (6’3″/214) leads the Pack. He finished 2017 with 1st Team All-ACC honors according to Pro Football Focus, and 2nd Team honors from the ACC Media. He crossed 1,000 yards last season (69 receptions for 1,007 yards), and was the first NC State player to do so since Jerricho Cothcery pulled it off in 2003.

He was named to the 2018 ACC Preseason All-ACC team. Harmon is projected to be drafted in the first couple of rounds, and CBS’ Will Brinson believes he is deserving of a first round pick in 2019.

Harmon is the best returning wide receiver in the ACC. His work ethic is second-to-none, because he is truly driven to be the best. He is athletic. He has size. He is strong. Throw Harmon a 50-50 ball, and it’s his.

If you just go with the eye test, Harmon is one of the most elite receivers to play the position at NC State. I expect him to cross the 1,000 yard mark again this season, joining Torry Holt and Jerricho Cotchery as the only players in school history to do so twice (both Holt and Cotchery both did it in consecutive seasons as well).

Enjoy watching Harmon while you can. I don’t expect him to be suiting up in the Red and White next season. He’s NFL ready.

Stephen Louis (6’2″/215) possesses Harmon’s size, but has built a career at NC State of being a big play specialist. Louis’ career average of 16.9 yards per catch ranks 8th all-time in school history. With the emergence of Harmon last year, fans might have forgotten that Louis led the Wolfpack in receiving yards in 2016, averaging a whopping 19.4 per catch (3rd in the ACC). Last season he had 37 catches for 583 yards in 10 games.

Louis’ work-ethic and competitive nature is on par with Harmon. He’s not just sitting back and watching Harmon claim the #1 spot. He’s fighting for it. While I think Harmon is a superior talent, Louis would be a #1 receiver at many ACC schools, and could possibly play at the next level.

Jakobi Meyers (6’2″/203) was a revelation last season. Meyers was recruited as a quarterback, and maintained that position for his redshirt season. He was moved to wide receiver a week before the season opener in 2016, and he saw action in the position in every game, but it was limited. Last season was his coming out party.

In 2017, Meyers caught 63 passes (8th in the ACC) for 727 yards (9th in the ACC) and 5 touchdowns, but he really turned it on at the end of the year. His 46 receptions in conference play ranked 4th in the ACC (12 more than Harmon), and his 548 yards ranked 6th.

Meyers isn’t your prototypical slot receiver, standing 6’2″. His teammates say he is out there playing one-on-one basketball with his defenders. His footwork and speed are very difficult to defend.

I think it’s a possibility that Harmon picks up 1,000 yards receiving again, but Meyers leads the Pack in receptions. I think it’s even possible that both of them cross 1,000 yards.

Jaylen Samuels ate up a good amount of Meyers snaps when he would slip out to the slot last season. Samuels was targeted 102 times last year, which was 2nd on the team. The most likely to pick up those targets is Meyers. Heck, he may even pick up Jay Sam’s jet sweeps, because he’s extremely dangerous the open field.

Jakobi Meyers is going to have a monster season. By seasons end, he might be having to make a tough decision of whether he will come back for his Senior season.

The 2’s

Most of the schools in the ACC would love to have NC State’s second string receivers as their first string. All three of these guys will get their reps, especially Emezie and Riley, and will make plays, but there aren’t but so many balls that can get tossed in a game. With that being said, the future of the wide receiver corps is in good hands with these three.

Sophomore Emeka Emezie (6’3″/208) played in all 13 games as a True Freshman last season (2 of those games he only played special teams), and he flashed the makings of a bright future (13 receptions for 163 yards). His best game was on the road against Wake Forest, snagging 5 receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown, and we all know it should have been two touchdowns, if only the Demon Deacons had a goal line camera. He’s tall and long, and capable of making big plays. The coaching staff showed how much they think of Emezie by putting an “OR” between him and team captain Stephen Louis on this weeks depth chart.

Redshirt Sophomore CJ Riley (6’4″/206) is the tallest receiver on the Wolfpack’s 2-deep. He also happens to be the fastest player on the team, running a 4.48 40-yard dash. Yes, he’s 6’4″, and runs a 4.48. He had 9 catches for 142 yards, but 4 of them came in the final two games of the regular season. Expect for Riley to flash even more this year, 2 years removed from his ACL surgery.

Redshirt Freshman Thayer Thomas (6’0″/193) was a walk-on that redshirted last season, and earned a scholarship in the Spring. That shows just how much the staff likes this kid. He earned a scholarship only 6 months after arriving on campus. He earned the starting punt return job heading into the James Madison game, but don’t think that he is just locked into being a return specialist for his career. Thomas is going to make plays at NC State. Like Meyers who is ahead of him on the depth chart, he is shifty and deceptive, and is everything you want in a slot receiver. Thomas is a former high school teammate (Heritage High School) of Freshman Running Back Ricky Person. He’s also the brother of 2019 Wolfpack commit Drake Thomas (Linebacker), who also plays for Heritage.

Who Else is There?

True Freshmen Devin Carter (6’4″/209) and Jasiah Provillon (6’3″/196) are in the wings. Both of them possess the height and size that NC State looks for on the recruiting trail. Carter and Provillon give NC State excellent depth at the position, but I expect them to redshirt in 2018.