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NC State’s Dave Doeren Sees Potential and Develops it into Talent

Published

5 years ago

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Being a coach is a difficult position to be in, because sometimes you are the bearer of unwanted news. No player wants to be told they are moving positions. While a new opportunity is being laid before them, it’s hard to not feel slightly like a failure. Also, you have to trust the coaches that are moving you away from the position you’ve been playing for most of your life. In fact, the position they are moving you from is the position they recruited you to play for them.

Dave Doeren and his staff at NC State have not been afraid to have these tough conversations and make these tough decisions, and the results have been staggering.

Bradley Chubb was listed as a 3-star linebacker in recruiting databases coming out of high school. He was recruited to play linebacker for the Wolfpack, and that was the position that he played as a Freshman at NC State, before being moved in the Spring before his Sophomore season.

The result: He came to Raleigh weighing 225 pounds, and left with 275 pounds on his frame. Chubb went on to become a Consensus All-American as a Senior, winning the Nagurski (Best Defensive Player) and Hendricks Awards (Best Defensive End), as well as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He holds the school record for the most sacks and tackles for loss in a career. Chubb was the #5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and recently broke the Bronco’s rookie record for sacks in a season. In fact, he’s only 2.5 sacks away from the NFL rookie record.

Germaine Pratt was a 3-star Safety coming out of high school, and that was the position he played his first two seasons in Red & White. Pratt had shoulder surgery his Junior year, redshirting the season. It was during that time that the coaching staff re-evaluated Pratt, ultimately moving him to linebacker.

The result: Pratt became the first linebacker since Nate Irving in 2010 to earn 1st Team All-ACC honors this season as a Senior. He ranked 2nd in the ACC in tackles per game, and will playing on Sunday’s in the NFL next year.

Garrett Bradbury arrived in 2014 as a 2-star Tight End prospect. Back then he was 6’3” and weighed 240 pounds. Now he’s the same height, but weighs 300 pounds. Arriving as a Tight End, he then was moved to Defensive Tackle…then to Offensive Guard…and finally landed at Center the beginning of his Redshirt Sophomore season.

The result: Bradbury recently earned 1st Team All-ACC honors, won the Rimington Trophy (Best Center), and became only the 8th Consensus 1st Team All-American in NC State history.

Jakobi Meyers came to NC State as a 3-star dual-threat quarterback prospect, and redshirted his freshman season at the position, before being moved to wide receiver a week before the season opener of his second year on campus.

The result: Meyers has put on 40 pounds since arriving in Raleigh. As a Redshirt Junior, Meyers earned 1st Team All-ACC honors, became only the 5th player in school history to cross the 1,000 yard receiving threshold in a single season, and broke Torry Holt’s single season reception record.

Some coaches have an innate ability to see potential and develop it into talent, and even see something in players that they don’t have eyes to see in themselves.

Dave Doeren has proven he is one of the few.

 

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Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Football

Auburn Transfer Linebacker Cam Riley Decommits from NC State

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8 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Auburn Transfer Linebacker Cam Riley (6’5″/242) announced tonight that he is decommitting from NC State.

Back on February 26th, Riley verbally committed to NC State. Players out of the Transfer Portal don’t sign a National Letter of Intent like players out of high school, making it easier for them to change their mind.

247Sports and ESPN both ranked Riley as a Top-300 4-Star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #229 overall player nationally in the 2020 class, the #14 Outside Linebacker, and the #10 player in the state of Alabama.

In 2020 and 2021, Riley played in 22 total games (2 starts), playing in 160 snaps, tallying 23 tackles. In 2022, Riley broke out, starting in 7 of the 11 games, ranking 2nd on the team in tackles, with 65.

This past season, Riley played in 13 games, but only started in 1. He had 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. His PFF grade of 66.7 was the highest of his career.

Over 4 seasons, Riley played in 46 games (10 starts) for Auburn, tallying 948 snaps.

In my mind, there was a good chance that Riley was going to earn the starting role at the SAM Linebacker position at NC State, with Sean Brown at the WILL and Caden Fordham at the MIKE.

Unless NC State grabs a Linebacker out of the Portal now, I would expect Redshirt Freshman Kelvon McBride to be at the starting SAM position at the beginning of Fall Camp.

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NC State Football

ON3: NC State’s Dave Doeren is 1 of the Top-25 Best Coaches in College Football

Published

15 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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ON3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the Top-25 College Football Coaches heading into the 2024 season, and NC State’s Dave Doeren ranks 23rd.

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Here’s what Simonton had to say about Doeren:

23. Dave Doeren, NC State

Doeren became the Wolfpack’s all-time winningest head coach last season, overcoming all manors of offensive ineptitude to win eight games for the fourth straight season. He still hasn’t busted through the glass ceiling and taken NC State to an ACC Championship, but the Wolfpack have legitimate conference title hopes in 2024 with the offseason work Doeren has done via the portal (quarterback Grayson McCall, tailbacks Jordan Waters and Hollywood Smothers and receivers Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes). 

In 11 seasons in Raleigh, Doeren’s program has been steadily consistent and has become a model for development (17 NFL Draft picks since 2018) and strength and conditioning. (ON3)

ACC Coaches in the Top-25

6. Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

7. Mike Norvell (FSU)

20. Jeff Brohm (Louisville)

23. Dave Doeren (NC State)

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NC State has Produced 19 1st Round NFL Draft Picks

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23 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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The 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft will begin this evening at 8pm on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. NC State has had 19 players drafted in the 1st round.

NC State ranks 8th in ACC history in 1st Round Picks.

Three of the Wolfpack’s 1st Round Picks have come under Dave Doeren’s watch, which ranks 2nd all-time in school history. Chuck Amato had 5 players drafted in the 1st round, which is the most ever under a coach at NC State.

Chuck Amato – 5
Dave Doeren – 3
Mike O’Cain – 2
Dick Sheridan – 2
Bo Rein – 2
Earle Edwards – 2

While most projections don’t have Wolfpack Linebacker Payton Wilson going in the 1st round tonight, a few do. Wilson was invited to attend the NFL Draft, but he will be tuning in from his home in Hillsborough. We’ll have to tune in tonight to see if Wilson hears his name called on the 1st night of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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WATCH QB Grayson McCall’s Tape from the 2024 NC State Spring Game

Published

2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State will have a new Quarterback in 2024 in Coastal Carolina Transfer Grayson McCall. A few weeks back, McCall looked sharp in the 2024 Spring Game, completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown. McCall was accuracy and composure were evident in his first time playing in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Check out McCall’s tape from the Spring Game.

 

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