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

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.