Tomorrow will mark the beginning of the 2019 college football season for NC State, and they enter the year as one of the youngest teams in the nation.
Senior leadership isn’t a luxury for the Wolfpack this season. With only 11 seniors on the roster, NC State officially has the 5th fewest Seniors in the FBS.
Fewest Seniors in the FBS
1) Texas A&M – 6
1) Virginia Tech – 6
3) Penn State – 10
3) Coastal Carolina – 10
5) NC State – 11
6) Rice – 12
6) Wake Forest
NC State Seniors
Graduate Left Tackle Emanuel McGirt (starter)
Graduate Offensive Tackle Tyrone Riley (out for year)
Graduate Defensive End Deonte Holden (2nd string)
Graduate Safety William Brown (Walk-On that just earned Scholarship)
Graduate Wide Receiver Tabari Hines (Transfer from Oregon/2nd String)
Graduate Defensive End James Smith-Williams (starter)
Redshirt Senior Defensive Tackle Larrell Murchison (starter)
Redshirt Senior Strong Safety Jarius Morehead (starter)
Redshirt Senior Nickelback Stephen Griffin (Transfer from Tennessee/starter)
Senior Cornerback Kishawn Miller (JUCO transfer/2nd string)
Senior Cornerback Nick McCloud (starter)
It’s one thing to lack Seniors, but it’s another thing to be loaded with Freshmen. There are 112 players on the NC State roster, and 46.4% (52) of them are either true Freshmen or Redshirt Freshmen. That percentage ranks 10th nationally.
Sixteen Freshmen are on the Depth Chart heading into the season opener tomorrow.
Wolfpack Freshman on the Week 1 Depth Chart
True Freshman Left Tackle Ikem Ekwonu (2nd string)
True Freshman Center Dylan McMahon (2nd string)
True Freshman Right Tackle Timothy McKay (2nd string)
Redshirt Freshman Right Tackle Derrick Eason (3rd string)
Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver Devin Carter (2nd string)
Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver Jasiah Provillon (3rd string)
True Freshman Wide Receiver Keyon Lesane (3rd string)
Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Devin Leary (3rd string)
True Freshman Running Back Zonovan Knight (2nd string)
Redshirt Freshman Running Back Trent Pennix (3rd string)
True Freshman Running Back Jordan Houston (4th string)
Redshirt Freshman Defensive End Joseph Boletepeli (starter)
True Freshman Defensive End Savion Jackson (3rd string)
True Freshman Middle Linebacker Drake Thomas (2nd string)
Redshirt Freshman Middle Linebacker CJ Hart (3rd string)
Redshirt Freshman Weakside Linebacker Payton Wilson (3rd string)