NC State Football
3 NC State Freshmen Honored on PFF’s All-American Freshmen Teams
ProFootballFocus released their Freshmen All-American Teams today, and NC State has 3 players represented.
Freshman Offensive Tackle Ikem Ekwonu earned 1st Team Honors.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
First Team: Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
NC State quarterbacks will not have to worry about their blindside for years to come, as Ekwonu shined in his first season and will only improve from here. The left tackle did not allow a single sack in 369 pass-blocking snaps and conceded a pressure rate of 4.6%, which ranks fourth among freshman offensive tackles with at least 100 snaps played. He was also a stalwart in the running game, recording a stellar 85.5 run-blocking grade. (PFF)
Ekwonu started in 7 of 12 games this year, leading the team in pancake blocks.
Linebacker Drake Thomas earned a spot on the Third Team. He finished his first season with 34 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 1 interception, starting in 3 games.
Zonovan Knight was an Honorable Mention at Running Back, rushed for 745 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
ON3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the Top-25 College Football Coaches heading into the 2024 season, and NC State’s Dave Doeren ranks 23rd.
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)
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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