NC State wants Pop Tarts. Who doesn’t?

According to Brad Crawford of 247Sports, NC State has requested the Pop Tarts Bowl, which will be played on December 28th in Orlando, Florida.

You might be like, I’ve never heard of the Pop-Tarts bowl. That’s because this is the first rendition of the Pop Tarts Bowl, but it used to go by other names you might be familiar with: Cheez-It, Camping World, Russell Athletic, Champs Sports, Tangerine, Micron PC, Carquest, and Blockbuster (the last three were when the bowl was in Miami).

Below is an updated list of 15 bowl projections, with 12 of the 15 picking NC State to go to the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

(The three above the line have changed their projections since my last bowl projections post on 11/28.)

The Athletic – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

CBS Sports  – Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Oklahoma State – January 1st – Tampa, FLA

College Football News – Pop Tarts Bowl vs. Kansas State – December 29th – Jacksonville, FLA

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OddShark – Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl – NC State vs. Rutgers – December 28th – New York City, New York

Covers.com – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

USA Today – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

247Sports – Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

Athlon – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

ESPN – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

ESPN – Gator Bowl – NC State vs. Tennessee – December 29th – Jacksonville, FLA

Sporting News – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

Fox Sports – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

Action Network –  Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

College Football Network – Sun Bowl – NC State vs. USC – December 29th, El Paso, TX

Betting Pros – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

According to ON3, NC State is set to make an in-home visit with Coastal Carolina Transfer Quarterback Grayson McCall this weekend.

McCall was the Sun Belt Player of the year in 2000, 2021 and 2022. He didn’t play the final 5 games of the season due to injury this year, and prior to injury, the numbers weren’t on par with prior years. It was also his first year with Tim Beck as Coastal’s head coach.

After last season, McCall entered the Transfer Portal, and there was speculation that he would transfer to Auburn. In the end, McCall pulled his name out of the portal.

I was interested to see how the Wolfpack coaches would fill the QB void. Would you go get a 4 or 5 star Quarterback who has been stuck in a backup roll with numerous years of eligibility, or would they go get an elite graduate transfer with one year remaining?

McCall is one of the Top-7 Quarterbacks that have entered the Portal thus far.

NC State Sensation Kevin Concepcion has been chosen as 1 of 5 finalists for the 2023 Shaun Alexander Award, which is given out annually to the best Freshman in college football.

Congratulations to this year’s Shaun Alexander Award Top 5 Finalists!

Rueben Bain Jr. DE @ruebenbainjr
Kevin Concepcion WR @kcthekid2
Caleb Downs DB @caleb_downs2
Dillon Thieneman DB @DillonThieneman
Noah Fifita QB @thenoah_fifita1#FPOY #PrinceOfCollegeFootball #TOP5… pic.twitter.com/DyPxFshdKE

— Shaun Alexander (@shaunalexander) December 1, 2023

Concepcion is joined by Miami Defensive End Rueben Bain Jr., Alabama Defensive Back Caleb Downs, Purdue Defensive Back Dillon Thieneman and Arizona Quarterback Noah Fifita.

Here’s how Concepcion compares to the other finalists. Concepcion is ELITE, but this is pretty stiff competition. All 5 of these Freshman balled out in 2023, but obviously I’m biased. Give the trophy to KC!

Kevin Concepcion – PFF – 78.4

Rueben Bain – PFF – 79.3

Caleb Downs – PFF – 87.1

Dillon Thieneman – PFF – 89.8

Noah Fifita – PFF – 81.8

NC State Redshirt Sophomore Center/Guard Lyndon Cooper Announced today that he is entering the Transfer Portal.

As a child of god, you are greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved (Ephesians 1:6 niv) ✞
“God guide me through this unknown journey and allow me to continue to learn and grow as a man” pic.twitter.com/KkHYhY4iJf

— Coop (@LyndonCooper5) December 1, 2023

Cooper entered Fall Camp as the projected starter at Left Guard, but suffered an injury that kept him out of the UCONN game. He played in the Notre Dame game, but by the next game against VMI, he had moved into the starting role at Left Guard. That was short lived, because Cooper was needed to move in to play Center for the injured Dylan McMahon. Cooper started for two games for McMahon, but when McMahon returned, Cooper found himself without a starting job, because Anthony Carter Jr. had locked up the Left Guard position. After that, Cooper didn’t play against Miami, Wake Forest, and UNC, and only played a combined 13 snaps against Virginia Tech and Clemson. According to ProFootballFocus, Cooper struggled this year, posting a grade of 49.1, which is the 3rd lowest of any Wolfpack player with 100+ snaps.

Cooper was a 3-Star prospect in the Wolfpack’s 2021 recruiting class out of Carrollton, Georgia, where MJ Morris also played. He will have 2 years to play 2 years of eligibility.

NC State has had 15 players enter the Transfer Portal

WR Terrell Timmons
LB Torren Wright
NT C.J. Clark
QB MJ Morris
S Jakeen Harris
TE Cedd Seabrough
WR Porter Rooks
DB Nate Evans
LB Daejuan Thompson
RB Jordan Houston
RB Michael Allen
DB Darius Edmundson
WR Anthony Smith
TE Christopher Toudle