NC State 2024 Running Back Preview

NC State has to feel good about their Running Back Room heading into the 2024 season, especially after the events of last year.

In 2023, Senior Jordan Houston entered the season as the starting Running Back. After starting the first 3 games (25 carries for 96 yards/3.8 YPC), Houston opted to sit out the remainder of the season so that he could redshirt, and transfer to another school for his final year of eligibility. Houston ultimately transferred to Marshall.

The next man up was Sophomore Michael Allen, who played in 10 games, before opting to sit out the regular season finale against UNC, announcing he would be entering the Transfer Portal. Allen rushed 52 times for 251 yards and a touchdown (4.8 YPC). He also had 11 receptions for 66 yards. Allen transferred to UNLV.

Redshirt Junior Delbert Mimms III might not have been the starter, but he had more rushing attempts than Allen and Houston combined. Mimms III rushed 96 times for 282 yards (2.9 YPC), with 8 rushing touchdowns, which led the team. Like Houston and Allen, Mimms III entered the Transfer Portal, and landed at Eastern Michigan.

In 2023, it was a weird year for the Running Back Room. The leading rusher for the Wolfpack was Quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who rushed 143 times for 665 yards and 7 touchdowns, setting the school record for most Rushing Yards by a Quarterback in a single season.

True Freshman Wide Receiver Kevin Concepcion was NC State’s 2nd leading rusher, compiling 41 attempts for 320 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.

True Freshman Kendrick Raphael, rushed the ball 67 times for 309 yards (4.6 YPC) and 1 touchdown. He also had 10 receptions for 96 yards.

Things look completely different in the Running Back Room heading into the 2024 season.

Redshirt Senior Jordan Waters transferred in from Duke. Waters is the clear starter, and the buzz around him in camp has been extremely positive. Last season, Waters rushed for 753 yards  and 12 touchdowns this season for the Blue Devils, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, earning Third Team All-ACC honors.

The last time that NC State had an All-ACC Running Back was in 2020, when Zonovan Knight also earned 3rd Team honors.

It seems like at this point, Raphael will head into the opening week as the #2 Running Back behind Waters. Raphael was a 4-Star prospect out of Florida in the 2023 recruiting class, and considering that he was thrown into the fire as a True Freshman, Wolfpack fans should be encouraged with what Raphael put on tape.

Behind Waters and Raphael, Redshirt Freshman Hollywood Smothers and True Freshman Duke Scott will definitely be in the mix.

Smothers transferred in from Oklahoma this offseason, after redshirting last season. Out of High School (West Charlotte), Smothers was a 4-Star prospect. ESPN ranked him as the #230 overall player nationally, the #12 Running Back and the #9 player in the state of North Carolina.

Smothers has a different running style than anyone else in the room. If he gets in space, his shiftiness makes him very hard to tackle. There’s no way that Smothers won’t be weapon in NC State’s offense, and I expect for him to be used more as the season goes on. I expect for Smothers to be used in the passing game as well.

Keep in mind, Smothers was the Offensive Player of the Year as a Sophomore and Junior in the state of North Carolina, and he played on the same team as Kevin Concepcion.

Scott is a 4-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, with ON3 ranking him as the #283 overall player nationally and the #20 Running Back. He weighs 212 pounds as a True Freshman, making him physically ready for college ball from Day 1. Doeren has previously said that if he would have been on the roster last year, he would have been in the rotation. Scott rushed for 2,482 yards and 39 touchdowns last season. NC State might have found a diamond in the rough in Scott. He suffered injuries his Sophomore and Junior seasons, making him fly under the radar in the rankings, only to blow up as a Senior. In retrospect, we might look back in a couple of years and realize Scott was one of the best Running Backs in the 2024 recruiting class.

While Waters is cemented as the #1 Running Back, I expect Raphael, Smothers and Scott to all be in the rotation this year, with all of them making significant contributions.

Former Linebacker Jordan Poole (RS-JR), who converted to Running Back last year, and Redshirt Senior Demarcus Jones II are also in the room, providing depth.

The Running Back room is easily one of the most improved at NC State, which means Sophomore Wide Receiver Kevin Concepcion shouldn’t be forced into the backfield much this year.