NC State 2024 Tight End Preview

NC State’s Season Opener is less than a week away, with the Wolfpack hosting Western Carolina on Thursday night. Before we get to gameday, let’s preview the Tight End Room.

This is a weird position group to breakdown, because of the way NC State designates their Tight Ends on their Depth Chart.

On the Depth Chart, they basically list their starting Receiving Tight End, which they call the FLEXY. Then, they list their starting Blocking Tight End, which they call…well…Tight End.

Heading into the first game against the Catamounts, here’s a look at the Wolfpack’s starting Tight Ends:

FLEXY: Junior Justin Joly (6’3″/251)

Tight End: Redshirt Junior Matt McCabe (6’6″/308)

Joly transferred to NC State from UCONN this offseason. ON3 ranked him as the #39 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #2 Tight End.

Last season, Joly had an incredible Sophomore campaign, catching 56 passes for 578 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had 4 receptions for 38 yards in the season opener against the Wolfpack.

This season, Joly will be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Lasts season, he had 12 contested catches and forced 20 missed tackles, leading Tight Ends nationally in both categories.

When I saw that Matt McCabe was listed as the starting Tight End when the Depth Chart was released, I was a little shocked. I expected Redshirt Junior Dante Daniels to win that spot. Partially, because he is actually a Tight End, and also because he is perfectly fit for the blocking Tight End role, while also possessing the ability to run routes and catch if needed. McCabe is an Offensive Lineman, not a Tight End. This isn’t altogether shocking, because last year the Wolfpack used Offensive Lineman Jacarrius Peak in a similar manner, to get an extra lineman out there for blocking purposes. They did the same thing with True Freshman Defensive End Isaiah Shirley.

You’ve got to be happy for McCabe, who was a walk-on until last year, receiving a scholarship in the preseason of 2023.

2nd String

FLEXY: Sophomore Juice Vereen (6’4″/220)

Tight End: Redshirt Junior Dante Daniels (6’6″/272)

Vereen played in 10 games as a True Freshman last season. His season was kind of confusing, catching 4 passes for 65 yards against Notre Dame in Week 2, and then he didn’t catch another pass all year. He had 7 targets in that game, and 6 more the rest of the year (2 drops).

He is a former 4-Star prospect, who ON3 ranked as the #262 overall player nationally in the 2023 recruiting class and the #8 player in the state of North Carolina.

Even with the arrival of Joly, and all of the other weapons on Offense, I expect Vereen’s role to increase in 2024.

Daniels is a JUCO commit in the 2024 class, playing the past two years at Butler Community College. Last season, he had 9 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown in 7 games. McCabe is also a key depth piece at numerous spots across the Offensive Line. I have to believe that Daniels will settle into the blocking Tight End role at some point this season.

Walk-On Redshirt Junior Reid Mitchell is the 3rd string Tight End. He played in all 13 games last season, playing 158 snaps.

Make sure to check out our other position group previews:

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers