Connect with us

NC State Football

NC State’s Dave Doeren Sees Potential and Develops it into Talent

Published

5 years ago

on

Being a coach is a difficult position to be in, because sometimes you are the bearer of unwanted news. No player wants to be told they are moving positions. While a new opportunity is being laid before them, it’s hard to not feel slightly like a failure. Also, you have to trust the coaches that are moving you away from the position you’ve been playing for most of your life. In fact, the position they are moving you from is the position they recruited you to play for them.

Dave Doeren and his staff at NC State have not been afraid to have these tough conversations and make these tough decisions, and the results have been staggering.

Bradley Chubb was listed as a 3-star linebacker in recruiting databases coming out of high school. He was recruited to play linebacker for the Wolfpack, and that was the position that he played as a Freshman at NC State, before being moved in the Spring before his Sophomore season.

The result: He came to Raleigh weighing 225 pounds, and left with 275 pounds on his frame. Chubb went on to become a Consensus All-American as a Senior, winning the Nagurski (Best Defensive Player) and Hendricks Awards (Best Defensive End), as well as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He holds the school record for the most sacks and tackles for loss in a career. Chubb was the #5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and recently broke the Bronco’s rookie record for sacks in a season. In fact, he’s only 2.5 sacks away from the NFL rookie record.

Germaine Pratt was a 3-star Safety coming out of high school, and that was the position he played his first two seasons in Red & White. Pratt had shoulder surgery his Junior year, redshirting the season. It was during that time that the coaching staff re-evaluated Pratt, ultimately moving him to linebacker.

The result: Pratt became the first linebacker since Nate Irving in 2010 to earn 1st Team All-ACC honors this season as a Senior. He ranked 2nd in the ACC in tackles per game, and will playing on Sunday’s in the NFL next year.

Garrett Bradbury arrived in 2014 as a 2-star Tight End prospect. Back then he was 6’3” and weighed 240 pounds. Now he’s the same height, but weighs 300 pounds. Arriving as a Tight End, he then was moved to Defensive Tackle…then to Offensive Guard…and finally landed at Center the beginning of his Redshirt Sophomore season.

The result: Bradbury recently earned 1st Team All-ACC honors, won the Rimington Trophy (Best Center), and became only the 8th Consensus 1st Team All-American in NC State history.

Jakobi Meyers came to NC State as a 3-star dual-threat quarterback prospect, and redshirted his freshman season at the position, before being moved to wide receiver a week before the season opener of his second year on campus.

The result: Meyers has put on 40 pounds since arriving in Raleigh. As a Redshirt Junior, Meyers earned 1st Team All-ACC honors, became only the 5th player in school history to cross the 1,000 yard receiving threshold in a single season, and broke Torry Holt’s single season reception record.

Some coaches have an innate ability to see potential and develop it into talent, and even see something in players that they don’t have eyes to see in themselves.

Dave Doeren has proven he is one of the few.

 

Related Topics:

Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NC State Football

NC State Offers FCS DT Brandon Lane

Published

6 mins ago

on

May 6, 2024

By

NC State offered Stephen F. Austin (FCS) Transfer Defensive Tackle Brandon Lane (6’3″/300) yesterday.

Lane started in 6 of the 11 games he played in for Stephen F. Austin this past season. He finished the year with 44 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His PFF Grade was 74.6, which ranked 4th on the Lumberjacks Defense. His 79.9 Run Defense Grade ranked 3rd on the team. In 2022, Lane played 7 games as a reserve for Stephen F. Austin, recording 11 tackles 2.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack.

Lane spent his first two collegiate seasons at South Dakota State (2000-21). In 2000, he played in 1 game. In 2021, he played in 3 games as a reserve for the Jackrabbits. The 2000 season was the Covid Year, and the 2021 season was his redshirt year. As a result, Lane still has two years of eligibility remaining.

Around a week-and-a-half ago, Lane committed to Michigan St., but then he decommitted from the Spartans on May 2nd.

I don’t think Michigan St. is necessarily off the table, and he has visited Washington and West Virginia.

Continue Reading

NC State Football

Congrats to NC State Football’s Spring Graduates!

Published

3 days ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

Congratulations to the 7 NC State Football Players that just graduated this Spring.

Image

2024 Football Spring Graduates

Linebacker Devon Betty (1 year of eligibility)

Defensive End Davin Vann (1 year of eligibility)

Cornerback Aydan White (1 year of eligibility)

Offensive Guard Anthony Carter Jr. (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Matt McCabe (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Tackle Patrick Matan (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Brendan Lawson (no longer on the roster)

Continue Reading

NC State Football

Proposed Bill in the NC House Would Require NC State & UNC To Play One Another, as well as ECU, UNCC and App St.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

A bill has been proposed by members of the North Carolina House of Representatives that would force NC State and UNC to play one another, as well as East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

According to House Bill 965, which you can read here in full, NC State and UNC would be required to play one another annually in Football, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball. The Wolfpack and the Tar Heels would also be forced to play a game annually in all three sports against either ECU, UNC-Charlotte or App St. Every six years, NC State and UNC would be required to have played a home and away game against each of the three school in all three sports.

Here’s the exact wording from the proposed bill:

Competition Required. – A high-enrollment institution shall do all of the following in each eligible sport: (1) Every academic year, play at least one home or one away game against (i) another high-enrollment institution and (ii) an eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. (2) Every six academic years, play at least one home and one away game against each eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. A high-enrollment institution shall alternate home and away games that are scheduled against the same eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution.

For glossary of terms being referenced above:

For the purposes of this bill, “High-enrollment institutions” = NC State and UNC, while “Eligible constituent institutions” = East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

It’s worth noting that NC State already has games schedule against each of these teams home-and-away in Football between now and 2031.

2025 – East Carolina (H)

2025 – @ App St.

2026 – App St. (H)

2028 – @ East Carolina

2030 – Charlotte (H)

2031 – @ Charlotte

What are your thoughts?

For more details, check out this article at WRAL.

Continue Reading

NC State Football

Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. will Take an Official Visit at NC State Next Week

Published

4 days ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. (6’1″/195) confirmed with me that he will be taking an Official Visit to NC State next week beginning on May 7th.

After receiving an offer from NC State yesterday, it didn’t take him long to set up the visit.

Martin Jr. is familiar with NC State, because he was recruited by Wolfpack Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson before he left West Virginia to come to Raleigh. Even though he never coached him, a relationship was established.

Martin Jr.’s connections to NC State are deeper than that. Former NC State Cornerback Derrek Pitts, who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Bucs, is his cousin.

This past year, Martin Jr. recorded 45 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups for Akron, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. His PFF Grade was 68.9.

In 2022, he had 53 tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass breakup, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. Martin Jr.’s PFF Grade was 60.9.

In 2019, as a Freshman for West Virginia, Martin Jr. earned PFF Freshman All-American honors, recording a grade of 70.6, with 50 tackles and 3 pass breakups.

Continue Reading