NC State Football’s Official Twitter account revealed the depth chart for Fullbacks and Tight Ends for the Troy Game this afternoon.
Fullback
Sophomore Jaylen Samuels is listed as the starting Fullback to no ones surprise. The humorous thing about Samuels is actually assigning him a position on a depth chart, because he is used all over the field in a variety of ways. He told me earlier in the summer that he considered himself an H-Back. Samuels averaged 9.5 yards-per-carry and 16.0 yards-per-reception as a Freshman last year.
RS Freshman Max Stoffer played linebacker in high school, and was a Linebacker during his redshirt season last year. This season he will be playing Fullback for the Wolfpack, and is Samuels’ backup.
Tight End
RS Junior David Grinnage is NC State’s starting Tight End. He had a breakout season in 2014, grabbing 27 catches for 358 yards and 5 touchdowns. The 358 receiving yards is the most of any returning Wolfpack player, and his 5 touchdowns were tied for the team lead last season. Grinnage was placed on the Mackey Award Watch List during midseason last year, and he is on the preseason list this year.
Sophomore Cole Cook is Grinnage’s backup, and even though he didn’t have a single reception last year, he did see action in all 13 games, and even started against Boston College and Georgia Tech.
RS-Graduate Benson Browne played in all 13 games last season, primarily as a blocking tight end. Browne graduated prior to last season, and earned his second undergraduate degree this May. He’s beginning work on his Master’s this Fall. Browne is 3rd on the depth chart at Tight End.
Congratulations to the 7 NC State Football Players that just graduated this Spring.
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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)
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.
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.
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.
AGTG Blessed to receive an offer from NC State 🤘🏾❤️ #PackPride pic.twitter.com/mIws42lE7L
— Kerry “KJ” Martin Jr. (@_thekerrymartin) May 1, 2024
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.
In Game film… pic.twitter.com/vunpDgPsBC
— Kerry “KJ” Martin Jr. (@_thekerrymartin) January 16, 2024
247’s Brad Crawford released his Post-Spring 2024 Preseason College Football Top-25 recently, and NC State moved up 1 spot to #20.
ACC Teams in the Top-25
11. FSU
14. Miami
16. Clemson
20. NC State
24. Virginia Tech
25. Louisville