NC State defensive back Rakeim Ashford carted off field after scary collision

NC State safety Rakeim Ashford reportedly suffered a serious injury on Thursday night.

“NC State safety Rakeim Ashford being taken off the field. Scary situation. CBS Sports Network reporting he does have movement in his extremities,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote on Twitter.

Ashford went down after taking a hit at the end of a play in the third quarter. While Ashford initially sat up following the collision, he quickly fell back to the ground. Both teams gathered around Ashford as he was carted off the field. The graduate student was able to give fans a thumbs up as he was taken to the tunnel.

NC State's Rakeim Ashford was down on the field for 10 minutes before being taken off the field on a stretcher.

He gave a thumbs up to the crowd. pic.twitter.com/kZyM6uvrUI

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 1, 2023

The small signal was a hopeful moment for NC State fans. The program validated those hopes with an update on Ashford’s situation.

“Rakeim Ashford is being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation, but he had feeling and movement on the sideline, per an NC State spokesperson,” On3’s Ethan McDowell reported on Twitter.

As of this report, NC State leads UConn 24-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Lofty expectations for NC State this season

While Ashford’s injury is a painful loss for the Wolfpack, the team looked to be off to a hot start this season. ESPN’s “Stanford” Steve Coughlin had high praise for the program before the season began.

“This is one of those years when the hype is not crazy. That’s when I like Dave Doeren,” Coughlin told On3’s Andy Staples. “He’s sound at whatever he does. The defense is going to be well. That’s why they’re always in games on the road. I like that mix there of NC State over 6.5 [wins].”

Staples seconded Coughlin’s motion.

“That feels so low to me,” Staples said. “Every Dave Doeren team, even when they disappoint, wins eight games.”

He’s not wrong. The 51-year-old head coach has guided NC State to at least eight wins in five of the last six seasons. In that span, Doeren has three nine-win campaigns under his belt. Entering his 11th season at the helm, Doeren is happy with his squad.

“There’s good competitive depth on our roster,” Doeren said on Aug. 16. “It’s good young players developing at the same time. So we still got two weeks. Hopefully, we can kind of stay in the same place. Most of the things we’re dealing with are very minor.

“You see consistent play out of some players and the biggest thing we’re looking for is just the individual improvement on a daily basis and to get the little things each day with different guys. Overall, it’s been good.”