Areas that will lead to successful NC State season in 2025

For NC State to have a successful year, several different things have to come together.

NC State’s offseason was full of change with new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach D.J. Eliot, and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The Wolfpack also brought in new safeties/nickels coach Charlton Warren and Gavin Locklear was promoted to tight ends coach. Additionally, Joker Phillips is back to coaching the slot receivers to go along with the outside receivers.

The various changes were made to help the Wolfpack bounce back after going 6-7 overall and 3-5 in the ACC. Here are three areas that if improved could help the Wolfpack have a successful season.

Quarterback play

NC State coach Dave Doeren has only had three losing seasons since getting hired in 2013. He went 3-9 overall in his first year, and jumped to 8-5 in 2014. Doeren went 4-8 in 2019 amidst injuries and then went 8-4 the next year.

What 2013, 2019 and 2024 all had in common was flux at the quarterback position. Now, Doeren proved in 2023 that he could win with multiple quarterbacks, but it isn’t ideal.

The 2013 season had Brandon Mitchell and Pete Thomas, and neither were in a position to do well, and it resulted in a 0-8 season. NCSU threw for 2,890 yards, 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions that season.The situation was so dire it had Bryant Shirreffs play as a freshman in the Wildcat.

The 2019 season had unproven quarterbacks Devin Leary, Matt McKay and Bailey Hickman, and they all took turns due to either injuries or average play. Collectively, NC State had 2,749 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

NC State battled through the season-ending injury to original starter Grayson McCall, and then turned to then freshman C.J. Bailey. NCSU finished with 3,024 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, so a little better than what the Wolfpack did in 2013 and 2019, but not ideal.

The last compete season from the quarterback position was Leary in 2021, who threw for 3,433 yards, 35 touchdowns and five interceptions en route to a 9-3 season and a trip to the Holiday Bowl, where the game was canceled.

It might be unrealistic for Bailey to do what Leary achieved in 2021, but he shows improvement from his promising beginnings, that’s good for NC State’s won-loss record.

NC State weapons have to be activated

NC State has a proven weapon with senior tight end Justin Joly, who caught 43 passes for 661 yards and four touchdowns last year. But he’ll need help and next in line based on the last five games of the season could be redshirt sophomore running back Daylan “Hollywood” Smothers.

Smothers tallied 414 yards and five touchdowns on 56 carries, and caught seven passes for 88 yards and a score for the Wolfpack over the last five games. He amassed 139 rushing yards and 42 receiving yards and a score against East Carolina in the Military Bowl, in what could be a precursor Thursday night against the Pirates.

Smothers will be backed up by redshirt freshman running back Jayden “Duke” Scott, who has earned consistent praise this offseason.

Where NC State’s offense needs to make its move, including having the offensive line giving Bailey time to throw the ball, is the vertical passing game.

NC State has weapons, and they’ve flashed the talent that made them four stars by various recruiting services. 

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Noah Rogers was a ticking time bomb at Rolesville (N.C.) High in catching deep passes. Senior Wesley Grimes had a story book senior year at Raleigh Millbrook. Both were coveted recruits with Rogers picking Ohio State originally, and Wake Forest held off others to sign Grimes.

Sophomores Terrell Anderson and Keenan Jackson won NCHSAA state titles at their respective schools, and were playmakers. Anderson and Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley won in 2022, and Jackson and Matthews (N.C.) Weddington won in 2023, and knocked out the Whirlies in the playoffs.

Add in freshman receiver Teddy Hoffmann, who has earned praise, and perhaps fellow freshman Je’rel Bolder, and the position has the weapons.

NC State needs sacks/turnovers

NC State didn’t get any sacks against East Carolina a year ago, and maybe offseason renovations would have happened anyway.

Seeing life without defensive end Davin Vann gave Doeren a good view of the future. He passed on promoting interim defensive coordinator Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay, who is now the defensive coordinator at Sam Houston State. Instead, he hired Eliot, who is bringing in a slightly different scheme than the previous 3-3-5.

Doeren was a hardcore 4-3 defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and in the beginning at NC State. However, he has adjusted teams playing three- and- four receivers over the years. He went with a 4-2-5 and eventually the 3-3-5.

The key to it is living in the backfield, and that will be hard with Vann’s 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 12 games departing. Enter the one-two punch of Tra Thomas (Temple) and Cian Slone (Utah State) for the edge rusher position, and the Wolfpack hopes Wyoming transfer Sabastian Harsh provides a lift. 

The other two defensive end transfers included Texas Tech redshirt junior Joseph Adedire and incoming junior college transfer A.J. Prim.

NC State senior defensive end Travali Price is the top returning player with 3.5 sacks and he added 8.5 tackles for loss a year ago. NCSU would probably be thrilled if he doubled that production.

Candidates that return from last year, who could have much bigger roles included redshirt sophomore Isaiah Shirley and redshirt freshman Joshua Alexander-Felton.

On the turnover front, NC State had 10 interceptions and 10 recovered fumbles. The 20 turnovers were counterbalanced by the Wolfpack committing 23 turnovers, and that is a stat that Doeren absolutely wants to win.