How Kanoah Vinesett became NC State's starting place kicker

As NC State held a 31-point lead over the Virginia Military Institute last September, Wolfpack starting place kicker Brayden Narveson walked up to special teams coach Todd Goebbel with an idea.  “Hey, on the next extra point, since we’re up a lot, give Kanoah a chance,” said Narveson, who had made a 31-yard field goal and five extra points in the game.  Narveson was alluding to reserve place kicker Kanoah Vinesett, who was proving himself in practice, but had not attempted a kick in a game up to that point in his Wolfpack career. Vinesett was behind All-America kicker Christopher Dunn for a year before Narveson arrived through the portal and beat him out for the job.  But in that moment, Narveson was ready to see what Vinesett had in a game-situation. So was NC State’s coaching staff, who let the redshirt freshman kicker at the time attempt the 20-yard extra point.  For Vinesett, it was an opportunity to show what he could do — even if it was a routine kick.  “I wasn’t really expecting it, but when my name got called I was like, ‘OK, let’s do it,’” Vinesett recalled. “I went out there, cleared my mind, took a deep breath and ripped it through the uprights.” Vinesett made his extra-point attempt, which was the only kick of his NC State career in two seasons in Raleigh. But now, after grinding his way behind a Lou Groza Award winner and a current NFL place kicker, Vinesett is now the Wolfpack’s starting kicker.  His path to this point, however, was not initially meant to be a collegiate kicker. Even though he did not expect to be in this spot, Vinesett has become a consistent weapon should NC State’s offense stall within his 60-yard range.