NC State football countdown to kickoff: 21
The NC State football season opener for 2022 is at East Carolina on Sept. 3 — or 21 days away from Saturday. The Wolfpacker continues its countdown for the season with notes about the number 21.
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21: Significant notes involving the number 21 in NC State football history
• There are two young players on the NC State football roster that wear No. 21.
On the defensive side of the ball is one-time Tennessee commit Nate Evans, a Virginia Beach, Va., native who redshirted last season.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Evans did play three games on special teams to get some experience, including making the travel roster for the loss at Miami.
Evans has strong genes with two older brothers who also played defensive backs in college. Levonta Taylor was a three-year starter for Florida State and receiving a training camp invite in the NFL.
Keontae Jenkins played in nine games last season for TCU and had three tackles for the Horned Frogs.
Evans has a deep depth chart at cornerback ahead of him, and thus his likely path for playing time this fall comes on special teams.
Offensively, wearing No. 21 is third-year redshirt freshman receiver Jalen Coit. Last year, Coit caught a 12-yard pass against Furman. The Cheraw, S.C., native has been trying to gain strength since arriving at NC State, and he currently checks in at 5-foot-11, 171 pounds.
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Coit arrived at NC State after a very productive career at Cheraw High, catching 175 passes for 2,746 yards and 39 touchdowns. He was also an excellent basketball player that averaged almost 20 points per game between his sophomore and junior seasons.
Like Evans, Coit’s best opportunity for snaps this fall may come on special teams.
• Perhaps the most prominent former player at NC State under head coach Dave Doeren to wear No. 21 was running back Matthew Dayes.
Dayes originally committed to NC State under head coach Tom O’Brien, and following the coaching change in Raleigh was prepared to switch his pledge to Vanderbilt, then coached by James Franklin who is now at Penn State. However, no Vandy coach was available to take his call, and a conversation with former NC State running backs coach Des Kitchings left Dayes back in the Pack’s class.
Over four years, Dayes would rush for 2,856 yards, which is fourth-most all-time for NC State football. His 13 100-yard rushing games is also fourth most, and he had the third highest tally of career rushing scores (34).
Dayes is one of six former NC State running backs to rush for at least 200 yards in a game, carrying 16 times for 205 yards in a win at Wake Forest in 2015. His 1,166 rushing yards in 2016 was the first 1,000-yard year since 2002 at NC State and the sixth highest total in a single season at the school. His 249 rushes that year was also the second most by a Pack rusher in a season.
Dayes was named second-team All-ACC as a senior.
