Dave Doeren updates NC State quarterback competition
During an exclusive interview with TheWolfpacker.com, NC State football head coach Dave Doeren confirmed what many suspected coming out of the spring game. Virginia grad transfer Brennan Armstrong is currently the Wolfpack’s QB1.
“Right now, Brennan is our starter,” Doeren said.
Doeren noted that this is based primarily on Armstrong’s experience with new offensive coordinator Robert Anae from when the two were breaking passing records together at Virginia in 2021.
“I think what people have to understand is we have two good quarterbacks,” Doeren explained. “This isn’t picking the best guy. We’re picking the most experienced guy.”
In the fall of 2021, Armstrong’s second season as a starter, he posted staggering numbers at Virginia. Among the school records that Armstrong set: passing yards for a season (4,449), passing yards in a game (554 vs. UNC), total yards for a season (4,700), total yards in a game (538 vs. UNC), passing touchdowns in a season (31), completions in a season (326), passing attempts in a season (500) and single game TD responsibility (6 vs. BYU).
Armstrong was a finalist for the Manning Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was named third-team All-ACC. He was a four-time winner of ACC Quarterback of the Week, joining Shawn Moore in 1990 as the only Virginia quarterback to achieve that.
He did all that while quarterbacking for Anae. After a coaching change at Virginia, Anae went to Syracuse, and Armstrong’s production fell off. The two were reunited when Anae was hired in December at NC State, and Armstrong transferred in weeks later.
Doeren noted that Armstrong was “like a coach on the field.”
“He fits our program,” Doeren added. “Had a very good career until last year, and he wants to finish his college career on the right foot.”
Doeren also emphasized that promising sophomore MJ Morris remains a prominent part of the future of NC State football.
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Morris completed 52 of 86 passes for 648 yards and 7 touchdowns with just one pick and ran for 88 yards and a score in five games last season. He went 1-1 as a starter, beating in-state rival and bowl winner Wake Forest while also coming in as a reserve and leading the NC State comeback win over Virginia Tech.
“I don’t know that we’ll be able to redshirt him, but that would be awesome,” Doeren said. “We wanted to do that last year. We had to play him in five games. I wish it would have been four. But, in a perfect world, we’d be able to do that, and if we can, I think that’s phenomenal for him.”
Doeren also returned to the fact that Armstrong has 30 career starts and 41 appearances to his credit at the ACC level.
“This isn’t really anything other than you got a guy that’s played … a lot of football in the ACC starting a ton of games,” Doeren noted. “He knows this offense inside and out, and experience is the big thing in that.
“In the spring, we started it as a competition, and as it went, you could see Brennan’s experience was just there. MJ’s talent and his improvement, it’s awesome. But you got a 23-year old and a 19-year old, and you really want MJ to have what he should have, the year to develop behind him.
“As we know, that’s not a promise because I can’t predict what’s going to happen. But that’s what you’d love to see happen. … I’m super excited about MJ and super excited about Brennan. Both of them are great guys and great leaders. They do a lot for our football team.
“We’ll see where it goes. But that’s where we’re at today.”
