NC State football spring breakout candidates

This week during an appearance on the ACC Network’s Packer and Durhammorning show, NC State football head coach Dave Doeren listed four potential breakout players to watch.

The Wolfpacker examines those four and why each is a player to watch for NC State football fans.

Third-year sophomore receiver Anthony Smith

NC State football recruiting followers may recall that Smith was considered a potential steal in the 2020 recruiting class. He had only one full season as a receiver at Huntingtown (Md.) High, but in that year showcased immense potential while catching 35 passes for 918 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Smith is a rare blend of height (6-foot-2) and track speed. At the Nike Regional in Washington, D.C., Smith was laser-timed at 4.53 seconds in the 40-yard dash while receiving an overall Football Rating of 112.14, which was in the 99th percentile of players tested.

During the indoor track season his senior year, Smith set Maryland state records in the 55 and 300-meter dashes and a school record in the high jump.

In his first two seasons at NC State, Smith has received a total of 80 reps in 20 games, but he has flashed that big-play potential with nine receptions for 166 yards and two scores. He grabbed a 30-yard touchdown against UNC for his first career catch, and last season had a 44-yard haul at Miami.

With Emeka Emezie and C.J. Riley having exhausted eligibility, there is an opening for Smith, who has bulked up to 190 pounds, to step in and fill some of that void left at outside receiver.

Sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye

The pronunciation for his name is, according to GoPack.com, DEHM ee SUE moh KARNG bay.

Based on the way that Doeren has talked about Sumo-Karngbaye since the Willingboro (N.J.) High standout arrived on campus, NC State football fans should quickly get to learn about Sumo-Karngbaye.

Like Smith, Sumo-Karngbaye was an under-the-radar recruit. NC State was his lone Power Five offer despite proving to be a playmaker as a junior at Willingboro. Sumo-Karngbaye scored 21 touchdowns on 98 touches in 12 games that season, rushing 64 times for 648 yards and 11 scores, catching 21 passes for 430 yards and eight TDs and returning one of his eight kickoff returns and one of his two interceptions to the house.

The NC State footall coaches felt good enough about Sumo-Karngbaye’s playmaking abilities to burn his redshirt last fall while playing exclusively on special teams. Given that the two primary running backs from 2021 have moved on to trying to make the NFL, there is an opening for Sumo-Karngbaye.

Redshirt freshman defensive end Travali Price

Price was one of the most heralded members of the NC State football recruiting class of 2021. Ultimately, he picked the Wolfpack over Tennessee, who continued to pursue Price even after making a commitment to NC State.

Price did not play last season, but that does not mean he was disappointing. Price was named the NC State co-Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year.

Price was a proven pass rusher at North Lincoln High in Lincolnton, N.C., making 44 tackles for loss, 21 sacks and 30 quarterback pressures between his sophomore and junior seasons. He did not get a senior year due to COVID-19 and deciding to enroll early.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder, like Smith and Sumo-Karngbaye, has an opportunity to step in and fill in some depth left by the graduation of Daniel Joseph and transfers of Ibrahim Kante and Terrell Dawkins.

Third-year redshirt freshman linebacker Jayland Parker

Coming out of Westside High in Macon, Ga., Parker had his fair share of Power Five offers.

In the summer of 2019, Parker appeared to have narrowed his options to Colorado, NC State and Purdue, but after taking official visits to a pair of those finalists, Parker picked Colorado before making the scheduled trek to Raleigh.

Parker then decided to re-open his recruitment early in the fall, and NC State immediately jumped into the mix. Arizona, Louisville and Mississippi State all tried to get Parker on campus for an official visit, and Clemson expressed interest in offering. However, NC State’s aggressive pursuit won out.

Once he arrived at NC State, Parker needed to get stronger. Checking in originally under 200 pounds, Parker is now up to 6-foot-2, 215. And according to Doeren, Parker has been the most productive defensive performer thus far in spring.

Parker is receiving plenty of reps with two likely starters — super senior Isaiah Moore and fifth-year redshirt junior Payton Wilson — both working their way back from injuries in the fall. How much playing time might be available to Parker when the linebacker corps is whole and healthy remains to be seen, but Parker could put himself on the radar to be part of the next wave at the position for NC State football.

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