NC State football is making progress this spring

During a media availability Tuesday afternoon, NC State football coach Dave Doeren updated his team’s progress in several areas.

Among noteworthy depth chart related notes:

• Third-year sophomore Davin Vann has had, what Doeren termed “a good spring.”

“He was a lot more inconsistent a year ago than he’s been this spring,” Doeren added.

Vann played all 12 games last season and had 26 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and four sacks. He added nine quarterback hurries and three pass breakups.

Doeren also praised the weight loss of fourth-year redshirt sophomore nose tackle Joshua Harris. Coming out of the COVID-19 pause, Harris “was at a really bad place weight-wise,” Doeren added. The coach estimated Harris was north of 350 pounds, and is now below 315.

“This is a great improvement for him, his stamina, his quickness,” Doeren added. “He’s always been super strong.”

A pair of NC State redshirt freshmen, Travali Price and Claude Larkins, have been working a lot with the second string and have six “very important” practices to round out the spring, Doeren added.

• NC State football relied primarily on tailbacks Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person Jr. to carry the load in the running game for the past two seasons. Both spent Monday working at NC State’s Pro Day in front of NFL scouts.

Fourth-year junior Jordan Houston is the leader to become the feature back in their place.

“Jordan Houston looks like a veteran,” Doeren said. “… He knows our offense. He’s playing fast, he’s very confident. He’s an explosive player with the ball.”

The question is who will be sharing the load with Houston. Doeren mentioned third-year redshirt sophomore Delbert Mimms III and sophomore Demie Sumo-Karngbaye as two names to watch.

“Delbert Mims has improved as a runner and a ball catcher,” Doeren noted. “He’s always been a really competitive, tough guy. He’s in good shape.

“Demie Sumo is a guy that could come on the scene for us and be an explosive player in our backfield, a big play guy. He does a lot of things well, very consistent for a younger player.”

• Another important position battle is at left tackle. NC State is still recruiting at the position, Doeren noted. If the season was starting tomorrow, the starter would likely be one of super senior Bryson Speas, redshirt sophomore Anthony Belton and fourth-year redshirt sophomore Timothy McKay.

Belton is one of a few young NC State offensive lineman that Doeren has seen promising development.

“We’re really excited about how he’s coming on,” Doeren said. “He’s a young tackle. Anthony Carter from Butler High School came in here a few years ago with a knee injury. He’s had to rehab himself back to practicing, and he’s really doing a good job. Patrick Matan is a young offensive guard and tackle, he can play both and has come on. 

“I think Lyndon Cooper is a guy who has changed his body and is getting better. He can play center or guard. I’m excited about what we’re seeing day in and day out from those guys.”

• Two young NC State football players that have emerged this spring are third-year redshirt freshman Jayland Parker at linebacker and third-year sophomore Anthony Smith at receiver.

Doeren noted that Parker may be the most productive player in the spring, and Smith has shown “consistent improvement.”

“Big play ability,” Doeren added on Smith. “He’s blocking, playing more confident.”

• Also showing significant progress has been third-year redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Finley.

“Night and day different from last spring with him,” Doeren said. “I think he’s got a really quick release, he’s very mobile.

“The process has slowed down for him mentally. He was almost self-defeating last year. He would have a bad play and it would carry with him. He’s learned how to go to the next play and just move on.”

The NC State football spring game is Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium.

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