NC State QB Brennan Armstrong: 'I just feel like I have something to prove'
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae was a significant reason why Brennan Armstrong transferred to NC State, but when the two worked together at Virginia, they were not always so close.
A constantly developing relationship that began with a lot of yelling from the Wolfpack assistant coach helped the quarterback grow into the player he is today and led him to Raleigh for the 2023 season.
Armstrong signed with UVA as a three-star signal-caller in the 2018 recruiting class, but he did not instantly mesh with his new offensive coordinator.
“I remember freshman, sophomore year, I didn’t really like him that much,” Armstrong said. “He really got on me, and I was young. And then it started to transition into more of just a relationship instead of ‘I’m being told what to do and being yelled at.’ I took the feedback, took the coaching and the relationship]has grown a lot.”
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During the 2021 season, the duo produced one of the nation’s most explosive passing offenses. The Cavaliers averaged 515.9 total yards per game that year. Armstrong took a statistical step back in 2022 once Anae left for Syracuse, and the quarterback is looking forward to putting his skills on display once again during the Wolfpack’s April 8 spring game.
“I just feel like I have something to prove,” Armstrong said. “I really wanted to put two great years together, and there’s just a chip on my shoulde. I think this is the best place for me to prove that.
“There’s a lot of opportunity here. I think the guys, especially on the offensive side, are itching to just be better. I feel like they felt like they didn’t do their part last year, so we’re all in this together.”
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Armstrong said he believes the offense could be “special” this year under Anae’s leadership. Quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper and the rest of the position group are all communicating well, and the graduate student signal-caller said he is impressed by the talent and skill of MJ Morris, Ben Finley and Lex Thomas.
“The whole room is great,” Armstrong said. “This is a pretty dang skilled room that I’m in. I really believe that…
“I think their future here is really bright. These guys can ball.”
Once he arrived on campus earlier this year, Armstrong began building a relationship with the Wolfpack receiving corps. First, they just worked on establishing their timing and getting to know each other, but now their bonds have extended into spring practice, where learning the scheme is critical.
That development sets up for an extremely important stretch of practice and offseason workouts before the team kicks off at Connecticut Sept. 2.
“The chemistry is starting to get there, and I think summer is going to be huge for us because now they’ve been in the offense,” Armstrong said. “They’ve seen what’s going on in spring ball, they understand the route concepts, the things that we’re just trying to create on offense, and I think that’s going to go a long way.”
