NC State football practice premium observations: Offense
NC State football held its first practice of preseason camp Wednesday morning a day after being picked to finish fourth in the division-less ACC. Here are some premium observations from TheWolfpacker.com for the offensive side of the NC State football team.
Quarterback
Super senior Brennan Armstrong was a clear No. 1 and the most consistent quarterback observed on our part during the portions of practice opened to the media. What was also noticeable about Armstrong was his leadership, instructing players on where to go with routes and drills.
Sophomore MJ Morris, whom NC State hopes to redshirt, flashed at times, including hitting fourth-year redshirt sophomore Jalen Coit in stride for a touchdown during 7-on-7s, but also had moments of inaccuracy that led to at least one moment of visible frustration on his part.
Freshman Lex Thomas, the lone QB in the NC State football recruiting class of 2023, was cleared to throw after shoulder surgery last fall, but redshirt freshman walk-on Ethan Rhodes impressed us with his arm strength on intermediate throws.
Running back
The first practice without pads is always a bit of tough to evaluate the running backs group. Everyone is healthy and the rotation was mixed, although super senior Jordan Houston was fairly consistently one of the first in line for drills and reps.
Wide receiver
For now, the inside wide receivers for NC State appear to be Coit, fourth-year junior Porter Rooks, freshman Kevin Concepcion and fourth-year redshirt sophomore Christopher Scott Jr. Working with the group at one point was recent Rice grad transfer addition Bradley Rozner, but he spent most of the practice with the outside group. Also getting reps inside but mainly working with tight ends was freshman Juice Vereen.
Concepcion clearly has quickly worked his way into the good faith of the NC State football coaches, and do not be surprised if he takes on a major role with the offense. Rooks took most of the reps with the first team.
At outside receiver, the initial starters for NC State are super senior Keyon Lesane and redshirt sophomore Julian Gray. Lesane impressively beat preseason first-team All-ACC corner Aydan White, a fourth-year junior, for a deep touchdown pass from Armstrong during 7-on-7s, and also had a highlight-worthy one-handed catch during a drill.
Rozner clearly looks the part at 6-foot-5, 204 pounds, but equally certain was that Rozner had just arrived and was not yet well acclimated to his new teammates.
Tight end
This group along with inside receivers are coached by new NC State football offensive coordinator Robert Anae, but Anae was also seen floating around the different position groups. Super senior Trent Pennix is the headliner of the tight ends, but like Concepcion, Vereen is another true freshman who appears poised to have a significant role in the offense. During 7-on-7s, Vereen received some reps with the first string.
Offensive line
New NC State o-line coach Garett Tujague brings a new level of intensity to the group. His word of the day was “violent.” He clearly is seeking to instill a toughness and physicality into the line group, and he worked the linemen hard. At one point, after completing a drill, Tujague led the big men in doing 10 quick pushups before sprinting to the next exercise.
A healthy super senior Derrick Eason was back with the first string at right guard after missing spring drills, with redshirt sophomore Lyndon Cooper at left guard and fifth-year redshirt junior Dylan McMahon handling snaps. Unsurprisingly, fifth-year redshirt junior Timothy McKay (right) and redshirt junior Anthony Belton (left) were the tackles.
The second string saw versatile Oregon grad transfer Dawson Jaramillo and redshirt freshman Jacarrius Peak at tackle, although Peak looked like he could still stand to gain some weight. Fourth-year redshirt sophomores Patrick Matan and Anthony Carter Jr. were the guards with redshirt freshman Rylan Vann at center.
Among the true freshman, Rico Jackson has shifted to guard. Jackson and Obadiah “Obi” Obasuyi were ahead of fellow rookies Darion Rivers and the recently arrived Kamen Smith.
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