NC State football position analysis: Running back
NC State football begins fall camp July 31. When the Pack takes the field for practice that day, it will be the first step in a heated competition in the program’s running back room— a position group that added a ton of talent this offseason.
Over the next month, TheWolfpacker.com will preview each of NC State’s position groups leading up to fall camp. Here’s our second installment focused entirely on the running backs.
NC State Spotlight Player
Graduate Jordan Waters
Waters will be one of the most experienced running backs in the ACC this fall. He rushed for 819 yards for Duke last year. That’s more than double the yardage of NC State’s top running back in 2023.
His best games with the Blue Devils occurred against in-state rivals last fall. Waters ripped off a season-long 83-yard touchdown run during a win over NC State and also rushed for 113 yards and 2 scores against North Carolina earlier in the year.
“That dude’s a dog,” Wolfpack linebacker Caden Fordham said during a spring practice press conference. “He’s hard to tackle, he’s a big back. He’s faster than a lot of people think, too, when he gets in a straight line. It’s great to have him on my sideline and not have to worry about tackling him.”
The graduate student averaged 5.4 yards per carry in his final season with Duke. NC State averaged 4.3 yards per rush as a team in 2023, which tied Clemson for the No. 9 mark in the ACC.
Positional grades
Grading scale: 1 star (too unproven), 2 stars (solid or has potential), 3 stars (among the ACC’s best), 4 stars (among the country’s best)
Starter— 3 stars
Set to be the feature back in a talented offense, Waters has All-ACC potential in 2024. At 6-foot, 215 pounds, he is extremely tough to stop once he reaches the second level and should create some home run plays for the Pack.
Experience— 3 stars
Waters has played five seasons of ACC football. The experienced back saw the field for more than 350 snaps each of the past 2 years/ He knows the league and what it takes to succeed in it. Raphael has a jump on most second-year running backs after playing 284 snaps in 2023.
Depth— 3 stars
At minimum, Waters and Raphael will provide a standout one-two punch for NC State’s backfield. Demarcus Jones II adds a consistent presence in short-yardage situations, and Jordan Poole should take another step forward as a blocker in his first full season at running back. If Hollywood Smothers and/or Duke Scott emerge as regular contributors, this will be one of the best backfields in the conference with potential to be one of the top units nationally.
Overall Grade— 3 stars
A year ago, a quarterback and a wide receiver led NC State in rushing. This year, offensive coordinator Robert Anae will have more freedom to establish a productive run game, field two-back sets and rotate personnel regularly. Both the ceiling and the floor of this unit are much higher than in 2023. Look for this position group to take a massive, season-altering leap this fall.
By the numbers
405— Raphael’s total offensive yardage as a true freshman.
83— The yardage of Waters’ touchdown run against NC State last fall, part of a 123-yard performance.
40— Scott’s touchdown total as a high school senior.
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