NC State football post-spring analysis: Wide receiver

Now that spring practices are completed and the recent NCAA transfer portal window has closed, this is a good time to reevaluate where the NC State football position groups stand in the aftermath. TheWolfpacker.com continues with the wide receiver group.

NC State football rundown: Wide receiver

For the first time in several years, the receiver position for NC State is new-look. Since 2020, the Pack has relied heavily on a trio of Emeka Emezie, Devin Carter and Thayer Thomas. Emezie left after 2021, and this past year was the last in Raleigh for Carter and Thomas.

Some of the complementary wideouts for the Wolfpack in that time included Darryl Jones, Keyon Lesane and Porter Rooks. Jones also exhausted his eligibility after playing one season in Raleigh following a transfer from Maryland, but Lesane and Rooks return.

That means the time has come for the next wave of NC State wideouts, with limited experience, to step up. The Pack only added two newcomers to the group in Clemson transfer DJ Collins and freshman early enrollee Kevin Concepcion, although it is possible that recruited tight end Juice Vereen could end up at wideout instead.

Post-spring positives

The early reviews on the freshmen — Concepcion and Vereen — were positive. Each played exclusively with the Red Team during the NC State football spring scrimmage, which was the unit comprised of starters and top reserves.

Concepcion in particular showed the ability to make defenders miss and get yards after the catch during the spring game.

There is also some clear athleticism in the receiving corps with speedy players like sophomore Terrell Timmons Jr., redshirt sophomore Julian Gray and fourth-year junior Anthony Smith.

Whether or not it is related to what was available in the transfer portal, the Pack also chose not to pursue any options even after scholarship space became available via departures following spring drills. One could wonder if that is due to a comfort level of what the NC State football coaches saw in the entirety of spring.

Post spring concerns

The spring game for NC State was played in far from ideal circumstances for throwing the football. In particular, the weather was wet, breezy and cold. That certainly limited the likelihood of success throwing the football in the scrimmage.

That said, the lack of rhythm and playmaking in the passing game was still evident and left the same persistent questions about the unit going into the spring prevalent in the aftermath.

With no apparent newcomers on the horizon, the NC State football coaches are gambling that multiple players will step up to be playmakers.

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