NC State football summer projected depth chart: Offense

With the NC State football spring practices completed, TheWolfpacker.com reexamines the way-too-early depth chart that was released post-spring. Here is the summertime look at the depth chart on offense for NC State football in 2023.

Summer NC State Football Projected Depth Chart: Offense

Quarterback

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown5Brennan ArmstrongR-Sr.6-2, 210Shelby, Ohio7MJ MorrisSoph.6-2, 210Carrollton, Ga.

Dave Doeren confirmed in an exclusive interview with TheWolfpacker.com that Armstrong is the starter.

The spring game had left a clear indication that Armstrong was the favorite to start. The transfer from Virginia, who set numerous school records with the Cavaliers, spent the entire first half with the NC State Red Team, which was primarily the starters and top reserves.

Morris completed 52 of 86 passes for 648 yards and 7 touchdowns with just 1 pick and ran for 88 yards and a score in 5 games last season. He went 1-1 as a starter, beating in-state rival and bowl winner Wake Forest while also coming in as a reserve and leading the NC State comeback win over Virginia Tech.

The hope is to redshirt Morris. Depth after Morris however is very thin.

Running back

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown3Jordan HoustonSr.5-10, 190Waldorf, Md.2Michael AllenSo.5-9, 203Greenville, N.C.

Houston’s loyalty and patience is not forgotten by the NC State football coaches, and he led the Pack with 136 carries for 544 yards in 2022.

However, Allen (53 carries for 278 yards) may offer more upside. One change from the spring was dropping junior Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, who transferred to Kentucky. Sumo-Karngbaye was second on the projected depth chart after spring.

Slot Receiver

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown4Porter RooksJr.6-1, 195Charlotte, N.C.80Kevin ConcepcionFr.5-11, 180Charlotte, N.C.

Unquestionably the 2022 season did not go as Rooks planned. After making a combined 47 catches for 574 yards in his first two years in Raleigh, Rooks’ production dipped to 19 receptions for 151 yards, both career-lows in a season, although he did register a first score.

If Rooks, a former On3 Consensus four-star, could break out next fall, that would be a boost for NC State.

Concepcion made a big impression in the Red-White scrimmage, and may have been the top-performing wideout in the NC State football spring game.

Outside Receiver

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown15Keyon LesaneSr.5-11, 195Lumberton, N.C.11Juice VereenFr.6-4, 210Havelock, N.C.

Lesane was a solid performer for NC State in 2022, making 31 catches for 342 yards and a pair of touchdowns and also being one of the Wolfpack’s best special teams players. The safe bet is that he would figure prominently into plans for next year.

Where to put Vereen on the depth chart is a challenge, but odds are good he shows up somewhere, be it outside receiver or tight end, where new offensive coordinator Robert Anae may seek to create matchup problems. Vereen replaces redshirt sophomore Anthony Smith, who was on the post-spring depth chart.

The physically-gifted Smith had a tough spring game, dropping a sure touchdown and also fumbling. Those inconsistencies have held him back thus far, but he has as much athletic upside as any NC State wideout. Another possibility is redshirt sophomore Clemson transfer DJ Collins, but he had a quiet spring scrimmage.

Outside Receiver

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown8Julian GrayR-So.5-11, 195Charlotte, N.C.82Terrell Timmons Jr.So.6-2, 190Greensboro, N.C.

There are going to be a lot of guesses at how the NC State depth chart at receiver will shake out. This is just one of those. We flipped Gray and Timmons from the positions we had in the spring.

Timmons had 3 receptions for 79 yards and a score as a rookie and flashed an ability to be a big-time vertical threat. He then further solidified that potential with the play of the day in the NC State spring game, catching a short screen pass and sprinting over 60 yards for a score.

Gray caught 11 passes for 105 yards this past season. The speedster also ran for 50 yards on 5 carries and showed some natural open-field playmaking abilities that had fans clamoring for more playing time for him.

Tight End

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown6Trent PennixR-Sr.6-3, 235Raleigh, N.C.29Christopher ToudleR-Jr.6-4, 235Wilmington, N.C.

After flashing a lot of potential in 2021, the duo of Pennix and Toudle did not quite live up to expectations in 2022. Pennix was slowed due to an injury suffered in the opener that limited him throughout the year. He finished with 8 receptions for 111 yards and 2 scores.

Toudle had 11 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.

This is a position we have to wait and see how Anae uses the tight ends in the NC State offenes, but cases can be made that redshirt sophomore Cedd Seabrough and Vereen should be on the depth chart here.

Left Tackle

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown74Anthony BeltonR-Jr.6-6, 336Tallahassee, Fla.76Patrick MatanR-So.6-4, 304Chevy Chase, Md.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Belton ended the season with a grade of 64.1, which is right around the average score. He actually shined in pass protection with a score of 81.4, but struggled as a run blocker (56.1) and had the second most penalties on the team (8).

Keep in mind that Belton had not played competitive snaps in football since 2019 before this year, and never at the Power Five level. Thus, the hope from NC State is that Belton translates his experience gained and well-suited physical skills into improvement and increased consistency.

Doeren praised Matan for his improvement in the spring.

Left Guard

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown57Lyndon CooperR-So.6-2, 312Carrollton, Ga.69Dawson JaramilloR-Sr.6-5, 305Portland, Ore.

Cooper has a promising future for the Pack, and his ability to also play center adds value. He had a 66.4 PFF grade in 54 plays, but mostly against Charleston Southern and Connecticut. However, after originally having Cooper as a second string, we flipped him with the versatile Jaramillo.

We have Jaramillo plugged in at guard here, but he also could prominently figure into the mix at several positions, including tackle and center. The Oregon transfer has the versatility to play anywhere on the offensive front, which makes him an ideal pickup in the transfer portal for NC State.

Center

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown54Dylan McMahonR-Jr.6-4, 305Savannah, Ga.55Rylan VannR-Fr.6-1, 292Cary, N.C.

NC State has long been grooming McMahon to be the heir apparent at center, and his time came earlier than hoped after All-ACC performer Grant Gibson suffered a season-ending injury during the Boston College loss.

McMahon was performing solidly at guard early in the season, grading out at 64.0 or better four of the first six games. However, he faded on the PFF scores late and finished with a 63.1. Nevertheless, the feeling has been that the athletically gifted McMahon was best suited to be a center, a fact reiterated by Senior Bowl executive Jim Nagy.

Vann is listed as the backup, but the reality is that either Jaramillo or Cooper would probably be first option to snap if something happened to McMahon. Jaramillo started at center in the NC State football spring game in McMahon’s absence.

Right Guard

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown53Derrick EasonR-Sr.6-4, 315Norfolk, Va.75Anthony Carter Jr.R-So.6-3, 310Charlotte, N.C.

Eason, who is using his super senior year, has gained plenty of starting experience over the past two seasons due to injury. Now is his chance to step up as a potential full-time starter in 2023. He finished with a PFF grade of 56.9 this past year, down from the 61.3 he had in 2021.

Carter also gained some valuable experience, starting the bowl loss and playing 47 snaps vs. Boston College. The key will be translating that into a step up in performance. Doeren praised Carter’s improvement in the spring.

Right Tackle

No.NameYearHt., Wt.Hometown52Timothy McKayR-Jr.6-4, 315Raleigh, N.C.62Jaleel DavisR-Fr.6-6, 315Rockingham, N.C.

McKay is a player where there was a disconnect between what PFF grades showed and what coaches felt. He was named honorable mention All-ACC after leading NC State in pancake blocks and was also co-offensive lineman of the year on the team’s award banquet.

PFF had McKay at 62.9 on the season, partially because of a team-high 13 penalties.

Regardless, McKay is a strong bet to slide back into his starting role. Depth is a bigger question mark. Redshirt freshman Jacarrius Peak is another name to watch here, in addition to Davis.

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