2013 NC State Spring Football Analysis

2013 North Carolina State Wolfpack ... Head Coach: Dave Doeren

NC State Wolfpack

2013 Schedule
8/31 Louisiana Tech
9/7 Richmond
9/14 OPEN DATE
9/19 Clemson
9/28 Central Michigan
10/5 at Wake Forest
10/12 Syracuse
10/19 OPEN DATE
10/26 at Florida State
11/2 North Carolina
11/9 at Duke
11/16 at Boston College
11/23 East Carolina
11/30 Maryland

Why To Get Excited … new head coach Dave Doeren inherits a defense that figures to be rather feisty and quick to the ball in the front seven. Only one full-timer has graduated, good news for a last line of defense that’s getting a facelift. DE Darryl Cato-Bishop and LB Rickey Dowdy will be the ringleaders of a group that figures to do an excellent job of pressuring the pocket.

Why To Be Grouchy … new staff plus new quarterback equals a rocky transition for most universities. The Pack upgraded by trading in an older model—Tom O’Brien—for hotshot Doeren. However, QB Mike Glennon is gone, leaving last year’s backup, Manny Stocker, to duke it out with Colorado State transfer Pete Thomas. State also needs more quality athletes to execute the staff’s spread attack.

The Number One Thing To Work On Is … protecting the ball. The Wolfpack finished a game above .500, including an upset of Florida State, despite ranking 113th nationally in giveaways. The 2012 edition was maddeningly inconsistent, throwing too many picks and coughing the ball up often. Even if the offense lacks explosiveness, it’ll make progress simply by getting a better grip on the ball.

Team Concerns For 2013: Dave Doeren has some work to do on an offense that didn't get much out of the running game. Step One will be improving an offensive line that loses two starters and didn't do much of anything in pass protection. Quarterback Mike Glennon is gone to the NFL, but the passing game wasn't efficient enough even when he was under center. The team has to improve in turnover margin and need a stronger season from Wil Baumann and the punting game.

The 2013 Class Is Heavy On ... Skill players. Dave Doeren got a few nice defensive backs in corners Dravious Wright, Josh Jones and Sean Paul, and it would be nice if Artemis Robinson turned into a factor at linebacker. The offense got the most help with two promising running backs in Dakwa Nichols and Josh Mercer along with receivers Pharoah McKever and Jalen McDaniel. Chris Burton has the upside to be a go-to target at tight end.

2012 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 41. That Class Was Heavy On ... The Wolfpack is going hard after the defensive line for the second time in four years. The line is fine for now, but Tom O’Brien needs players to develop for down the road with the wave of strong prospects from the 2009 class are done. The offensive side will get more help for the interior with the guards getting the most attention. 

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 72. That Class Was Heavy On ... Linebackers. There aren’t a ton of great ones in a generally mediocre class, but the hope is for strength in numbers with Mike Rose and Brandon Pittman two safety-sized defenders with the potential to be excellent with a little bit of time. The defensive line got help with Ty McGill for the inside and Dave Mann on the end, and quarterback Brian Taylor and WR Hakeem Flowers will be asked to be the star pitch-catch combo by 2013, but overall the star power isn’t there.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 43. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive lineman. This might not be the sexiest class, but it has teeth. WR Tony Creecy is a speedster who should make a big impact, and JUCO transfer Tobais Palmer will be a part of the running back mix right away. The key is the offensive line with Robert Crisp a massive and very talented offensive tackle who'll end up being the anchor up front. Crisp is 6-8, as is fellow tackle Andy Jomantas, while Tyson Chandler is a 6-6, 340-pound mauler. Defensively, Fre'Shad Hunter will be the star on the inside up front once he adds some weight.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 36. That Class Was Heavy On ... defensive linemen. Tom O’Brien and his assistants absolutely loaded up on defensive linemen with this class, going as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Georgia to find space-eaters. Willie Young, Alan-Michael Cash, and Shea McKeen have only one year of eligibility remaining, so this group will be expected to eventually form the backbone of the defensive front for the next four or five seasons.