The NC State Wolfpack has an exciting season in store this fall. A new offensive coordinator and multiple key additions on both sides of the ball highlight the 2023 roster. However, the team has three major questions it will have to answer if the Wolfpack wants to compete for the ACC championship.
1. How Good Will the Quarterback Play Be?
NC State lost quarterback Devin Leary to the transfer portal. Leary excelled in 2021, passing for 3,433 yards, but had his 2022 campaign cut short due to a shoulder injury. The Wolfpack look to replace Leary with Brennan Armstrong, a transfer quarterback from Virginia. Armstrong similarly had a stellar 2021 season but struggled mightily in 2022.
New offensive coordinator Robert Anae has had success turning mediocre offenses into very good ones. Now reunited with Armstrong, Anae hopes that his former signal caller will return to his 2021 form. NC State’s woes in 2022 came from a lack of production from the quarterback position. MJ Morris and Ben Finley had fleeting success, but neither was able to produce more than 30 points or 270 passing yards after Leary went down. Armstrong is poised to be the starter going into the season, and expectations are high. The biggest question for him will be whether or not he can recreate the 2021 season now that he is under Anae again. Armstrong passed for 4,449 yards and 31 touchdowns that season, and NC State is desperate for a quarterback that can throw at a high level. A similar season in 2023 would be massive for the Wolfpack offense. If Armstrong and Anae can recreate what they had at Virginia, the offense will produce as good as any in the ACC.
2. Which Skill Players Will Step Up for the Wolfpack Offense?
The Wolfpack lost a multitude of key contributors on offense. Leading receiver Thayer Thomas had been a cornerstone for multiple years, and his counterpart Devin Carter transferred away. Additionally, running back Demi Sumo-Karngbaye is joining Devin Leary at Kentucky. These three were centerpieces of the Wolfpack offense in 2022, and it will take a large contribution to make up for the lost production.
Leading rusher Jordan Houston returns after running for a solid 544 yards last season. Keyon Lesane tallied 342 yards in the air and is expected to lead the receiving core this fall. Christopher Toudle, Porter Rooks, and Michael Allen look to have expanded roles in 2023 as well. The Wolfpack added Dacari Collins, a receiver from Clemson looking for a fresh start in the red and white. The 2023 freshman class also brings four-star recruit Javonte Vereen and promising receiver Kevin Concepcion. Vereen is a Tight End with great ball skills and phenomenal athleticism, while Concepcion is a speedy receiver with the potential to contribute very early in his career. Of the new Wolfpack members and the veteran players, look for Houston and Lesane to lead the way, with the possibility of Vereen producing as a freshman in the tight end position. If the playmakers can establish themselves as solid options, and Armstrong is able to deliver the ball to them, the offense is in a very good position.
3. Will the Defense Remain Elite?
The NC State defense has established itself as one of the better units in college football over the past few seasons. Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson became the highest-paid coordinator in the ACC for good reason. However, the Wolfpack defense loses two of its leaders and best contributors in Drake Thomas and Isaiah Moore. The two combined for 183 tackles and 10.5 sacks last season, with Thomas leading the entire team in both categories.
Despite the lost production, the secondary is a very promising unit. Aydan White and Shyheim Battle return as the leaders of the group. White did not allow a single passing touchdown when in coverage last year, while also adding four interceptions. The battle was also a great coverage corner and led the ACC in pass defenses back in 2020. The group adds four-star Zach Myers who profiles as an extremely athletic safety that can make plays all over the field.
In addition to a strong secondary, linebacker Payton Wilson will be a key component of this defense. Wilson is a very physical and intelligent linebacker who had 83 tackles in 2022. Wilson will need to build off of his strong performance if he is to replicate the impact that Thomas and Moore had on the team last year. Davin Vann is a promising defensive lineman who had a stellar performance in the season finale against rival UNC. Wilson and Vann will have to continue to develop if the Wolfpack want to remain a team that is difficult to run against.
The Secondary for the Wolfpack seems to be the most promising aspect of the defense. The interior lineman and linebacker core will have to step up against the run game if the defense wants to remain one of the strongest in the nation.
