RALEIGH — NC State’s offense will need to retool after both its starting quarterback and offensive coordinator announced they are leaving the program.
ACC Preseason Player of the Year Devin Leary declared his intent to enter the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility, while Tim Beck is headed to Coastal Carolina to become its next head coach on a five-year deal.
“2022 did not go as expected, but I will never question God’s timing,” Leary said in a post on his Twitter account. “I will forever be thankful for the relationships that I have built here at NC State.”
Leary had a slow start to the year and then suffered a torn pectoral muscle against Florida State in the Wolfpack’s sixth game on Oct. 8, ending his season.
Following Leary’s injury, NC State won three games with three different quarterbacks, beating in-state rivals Wake Forest and UNC with its third- and fourth-string quarterbacks.
With MJ Morris and Ben Finley both poised to compete for the starting job, it made sense for the record-setting quarterback to seek a different opportunity in his final collegiate season. ESPN’s Tom VanHaaran ranked Leary as the top player in the transfer portal as of Monday night.
Leary set the single-season NC State record with 35 touchdowns in 2021 while throwing for 3,433 yards and just five interceptions in leading the team to nine wins.
Despite two seasons ended early by injuries, Leary will finish his Wolfpack career fourth all-time in total touchdowns with 62 and sixth in total passing yards with 6,807.
NC State will also need to move forward without Beck. While he has at times been criticized by Wolfpack fans for conservative play-calling, Beck’s work with the quarterbacks helped NC State weather Leary’s injury and stay afloat even as the team was forced to dig deeper in its depth chart.
That’s a testament to Beck’s work as a recruiter and his keen eye for quarterback talent.
“Recruiting is of the utmost,” Beck said in his Coastal Carolina introductory press conference. “Over the years as an offensive coordinator, I was a lot better play-caller when I had better players. Makes it a lot easier, certainly.”
Beck joined NC State as its quarterback coach and offensive coordinator in 2020 after previous stops at Nebraska, Ohio State and Texas as an offensive coordinator.
He will replace Jamey Chadwell with the Chanticleers, and Beck is head coach Dave Doeren’s second straight offensive coordinator to leave for a top job. Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz was hired by App State in December 2018 and spent one season in Boone before being hired by the Tigers.
Despite struggles in short-yardage situations and on third downs, Beck’s offense was mostly dependable and helped the Wolfpack to reach at least eight wins in each of his three seasons in Raleigh.
Now the Wolfpack will need to find his replacement and also set a new course at quarterback as Doeren prepares for his 11th season with the school.
