CHARLOTTE — For many years, NC State football has been good.
For the last four years, specifically, it’s been good enough to win eight games, beat its rival in UNC three times, and make a bowl game, which many programs and fanbases can’t say about themselves.
However, it’s been over 40 years since the Wolfpack were good enough to win a conference title, let alone compete for a national championship.
At ACC Kickoff, NC State head coach Dave Doeren made it clear that the Wolfpack will look to change that narrative this year with the goal of raising the ACC championship trophy in December.
“We’ve sustained a level of competitive greatness that not many people have been able to do,” Doeren said. “With that being said, we want to win a championship. So, different is that. It’s taking the second-most wins since 2020 to winning the league.”
Looking at NC State’s team stats from 2023 and the big moves it made in the transfer portal, being “different” in 2024 will start with the offense.
Dealing with quarterback instability between former quarterbacks Brennan Armstrong and MJ Morris, the Wolfpack offense landed at 11th in rushing yards and 10th in passing yards in the ACC last season.
NC State addressed the quarterback issue directly by adding former Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall in the transfer portal.
Coming off an impressive four-year run as a starter for the Chanticleers, McCall’s experience not only as a starter, but as a winner, can be a crucial factor in whether the Wolfpack’s offense will carry its weight this season. Doeren sees a guy in McCall that’s “been there before” and is “prepared,” which should be a favorable match with his younger weapons.
“(McCall)’s been coached well,” Doeren said. “He’s got a self-confidence that’s not cocky, but you can feel his presence. That’s what you want in a quarterback.”
McCall will have a talented group of talent around him, including the 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year KC Concepcion, transfer receivers Noah Rogers (Ohio State) and Wesley Grimes (Wake Forest), transfer tight end Justin Joly (UConn) and transfer running back Jordan Waters (Duke).
“All of the guys that we’ve added, it’s exciting,” McCall said. “It makes my job a whole lot easier. I’ve just got to distribute the ball to the fast guys at the right time.”
Waters showed just how dynamic he could be when he led Duke to victory over the Wolfpack last year with a 123-yard and one-touchdown performance. Tasked with providing the balance to NC State’s revamped passing attack, he’s also looking to add to contribute through the air with the team’s running backs sometimes lining up in the slot position.
“(McCall and I) have come in, and we’ve connected,” Waters said. “Every weekend and Wednesday, we’re out there throwing and trying to get better with each other.”
Even though the defense was the leading force last season, the unit also has hopes of building on previous success through crucial loss.
The Wolfpack lost star linebacker Payton Wilson to the NFL this offseason, leaving a major hole in leadership and production.
Davin Vann, the senior defensive end who was awarded the No. 1 jersey for the second straight year, represented the Wolfpack defense at ACC Kickoff, and he’s “looking forward” to stepping up into the role that Wilson left behind.
“I had some great guys in front of me coming up,” Vann said. “They taught me a lot in the four years I’ve been here…(I’m) excited to take charge and be the leader of the defense.”
But, replacing Wilson isn’t the only thing the defense is focusing on in its quest for an ACC title. NC State has also done its due diligence in the transfer portal to boost its secondary, adding veteran safeties Ja’Had Carter (Ohio State) and Donovan Kaufman (Auburn), cornerback Tamarcus Cooley (Maryland) and others.
“A lot of people think that because we lost Payton, we lost our whole defense,” Vann said. “That’s definitely not the case. The transfer portal has helped play a big role in that. We have some dawgs that are ready to go out there and play. Our defense is going to be really good.”
Following ACC Kickoff, NC State came in at fourth in the ACC preseason poll, which was the same prediction as 2023, with the exception of three new teams in the conference this year. With expectations so high in Raleigh, the Wolfpack’s new and returning faces just have to be good enough to finish in the top two in order to really make 2024 a “different” season.
