Comparing NC State’s 2021 roster to the 2017 team

In NC State head coach Dave Doeren’s eight seasons in Raleigh, 2017 was his most fruitful.

The Wolfpack went 9-4 that year, which was the program’s then-best record to date under Doeren, only to be matched the following fall in 2018.

But there is not much debate that the 2017 team was Doeren’s most talented. At least, so far. After all, the roster featured 16 eventual Pack Pros. And it’s even possible that number could grow once the underclassmen from that roster eventually move on.

That season had been circled by the coaching staff as the one where it would all come together in the years leading up to it after a pair of strong recruiting classes in 2014 and 2015.

There’s now a similar sense of excitement entering the 2021 season, and it’s backed up by a similar track record in the recruiting classes leading up to it.

NC State has had four classes under Doeren that included three or more four-star signees according to Rivals: 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019.

Why is that important? Well, if 2017 was Doeren’s most talented roster to date, one can point to the 2014 and 2015 classes to explain why. NC State signed three four-star prospects in the 2014 class. The Pack followed it up by signing five four-stars in the 2015 class.

By the time 2017 rolled around, those four-star talents were entering their junior and senior seasons.

Piggybacking off of the national attention the Pack received for its success on the field in 2017, Doeren went out and inked five more four-star prospects in the 2018 class. After another 9-4 season in 2018, NC State saw its momentum once again translate to the recruiting trail, signing four four-stars in 2019.

Although the 2018 and 2019 signees will technically be listed as sophomores and juniors this fall due to the NCAA’s free year eligibility that was granted to fall athletes last year, those players have been in the program as long as the standouts from the 2014 and 2015 classes had been by 2017. Not to mention, the 2021 roster will also feature “super seniors” that otherwise would have had to move on after 2020 if not for the free year of eligibility.

This begs the question, “How does the 2021 roster compare to the 2017 team?”

By examining each roster position group-by-position group, The Wolfpacker does its best to answer it.

2017

Redshirt junior Ryan Finley

Redshirt junior Jalan McLendon

2021

Redshirt sophomore Devin Leary

Freshman Ben Finley

This is one of the tougher position groups to compare because the verdict is still out on Leary. Ryan Finley was a great college quarterback and certainly made his mark in the program’s record books. He went on to become a fourth-round draft pick in 2019 and has started four times over two seasons as the back-up for the Cincinnati Bengals.

But it’s not unfathomable that Leary could end up being the better quarterback. It’s just too early to tell. If the guy that threw for 336 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and led a last-minute, game-winning drive against a then-ranked Pittsburgh team becomes the norm, it will probably be time to consider Leary next-in-line in the Pack Pros-QBU pipeline.

But for now, the edge goes to Finley. After all, his 3,518 passing yards in 2017 ranks fifth all-time for a single season in the program record books. And you may have heard of the only guys that threw for more in a single season: Philip Rivers, Mike Glennon and Russell Wilson.

Advantage: 2017

2017

Junior Nyheim Hines

Junior Reggie Gallaspy Jr.

2021

Sophomore Zonovan “Bam” Knight

Junior Ricky Person Jr.

Sophomore Jordan Houston

Another tough one, but at least there is a greater existing body of work from the 2021 running backs to evaluate here.

It’s tough because these groups are rather comparable. The Wolfpack’s strong one-two punch of Hines and Gallaspy in 2017 is eerily similar to what Knight and Person could do this fall.

The most recognizable name on this list, for now, is Hines. He was picked in the fourth round of the 2018 draft and has been a mainstay on the Indianapolis Colts’ roster ever since. Entering the 2017 season, Hines was regarded as a high-upside playmaker that had yet to eclipse 250 rushing yards in a single campaign because he played a lot of wide receiver. He would go on to run for 1,113 yards and 12 touchdowns that year.

Then there’s Gallaspy, who Pack fans remember fondly as the most recent 1,000-yard rusher at NC State. But he did that in 2018, not the season in question. That said, he still produced a strong stat line of 506 yards (4.4 per carry) and seven touchdowns in 2017.

Neither Knight nor Person has yet to run for 1,000 yards in a season, but they both haven’t realistically had the opportunity to quite yet.

Knight is the Pack’s leading rusher the past two seasons despite not even being the team the carries leader last fall. His career average of 5.5 yards per carry, however, is quite similar to Hines’ 5.6 per rush in 2017 (his personal career-high).

Person has also been steady throughout his career, despite injuries sidelining him through his first two seasons. He ran for 643 yards (4.4 yards per rush) and four touchdowns last fall as the Pack’s carries leader, all career-bests.

Not to mention, there’s Houston, who has consistently delivered when called upon. He has a career average of 4.7 yards per rush on 143 carries over two seasons.

These groups are quite similar, and that’s exciting news for State fans. If you could only pick one back, it would probably be Hines, but the Pack has three really strong options this fall.

Advantage: Tie

2017

Sophomore Kelvin Harmon

Redshirt junior Stephen Louis

Redshirt sophomore Jakobi Meyers

Graduate JuMichael Ramos

Freshman Emeka Emezie

2021

Senior Emeka Emezie

Redshirt junior Thayer Thomas

Redshirt sophomore Devin Carter

Freshman Porter Rooks

Fifth-year senior C.J. Riley

A frequent theme of this exercise will be weighing which is more important: top-end talent or depth.

If the answer is the former, this one is easy. It’s 2017 because there is not a better receiver on either of these lists than Harmon. From 2017-18, he caught 150 passes for 2,203 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s back-to-back seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards. Only four other players in NC State history have accomplished the feat once.

One of those other receivers to do it was Meyers, himself an NFL player who came into his own with a breakout 2017.

But if the answer to the original question is the latter option, 2021 would make a stronger case with a reliable two-deep.

I’m going with the proven Pack Pros from 2017.

Advantage: 2017

2017

Senior Jaylen Samuels

Graduate Cole Cook

2021

Redshirt sophomore Trent Pennix

Fifth-year senior Dylan Parham

Pennix presents intriguing potential this fall as he picks up more snaps at the H-Back position, and Parham should be able to have a solid season as an experienced blocking tight end that’s capable of catching passes.

But we don’t need to overanalyze this one. The 2017 team had Samuels, and that’s where the conversation ends. It’s quite tough to compete with that.

Advantage: 2017

2017

Redshirt junior Tyler Jones

Redshirt junior Tyrone Prescod

Redshirt junior Garrett Bradbury

Senior Tony Adams

Redshirt junior Will Richardson

2021

Sophomore Ikem Ekwonu

Redshirt freshman Dylan McMahon

Redshirt junior Grant Gibson

Senior Chandler Zavala

Redshirt junior Bryson Speas

If the 2021 offensive line maxes out its potential, these groups could potentially be comparable. If not, it’s tough to compete with the 2017 offensive front.

Ekwonu is likely a future first-round pick that will be draft-eligible after this season. PFF called Gibson the third-best returning interior offensive lineman in college football this fall. Zavala will provide experience and talent as a former Division II All-American before transferring from Fairmont State this offseason.

But it’s tough to ignore that the 2017 starting offensive line presented four future NFL linemen. The only one that didn’t make it in the NFL, Prescod, went on to become a first-team All-American in 2018 according to ESPN and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Facing 2017’s defensive line consistently in practice had to help, but we’ll get back to that in a second.

The most special thing about the 2017 offensive line, however, is how healthy it remained throughout that season. Of the five starters, four were able to start in every game. The other, Richardson, started the last 11 games of the regular season after sitting out the early contests with a suspension.

If the 2021 line can stay that healthy, the Wolfpack offense should be in great shape this year.

Advantage: 2017

2017

Senior Bradley Chubb

Senior Kentavius Street

Senior Justin Jones

Senior B.J. Hill

Junior Darian Roseboro

2021

Fifth-year senior Daniel Joseph

Redshirt sophomore C.J. Clark

Sophomore Savion Jackson

Redshirt freshman Terrell Dawkins

Redshirt junior Cory Durden

Speaking of that 2017 defensive line, it was among the best units in program history at a school that prides itself in developing NFL talent at the position.

The 2021 group has a handful of guys that could be playing on Sundays one day, but many of them are younger. Joseph and Durden are fringe 2022 NFL Draft prospects entering the season, and Clark, Jackson, Dawkins, freshman Davin Vann and freshman Travali Price are all guys that could play their way into stock in future drafts.

But 2017 had five guys, counting young reserve James Smith-Williams, that we know were able to make in the pros, including a high first-round pick in Chubb.

This is another tough one for 2021. It’s not a knock on this year’s D-Line, but 2017 is just really hard to compete with.

Advantage: 2017

2017

Redshirt senior Jerod Fernandez

Senior Arius Moore

Redshirt junior Germaine Pratt

Freshman Louis Acceus

2021

Redshirt sophomore Payton Wilson

Redshirt junior Isaiah Moore

Sophomore Drake Thomas

Redshirt junior Vi Jones

Sophomore Jaylon Scott

This is the point in this exercise where the 2021 roster begins to present the argument that it’s worthy of being compared to the 2017 team.

Fernandez was the team’s tackle leader in 2017 and went on to have a tryout in the NFL before eventually moving on to the CFL, where he still plays today. Pratt proved to be the most talented linebacker, and he is a starter in the NFL. But he wasn’t technically a starter on this team, as it was his first season playing the position.

With 2021, it has three potential future pros, headlined by the potential preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year in Wilson. Wilson returns this season after becoming the first NC State player to lead the ACC in tackles since 2000.

Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze called Moore a “no-brainer first-round pick” after the Pack defeated the Flames in Carter-Finley Stadium last year. Thomas will become draft-eligible after this season, and he could hear his name called in a future draft as a former four-star talent.

Jones, a transfer from USC that played a versatile reserve role last year, was the unofficial special team's MVP in 2020 after blocking three kicks. It is worth noting that Jones is a former four-star talent himself.

Advantage: 2021

2017

Senior Shawn Boone

Redshirt sophomore Jarius Morehead

Sophomore Tim Kidd-Glass

Redshirt junior Dexter Wright

2021

Junior Tanner Ingle

Sophomore Jakeen Harris

Junior Tyler Baker-Williams

Redshirt senior Cyrus Fagan

One of the most encouraging signs from the 2020 season for NC State was its improved play in the secondary. The 2017 and 2018 teams’ weaknesses were in the secondary and on special teams.

This current form of the Wolfpack seems to be addressing that.

Ingle and Baker-Williams are both All-ACC caliber defensive backs. For Ingle, he just needs to stay on the field. Targeting penalties and injuries sidelined him for nearly half of last season, but he’s one of the best run-stopping safeties in the ACC and potentially at the FBS level.

If Baker-Williams can continue his steady development once again this fall, don’t be surprised to see him earn some postseason accolades.

Harris was the mainstay in the secondary last season and led the defense in total snaps. Considering the secondary’s injury woes in 2020, his dependability was extremely valuable.

Fagan, a Florida State transfer, is a new addition that should give the Pack plenty of talent in the two-deep.

Boone led the Pack with four interceptions in 2017, and Morehead was second on the team with 80 tackles, but there is just more talent and depth in the safety and nickel rooms this season.

Advantage: 2021

2017

Senior Mike Stevens

Redshirt senior Jonathon Alston

Sophomore Nick McCloud

2021

Redshirt freshman Shyheim Battle

Sophomore Cecil Powell

Redshirt junior Derrek Pitts Jr.

Senior Chris Ingram

Freshman Aydan White

NC State’s “young pups” grew up before Wolfpack fans’ eyes last season. Battle and Powell split a bulk of the snaps most of the season in a three-man rotation that included Malik Dunlap, who transferred to Texas Tech.

Battle led the team with 10 passes defended, and Powell led all corners with 47 tackles. Each claimed an interception as well.

There was also White, who earned a significant role in the rotation towards the end of his true freshman campaign. He had the team’s interception of the year when he picked off Liberty quarterback Malik Willis in Wolfpack territory late in a one-possession win over the then-ranked Flames.

Not to mention, the Pack added Pitts, a Marshall transfer that had five tackles and a pass breakup in the spring game. It could also potentially return Ingram from a prolonged ACL rehab. Both will provide experience to a young but talented group.

Alston claimed three interceptions in 2017, and Stevens defended seven passes. Both did receive tryouts in the NFL, as did McCloud after he transferred to Notre Dame and enjoyed an All-ACC year in 2020.

Thus the 2017 group had some talent in its secondary, but the depth and upside favor 2021.

Advantage: 2021

2017

Junior Kyle Bambard

Junior A.J. Cole III

Junior Tyler Griffiths

2021

Junior Christopher Dunn

Redshirt junior Trenton Gill Sophomore Joe Shimko

As previously mentioned, field goal kicking was one of the main weaknesses of the 2017 and 2018 teams that produced 18 wins collectively.

That problem also seems to have been solved.

Cole went on to become an NFL punter for the Las Vegas Raiders, but Gill is the program’s career leader in punt average with a 46.3 mark.

Dunn is the program’s career record holder in field goals with 56, so it’s safe to say he’s already one of the best placekickers in NC State history. And we don’t need to belabor the point of how inconsistent the Pack kickers were in the early Doeren years.

Advantage: 2021

Results:

2017: 5

2021: 4

Ties: 1

When going down the rosters position-by-position, the edge goes to the 2017 team. It’s important to remember, however, we have the benefit of hindsight when it comes to evaluating the 2017 squad.

This year’s Wolfpack team has time on its side and could end up proving these position group comparisons wrong, for good or bad.

The results are still close. The only tie was with the running backs, and a slight edge could be argued for the 2021 team. At the end of the day, the groups were too comparable to give the nod one way or the other.

The quarterback situation was also an intriguing comparison. Finley was a really good college signal caller, but it’s possible Leary could be on his level or better once his story is written. If Leary can put up comparable production to what Finley did in 2017, this team’s potential is very high.

Regardless of what happens this fall, the fact that there is a legitimate comparison to make to the 2017 squad — the best NC State team in Doeren's eight-year tenure — shows the sense of excitement in Raleigh entering the 2021 campaign.

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