Dave Doeren updates NC State football personnel's progress in spring

NC State football coach Dave Doeren is a little over halfway done with his ninth spring practice in Raleigh. It’s been far more productive than the eighth, which was cut short after just five workouts because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doeren touched on just about every position group during a 20-plus minute meeting with the media on Monday, and here are some of the highlights:

Although Doeren thought that redshirt sophomore and starter Devin Leary struggled some during a scrimmage on Friday evening, the coach is overall pleased with Leary’s development, specifically his knowledge of coordinator Tim Beck’s offense.

“You're starting to see Devin finish [Beck's] sentences, and he knows the offense now, and so now it's just putting it into play,” Doeren said.

Leary completed 66 of 110 passes for 890 yards with eight touchdowns and two picks in four games last year, going 3-0 as a starter, before breaking his leg in a 31-20 victory over Duke on Oct. 17.

Doeren added that freshman Ben Finley is “way ahead” of where he was a year ago when he had just arrived as an early enrollee, while freshman Aaron McLaughlin is going through the transition phases after graduating high school in December.

“Aaron is starting to do some things where he's not thinking as much,” Doeren noted. “It's a lot to learn an offense against any college defense, but particularly one that has so many players back in it like ours. Our defense is playing really fast. So it's been fun to watch.”

Both sophomore Zonovan “Bam” Knight and junior Ricky Person Jr. are out this spring with injuries, leading to more opportunities for other players. Doeren praised how hard Delbert Mimms III and former walk-on Demarcus Jones II, a pair of redshirt freshmen, ran in the scrimmage.

Doeren also confirmed that they are adding new dimensions to redshirt sophomore Trent Pennix’s portfolio.

"I do think Trent Pennix is someone that can do a lot of the things that you saw back when Jaylen Samuels was here, and [tight ends] Dylan Autenrieth and Cole Cook and their backfield placement, where they can be lead blockers but also used in the pass game out of the backfield,” the coach noted. “I think Trent, you're going to see his position kind of change.

"He can play running back but also play that H-hybrid type position for us to give some flexibility in personnel."

Pennix has 36 career rushes for 125 yards and 16 receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

Among tight ends, it’s not surprising that fifth-year senior Dylan Parham has emerged given that he is the most experienced option of the group. Doeren noted that Parham, who has seven career receptions for 88 yards, is “by far” the leader in the room.

Building depth is a priority this spring. The coach noted that freshman Andrew Jayne is technically a walk-on, but one that has impressed.

“Andrew played professional baseball,” Doeren said. “He walked on here last year, so his college is getting paid for by pro baseball, but he is a great athlete. He's learning how to play, still, but he's doing some really good things.”

One of the players that Doeren noted, unprompted, was fifth-year senior C.J. Riley, back for a sixth season of NC State and now, in Doeren’s eyes, fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered during the 2019 season opener, derailing what had been anticipated to be a breakout season for Riley.

In 2018, Riley had made 28 receptions for 315 yards and two scores, priming him for a large role in the offense before the knee injury. During his return in 2020, Riley had nine receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

“It's been fun seeing him get back to form,” Doeren stated. “Last year, he obviously played, but I didn't think he played the way he was capable. I think an ACL, even though physically might be there a year later, it's mentally sometimes longer before a guy can overcome that injury.

“He's really playing good football, so it's been fun to see C.J. get back to being not just a big guy that can catch, but a big guy that can run and catch.”

NC State is seeking two new starters after right tackle Justin Witt and guard Joe Sculthorpe decided to bypass a chance to replay their senior years. One player who has emerged, according to Doeren, is redshirt sophomore Derrick Eason Jr., who converted from defensive line after 2018 and played four games last fall.

“I think Derrick Eason is probably one most improved O-lineman,” Doeren said. “Derrick's playing guard and tackle, both.”

The coach added that freshman tackle Patrick Matan “was doing a lot of good things,” and he’s been very pleased with the initial progress of early enrollee Lyndon Cooper, a 6-2, 340-pounder from Carrollton (Ga.) High.

“We are impressed with him,” Doeren said of Cooper. “I think he’s a guy who can do a lot for us at that position.

The most improved defensive lineman is sophomore Savion Jackson, according to Doeren. The coach noted that Jackson is pushing 300 pounds now but is moving really well and remaining at defensive end.

“He's a pleaser; he's a kid that doesn't want to make mistakes,” Doeren noted. “Sometimes when you're in that mindset — [former NCSU defensive lineman] Kentavius Street used to be like that — you don't play as fast because you're afraid that you're going to make mistakes, and when you play like that you actually play slower.

"He's cut it loose. He's kind of let that fear of failure go, and he's making a lot more plays. He's a lot more disruptive, and he's been fun to watch this spring."

Jackson had 20 tackles, including two for loss and a sack, in 12 games, four of which were starts, in 2020. He added a pair of quarterback hurries.

Doeren disputed any notion that redshirt sophomore Payton Wilson, a first-team All-ACC contributor in 2020, and sophomore Drake Thomas, a full-time starter last fall, were being held out of spring for precautionary reasons, but added both are doing great with their rehabs.

"We're not going to put a guy out there before the trainer is saying we can," Doeren said. "They're just not there in that progression yet. They're both lifting, running different changing direction things, but the contact piece on their timeline isn't fitting where we're at in spring ball."

Their absences have allowed early enrollees Jordan Poole and Caden Fordham to get extensive reps. Poole was one of the more highly touted prospects to sign with the Wolfpack.

"He's swimming a little bit mentally, but he can run really fast, physical,” Doeren noted about Poole. “He's everything we hoped he'd be athletically. He's a great kid to coach, doesn't make a lot of the same mistakes twice. He's just trying to learn and transition from playing high school football to college football a semester early, and it's a lot.”

NC State welcomed two newcomers to the secondary in Marshall transfer Derrek Pitts Jr. and Florida State import Cyrus Fagan, and they are proving to be welcomed additions.

Pitts had 42 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and broke up three passes in nine games this past season for Marshall, making starts at both strong and free safety. Fagan started five games in 2019 for the Seminoles, making 41 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups.

“Both have been great additions to our back end,” Doeren said. “They're competing. I'm not going to say they're starting right now because they're not, but they're competing every day and making us better, and there's great competition.

“There's competitive depth at the corner, nickel and safety position.”

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