Five questions for NC State spring football practices

NC State football will begin spring practices on Tuesday, and here are five questions that head coach Dave Doeren and his staff face coming off an 8-4 season in 2020, including a 7-3 mark in the ACC.

Of course, the focal point will be on the leg of redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary, which he broke in a win over Duke on Oct. 17. How ready is Leary to return to practices? Will he be able to take contact?

Leary has, at a minimum, been cleared to return.

The following though will miss all of the spring practices or be limited:

Sophomore safety Rakeim Ashford

Freshman safety Devan Boykin

Redshirt freshman defensive end Terrell Dawkins

Senior receiver Emeka Emezie

Senior corner Chris Ingram

Sophomore running back Zonovan Knight

Redshirt freshman safety Khalid Martin

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Timothy McKay

Junior running back Ricky Person Jr.

Junior corner Teshaun Smith

Sophomore linebacker Drake Thomas

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson

It is noteworthy that four defensive backs on the list — Ashford, Ingram, Martin and Smith — missed good chunks if not all of the 2020 season.

Knight and Person were NC State's 1-2 punch at running back in 2020, and Thomas and Wilson made up two-thirds of the startling linebacker trio. Emezie was the Pack's leading receiver last fall.