The offseason goes in phases.

This is the gap between the end of the year and the spring. Then comes actual spring practices that offer a first evaluation of the season ahead, followed by the post-spring/summer build-up towards the actual fall campaign.

With that in mind, here are five questions that NC State head coach Dave Doeren faces in the lead-up to spring practices.

This is a first for Doeren and coaches across America. They must find out how many of their seniors will come back for another season since the NCAA made this a free year in terms of eligibility.

Each senior does not count towards the 85-player limit in 2021, so there is no punishment outside of the financial costs of paying the scholarship to the football program. Already, tight end Cary Angeline and guard Joe Sculthorpe, a pair of all-conference caliber performers, have announced they will bypass that option and try the NFL.