The biggest news coming out of NC State's spring practice Tuesday was a foot injury to sophomore running back Mustafa Greene. The Pack's leading rusher from last year will have surgery according to head coach Tom O'Brien.
"Greene will have surgery sometime this week, he's got a foot injury," O'Brien confirmed. "So whenever he has his surgery then he'll be back in the fall."
Greene rushed 134 times for 597 yards and four touchdowns as a true freshman in 2010, and he also caught 30 passes for 272 yards and a score. Greene was projected as the starter at running back.
O'Brien also touched on a number of other topics Tuesday:
On the defensive ends:
"They are all a bunch of young guys. We signed a junior college recruit [McKay Frandsen] but this is his first spring going through it, it's the first spring for [Art] Norman and the first spring really for [Theo] Rich. [Daryl] Cato-Bishop has been back and forth so he's got to get settled in there. You only have one guy with experience [fifth-year senior Jeff Rieskamp], but you've got some talent there and that's why you got to practice and keep working."
On the value of fifth-year senior tight end George Bryan
"He's got as much experience as anybody coming back on the offense so you need some leadership out of him. He's been around the block a few times so he just has to continue to push forward.
"Tight end is the toughest spot to play. You got to be able to block. You got to be able to get up the field and catch the ball. You're involved in every phase of the game in one way or another. He's got the talent to do it. He's been All-ACC for a couple of years and hopefully he'll be All-ACC again."
On redshirt junior running back Brandon Barnes
"He's getting a little better, chipping away at it here, now, there, everywhere he's getting better. He's pushing through it. The important thing for him is getting back. By the time he got back last fall it was a little bit too late, he just played scout team for us. This is an opportunity to show something and we'll go from there."
On redshirt junior receiver Tobais Palmer
"Tobais shows flashes. What we got to get out of Tobais is consistency. He's the same way. [It's] his first real spring, so he's like a freshman, even though he's a junior college guy. Things are new but you can see some flashes going on with him."
On the return of redshirt sophomore corners Jarvis Byrd and Rashard Smith
"I think they got to help us. They got to give us depth and provide opportunity for us."