NC State allowing walk-ons to live out dreams
Senior athlete Darius Taylor is in a classic position where he could take a scholarship to a smaller school, or live out some of his dreams at NC State.
The Wolfpack extended a preferred walk-on offer to Taylor on Aug. 1, and he’ll think long and hard about it. The do-it-all player for Richmond (Va.) Highland Springs High was offered by Christopher Newport on Aug. 8, and Hampden-Sydney on July 14.
Taylor had camped at NC State on June 5 and checked in at 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, and ran 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He got the attention of NC State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tony Gibson.
“I went to the camp and I really showed out and had a great camp,” Taylor said. “Afterwards, Coach Gibson said he liked me and I got his phone number. Then the next Monday, I called and talked and he offered me a PWO and then work my way up to a scholarship.
“I would prefer being a walk-on because NC State is one of my dream schools.”
Taylor confirmed with Gibson on July 31, and he’ll see what his options are as time moves on.
“It feels great to have the opportunity to play football at the D-I level, that is everybody’s dream and very much one of my dreams,” Harris said. “It is a very huge senior year.”
A finger injury and the COVID year has slowed Harris down in high school. He has gone from 170 pounds to 215, and plans to play linebacker, running back and fullback for Highland Springs High.
“I’m a linebacker because I love hitting,” said Harris, who wants to study sports management.
NC State coach Dave Doeren and his staff are always digging for potential preferred walk-ons, such as Taylor. The roster is littered with them, with offensive lineman Corey Ball, defensive lineman Aiden Hollingsworth, wide receiver Ashton Locklear, quarterback Ethan Rhodes and kicker Kanoah Vinesett among the 12 new freshmen walk-ons.
With the advent of HUDL film and having players attend NC State’s football camps in June, it’s easier to find a potential diamond in the rough.
NC State star senior wide receiver and punt returner Thayer Thomas is a perfect example. NC State knew about him at Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage due to recruiting some of his teammates. He caught 74 passes for 965 yards and seven touchdowns his senior year at Heritage, but also was adept on the baseball diamond. NC State gave him the option to try both in college, plus he was an excellent student.
“It was stressful and I had different opportunities to play baseball,” Thomas said. “At the end of the day, when I came here, I was sort of questioning if I had made the right decision. I made my decision and I lived with it. I made the most of it.”
Thomas was put on scholarship during the spring of his redshirt year.
“I was going against the starting defense and making plays, and that is when I felt like I belonged,” Thomas said.
Thomas has gone on to catch 158 passes for 1,842 yards and 20 touchdowns, plus has averaged 10.4 yards on 53 punt returns with a score. He has even thrown for 161 yards and three touchdowns.
Thomas is the epitome for NC State’s walk-on program, and it has reached the point where Doeren has turned away candidates.
“We’ve been trying since I’ve been here to build our walk-on program, and we have,” Doeren said. “We are fortunate to be in a state that has so many kids that want to come to our school. We have the roster size that we do due to Title IX, and we’ve grown our roster over time.”
Doeren knows some players will pick going to NC State over being on scholarship at a smaller school, though it doesn’t always work out that way.
“There are kids turning down lower-level scholarships at times to come walk-on here,” Doeren said. “It is the school they want to play at, at the highest level, and they can see if they are good enough.”
Redshirt sophomore running back Demarcus Jones was tied for second last year with five special teams tackles, and he arrived as a walk-on from Wake Forest (N.C.) High, where he rushed for 1,232 yards and 17 scores his senior year.
Other walk-ons play key roles on the scout team.
“Sometimes it can be a Thayer Thomas who comes along, but also [former running back] Brady Bodine from a couple of years ago, who earns a scholarship and becomes one of our better playmakers on the team,” Doeren said.
Not every walk-on has the same background. Some like NC State senior cornerback Dreshun Miller and senior quarterback Jack Chambers have advanced past experiences.
Miller attended Marietta (Ga.) Sprayberry High, and then went to Arizona Eastern Junior College in Thatcher, Ariz. He committed to LSU, and signed with West Virginia. He had 31 tackles, eight passes defended and one interception in nine games in 2020, but then transferred to Auburn, where he didn’t play. He was a late addition this summer for NC State.
Chambers attended Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview High, and then played four years at Charleston Southern, though COVID limited him to four games in 2020. He threw for 5,781 yards, 40 touchdowns and 29 interceptions at Charleston Southern, and added 1,305 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground.
Both Miller and Chambers are battling to be second string this upcoming season at NC State. With the advent of NIL opportunities, it wouldn’t be a radical idea for NC State and other colleges to find ways for scholarship-worthy players to come as walk-ons.
“That piece [NIL money] is new,” Doeren said.
NC State senior left guard Chandler Zavala was a late bloomer coming out of Forest Park High in Boynton Beach, Fla. He went out for football his junior year, and then added some weight and went from tight end to offensive lineman.
Zavala said for him, the decision was getting a football scholarship or bust, and he landed at Fairmont State in West Virginia. He earned his degree and then transferred to NC State as a scholarship lineman.
“Just because of financial reasons, when someone offers you a full ride, you pretty much take it, especially where I come from,” Zavala said. “I live with my mom, but fortunately my dad was always in my life. I didn’t want to give her or my dad any financial hardships, so I decided to go to Fairmont, where nearly everything was almost paid for.
“I will never forget Fairmont State for what they did for me.”
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