NC State will soon be starting fall camp and gearing up for the season opener at Connecticut at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31.
The Wolfpack Central will start taking a look at the position groups going into fall camp and summarize where NC State stands. Today, the wide receiver position is previewed.
Wide receiver
The wide receiver position could be the most scrutinized position going into fall camp.
Gone are Thayer Thomas, Devin Carter and Darryl Jones, with Carter transferring to West Virginia for his last year.
NC State welcomed 6-foot-5, 204-pound eighth-year senior Bradley Rozner on Monday to help boost the unit. He’s missed four years of college football between junior college and at Rice, but had two productive years with the Owls at the Group of Five level. He caught 44 passes for 876 yards and 10 touchdowns, which blows away the production of NC State’s returning receivers.
The Wolfpack are hoping senior Keyon Lesane steps up this season. He caught 31 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns last year, and is the most experienced receiver returning.
Rozner and Lesane represent the old guard, and freshman Kevin Concepcion and sophomore Terrell Timmons are the future.
Projected starters: Eight-year senior Bradley Rozner, senior Keyon Lesane and sophomore Terrell Timmons.
Projected backups: Freshman Kevin Concepcion, junior Porter Rooks and redshirt sophomore Julian Gray.
Comments: Every wide receiver on the roster will get the chance to improve this unit under coach Joker Phillips, who will coach the outside receivers, and offensive coordinator Robert Anae, who will coach the slot receivers.
Timmons has the chance to be the most explosive, but flashed his talented in limited action last year. He caught three passes for 79 yards and a score.
NC State came close to one of the most decorated wide receiver classes in school history, but did land Charlotte (N.C.) Chambers four-star wide receiver Concepcion. He was in the for the spring and did a solid job, and also could help out at punt returner.
Rooks was highly-touted coming out of Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park High, but faces a critical junction in his career. The 6-1, 195-pounder has played both in the slot and outside, and he had 19 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown last year.
NC State has several redshirt sophomore wide receivers with a lot to prove. Clemson transfer Dacori Collins joins Gray, Jakolbe Baldwin, Christopher Scott, Josh Crabtree, Anthony Smith and Jalen Coit in that class.
Of that group, Gray has played the most at NC State, and Smith has big-play speed. Gray had 11 catches for 105 yards, and the hope is he'll adapt quickly to the new offense.
Coit could be solid in the slot and be a factor in the return game.
Positional previews
Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line
Defensive line | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties/nickel | Special teams
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