Notebook: NC State wide receiver room getting deeper
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Julian Gray is battling for playing time, which is a good sign.
So is Maryland transfer Darryl Jones, who was hampered for a spell during the spring.
Having more options for NC State quarterback Devin Leary to throw to is always a positive for the Wolfpack offense.
The speedy 5-foot-11, 197-pound Gray was a Rivals.com three-star recruit, who wasn’t able to play his senior year due to COVID. He caught 57 passes for 1,217 yards and nine touchdowns his junior year in nine contests.
“It’s more confidence and he’s making catches,” NCSU coach Dave Doeren said. “He is more consistent, few mistakes. He’s been fast since the minute he’s been on campus, but now he knows where to go and use his speed.”
The 6-3, 195-pound Jones finished his Maryland career with 49 catches for 705 yards and two scores in 40 games (16 starts).
“He was out for most of the spring with a hamstring,” Doeren said. “Being able to watch him now for seven practices, you can see his growth. He is who we thought he would be, but we didn’t know because he was hurt all spring.”
On the defensive side, both backup linebackers Jaylon Scott and Devon Betty are doing well. Both had to play more than expected a year ago due to the injuries to linebackers Payton Wilson and Isaiah Moore. Doeren said the linebacker room is going through the delicate balance of getting the veterans ready for Sept. 3 at East Carolina, but not overuse them.
With Levi Jones entering the NFL Draft, they’ll be counted upon even more this season.
“They have improved a lot and making plays in practice,” Doeren said.
• Savion Jackson deserves No. 9: Doeren recalled how when former NC State star defensive end Bradley Chubb was a sophomore, he showed he was on track to being a quality edge rusher in 2015. He had 66 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks while wearing No. 49. Chubb got No. 9 in honor of Mario Williams the next year, and finished his Wolfpack career with back-to-back 10-sack campaigns and became the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Denver Broncos.
“Bradley took it to another level and Savion still needs to do that,” Doeren said. “We see it in him.”
Doeren had Chubb talk to Mario Williams, who also wore No. 9, and then Jackson had to talk to Chubb.
“It is more than a jersey number, it’s a legacy,” Doeren said.
• NC State TV stars: Doeren said having the ACC Network All Access crew at practices wasn’t too over the top.
The crew understood how to get their work in, but not get in the way of things.
NC State controls what will get seen on the network, but Doeren hopes people can learn what really happens “inside the building.”
“It has been great and they are very professional, and they respect what we are doing,” Doeren said. “They allow us to have our say and what is going on film. Even though they are here, they are very good, not seeing them very much.”
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