NC State head coach Dave Doeren said practices this spring could be likened to waking up on Christmas morning with several presents under the tree.
Change is in the air for the Wolfpack, from having to find a new quarterback to four new assistant coaches joining the staff, plus new co-offensive coordinators Des Kitchings and George McDonald, who will still coach running backs and wide receivers, respectively.
NCSU also has a good chunk of its 2019 signing class enrolled early and on campus this spring. Then there is also a group of 2018 signees who redshirted and could be viewed as “presents.”
“We have 17 guys who are here already, and it makes the spring a little different,” Doeren said. “You are kind of unwrapping presents out there. It’s like, ‘What can this guy do and that guy do?’ You are seeing some changes in their bodies already.”
One newcomer in particular who will generate strong interest this spring is redshirt freshman linebacker Payton Wilson of Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange High. The 6-4, 240-pounder originally picked North Carolina, but then flipped to NC State and signed with the Wolfpack. He amassed 103 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 10 sacks during his senior year at Orange High.
Wilson was ranked as the No. 13 outside linebacker and No. 166 overall player in the class of 2018 by Rivals.com. He has gained at least 15 pounds since arriving.
“He is a big dude,” Doeren said. “He knows both the Will and Mike for us. Nobody is more excited than he is. That guy is dying to get out on the field right now.
“I’m excited for him, and it has been a long year.”
Wilson has been medically cleared to do everything this spring after he suffered ACL tears his senior year of high school and then when he enrolled early at NC State a year ago. The Wolfpack will still proceed with caution on their former four-star signee.
“They are not going to let him do everything in the spring because we don’t play until August,” Doeren said. “We just want to be smart. He will be in individual workouts and at some point in the non-contact drills. It will be a process.”
Doeren told Wilson it could be the best year he’s had mentally or it could be a wasted year. Wilson took out his frustration of being injured in the weight room.
“He is killing it,” Doeren said. “He is also doing all the runs and everything. We don’t want to rush it.
“We’ll have to see when we get out there how far behind he is mentally. I don’t expect him to be. I think it gives you more of an appreciation of how much you love the game when you can’t play.”
Despite Wilson's recovery and adding four new assistant coaches, the biggest story of the spring involves the race to be the starting quarterback. Redshirt sophomores Matt McKay and Bailey Hockman, redshirt freshman Devin Leary and freshman Ty Evans will all get a chance to show what they can do this spring.
“All five of the guys that are here will get reps the first three or four days and then we’ll evaluate where they are,” Doeren said. “They all earned the opportunity to be out there.
"It’s a long process until August.”
Other Spring Football Injury Updates
Out For Spring Practice
TE Adam Boselli
FB Marquise Braxton
DT C.J. Clark
OT Gabe Gonzalez
RB Ricky Person
RB Damontay Rhem
Limited For Spring Practice
DT Larrell Murchison
LB Payton Wilson
The Wolfpacker’s Ryan Tice contributed to this story.
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