Position review: Quarterback

With the 2009 season behind NC State, it's only natural to take a look back at the year and analyze the roster. The Wolfpacker does just that, taking a position-by-position look at the squad, and figuring out what went right and wrong in 2009, and how the future shapes up. We start with the all important quarterback position.

Season Breakdown

Preseason spin

Before the season started, NC State was the envy of most teams in the ACC with its quarterback situation. Redshirt sophomore Russell Wilson was first-team All-ACC in 2008, and State finally had a second viable option in redshirt freshman Mike Glennon. This was supposed to be one of the biggest strengths on NC State's squad.

Reality

For the most part, the preseason spin held up. While Wilson had his ups and downs at times, overall he played a very good season, completing 224 of 378 passes for 3,027 yards and 31 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He may not have been as effective a scrambler in 2009 (103 rushes for 250 yards and four scores) as he was as a rookie, but it was still a good year for Wilson.

Wilson also made it through the campaign healthy, and there was never a need for Glennon to take the reins. He finished the year completing 24 of 39 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown with a pair of picks. Wilson and Glennon were State's only two healthy scholarship quarterbacks in 2009. Freshman Everett Proctor, who likely would have handled scout team duties, missed the season with a shoulder injury.

Analyzing Recruiting Trend

The Supposed Foundation

By the foundation, we mean high school players that were signed in the Classes of 2005, 2006 and 2007 that have been in the program for at least three years. We did not include junior college recruits or major college transfers in this list.

Michael Greco, Class of 2005

Justin Burke, Class of 2006

Russell Wilson, Class of 2007

Analysis: At least State has Wilson. The Class of 2005 and 2006 continued a trend of misfires at the quarterback position after the Pack signed Philip Rivers in 1999. Greco eventually transferred to Central Florida, had a shot at quarterback but ended his career as a safety. He made 40 tackles as a senior in 2009. In 2007 and 2008 at quarterback, Greco completed 76 of 152 passes for 874 yards and five touchdowns with five interceptions and ran 81 times for 346 yards and three scores.

Burke finished fifth in a five-way battle for the starting quarterback job in 2008 and transferred to Louisville. He started the season there in 2009 but lost his job after getting injured. Burke completed 49 of 97 passes for 654 yards and three scores with five picks this year.

The Future?

The future are high school players that signed in 2008 and 2009 as well as non-binding verbal commitments from the 2010 class.

Mike Glennon, Class of 2008

Everett Proctor, Class of 2009

Tyler Brosius, Class of 2010

Analysis: Glennon was perhaps the most highly touted recruit ever to sign with NC State. He impressed last spring at the Kay Yow Spring Game, and he showed this fall that the potential is there to be a top notch pro-style quarterback at NC State.

The jury is out on Proctor since he missed the year with his shoulder injury, but Proctor was considered a project coming out of high school. He brings a high level of athleticism to the position however. Brosius on the other hand brings a tremendous arm capable of making all the throws. He is more of a pro-style signal caller. He switched his verbal commitment from Virginia to NC State in November.

State Of The Position

A lot will depend on Wilson's decision this coming summer regarding his future and whether or not he wants to pursue a professional baseball career or continue playing two sports at NC State. That decision will likely not come until June.

If Wilson stays, quarterback will once again be a position of strength with even greater depth if you make the dangerous assumption that NC State will be healthy at the position. If Wilson leaves, Glennon's time is now, and the backup situation becomes a significant question mark on the team that must be answered next preseason.

Glennon and Proctor should get plenty of reps this spring since Wilson will focus on baseball.