Spring football practice for NC State will start March 2, with the spring game at 1 p.m. April 9 at Carter-Finley Stadium. The ACC Network will show the game at 7 p.m.
The Wolfpack Central will start taking a look at the position groups this spring and summarize where NC State stands. Up next is the offensive line.
Offensive line
Replacing redshirt sophomore star left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is the main job this spring, but the Wolfpack do have good experienced options. Ekwonu is projected to be a top 10 NFL Draft pick.
NC State rotated senior Bryson Speas and redshirt sophomore Timothy McKay at right tackle last year, but one will likely shift to left tackle to get the five best lineman on the field. Both are athletic linemen who came to NC State with positional versatility. Speas in particular has gained 50 pounds to reach 6-3 and 315 pounds.
McKay was the better run-blocker of the two, and Speas the better pass-blocker per Pro Football Focus. Speas allowed 4.5 sacks last year, including 1.5 against UNC in the last game, and McKay allowed five.
Speas played between 31-49 snaps in all but the big Clemson win, where he played 85. McKay didn’t earn a start, but he played 321 snaps last year, and logged at least 20 snaps in all but two games, with a season-high 36 plays against both USF and Furman.
When left guard Chandler Zavala got injured after five games, it shifted the offensive line. Zavala is trying to appeal to get an extra year of eligibility after the NCAA turned him down.
Zavala’s injury forced redshirt junior Derrick Eason to get seven starts at right guard and 524 plays. Redshirt sophomore Dylan McMahon started the last seven games at left guard, and he also has played center in the past. Eason is a converted defensive lineman.
Senior center Grant Gibson is the rock in the middle. The third-team All-ACC performer and two-time team captain. The former defensive tackle has started 36 straight games and he has allowed 7.5 sacks during that stretch.
Projected starters: Senior center Grant Gibson; guards redshirt sophomore Dylan McMahon and redshirt junior Derrick Eason; tackles senior Bryson Speas and redshirt sophomore Timothy McKay.
Projected backups: Redshirt sophomore — Anthony Belton. Redshirt freshmen — Anthony Carter; Lyndon Cooper; Jaleel Davis; Thornton Gentry; Sean Hill; Patrick Matan.
Comments: NC State offensive line coach John Garrison will find the five best linemen and the key will be turn around the run game.
NC State rushed for loess than 113 yards in the last six games last year. The Wolfpack also tallied just 34 rushing yards in the loss against Mississippi State. NCSU averaged 4.1 rushing yards per carry and rushed 372 times for 1,512 yards.
Opponents finished with 25 sacks last year in 12 games.
The key for the spring is to get at least three of the young offensive linemen ready to fill the role of being a backup center, guard and tackle. NC State will likely have the third guard play on both sides, but that could be more tricky at tackle.
The most likely to emerge or perhaps the one that is needed to is redshirt sophomore tackle Anthony Belton, who is 6-6 and 330 pounds. The former Georgia Military Junior College product wasn’t ready last year, and logged 11 plays in two games.
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