In May, we originally started a countdown to NC State football's season and ACC opener against Louisville, a game that was originally scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3.

In mid-June, the game was moved up a day to Wednesday, Sept. 2 in order to not conflict with the Kentucky Derby which was postponed from the traditional first Saturday in May to Saturday, Sept. 5 over Labor Day weekend.

In late July, the ACC scrapped its original football schedule to create a new 11-game model due to challenges presented from the coronavirus pandemic. A week later, NC State learned the dates of its new schedule which was set to begin Saturday, Sept. 12 in a road game against Virginia Tech.

Then an identified COVID cluster within the NC State athletic department shut down fall camp for eight days in late August, prompting the Pack to push back the opener against Virginia Tech to Sept. 26. Now NC State will open its season at home against Wake Forest on Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.

Today, Sept. 14 marks 5 days from the Wolfpack's season opener.

Each day, The Wolfpacker will do a countdown to the season with a reflection on the significance of that number to NC State.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Thayer Thomas and redshirt sophomore linebacker C.J. Hart will wear the No. 5 for the Wolfpack in 2020.

Both will wear the No. 5 jersey for the first time this season. In 2019, Thomas wore the No. 87 and Hart wore No. 15.

Read Thayer Thomas Countdown to Wolfpack football: 87

As a redshirt freshman last season, Hart appeared in 11 games and started two. In 270 snaps, he tallied 35 total tackles (18 solo, 17 assisted), including 5.5 for loss, one sack and one forced fumble.

He is the second-string weakside linebacker entering 2020 according to the NC State game one depth chart.

——

• Talk about it inside The Wolves' Den

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker

• Like us on Facebook