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. 11 marks 8 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.

Junior running back Ricky Person Jr. and redshirt freshman nickel Jalen Frazier will both wear the No. 8 for the Wolfpack in 2020.

Person returns as part of what should be a strong rotation at running back along with sophomore Zonovan "Bam" Knight and sophomore Jordan Houston.

Last season, Person was the Pack's Week One starter as part of the rotation but missed five games due to injury. He finished 2019 with 229 yards rushing on 61 carries for three touchdowns. He also added five receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown.

As a freshman in 2018 behind 1,000-yard rusher Reggie Gallaspy, Person ran for 471 yards on 112 carries for two touchdowns. He also had two receptions, including one for a touchdown, for four yards.

He was a four-star recruit out of Heritage High School in Wake Forest (N.C.) and was ranked the No. 3 running back nationally in the 2018 class according to Rivals. He was also ranked No. 91 overall in the country and No. 5 overall in the state of North Carolina according to Rivals.

Frazier redshirted in 2019 but saw special teams action in two games. He was a three-star recruit out of Hough High School in Cornelius (N.C.) and was ranked No. 82 nationally among cornerbacks according to Rivals. He was also ranked the No. 33 player in the state of North Carolina in the 2019 class.

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