The Wolfpacker pre-spring projected NC State depth chart: Offense

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With spring practices starting Saturday, here is a pre-spring look at The Wolfpacker's projected fall depth chart for the offensive side of the football.

Related link: Pre-spring projected depth chart on defense

To be clear, we listed them in alphabetical order. Each of these quarterbacks will be practicing in the spring. So will early enrollee Ty Evans, a former Gatorade Player of the Year in Colorado and Elite 11 quarterback who won two state titles at Palmer Ridge High near Colorado Springs, but for now we think Evans will have to work his way up into the competition.

Our guess is that each of the quarterbacks bring different elements to the table:

• McKay is the only one with any college game experience, although it is limited. He completed 7 of 8 passes for 87 yards a year ago and also ran for 36 yards and a touchdown. He knows the offense the best and brings the most athleticism to the position.

• Leary is like Evans in that he was an Elite 11 QB and Gatorade Player of the Year (in New Jersey) who won two state titles. He also has a huge arm and can spin it. Leary was probably the most highly rated of the three coming out of high school. Rivals listed him as a four-star prospect and the nation's No. 9 pro-style quarterback and No. 240 overall recruit. The other three were all three-star recruits according to the service.

• Hockman was probably the most heavily recruited, originally committing to Georgia before signing with Florida State. His decision to leave Tallahassee was bemoaned by the Seminoles faithful. He reputedly plays with a swagger and moxie.

Person is a former Rivals100 product who showed that if healthy he would probably justify the ranking. He ran 112 times for 471 yards and two touchdowns and caught another score in his rookie season, playing nine games while missing four contests with injuries. He unquestionably is the likely feature back. He will miss spring practice due to an injury.

Pennix took advantage of the new four-game rule and redshirted last year, rushing 22 times for 68 yards and catching five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds he is the biggest running back on the roster.

The X-factor could be early enrollee Zonovan Knight, a four-star speedster who had a huge senior season at Southern Nash High in Bailey, N.C., and followed up by being named the offensive MVP for the state of North Carolina squad last December in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game in Spartanburg, S.C.

For now, the top four receivers seem pretty clear. Emezie, a junior, in particular is well set after catching 53 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns last fall. At the other outside receiver is Riley. The redshirt junior hauled in 28 receptions for 315 yards and two scores last season, and is arguably the Pack's most physically gifted receiver at 6-4 and 204 pounds with sub-4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash.

Provillon was a well-regarded pickup in the 2018 class, while Carter garnered considerable buzz from the offensive coaches last fall. Both redshirted, although Carter was able to play the maximum four games and caught an 11-yard pass against East Carolina.

The biggest competition will likely come in the slot. Thomas caught 34 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns in his redshirt freshman season, but he will be challenged in the preseason by Hines, a grad transfer from Oregon. Prior to last season, Hines played at Wake Forest and was one of the better slot receivers in the league in 2017, when he had 53 receptions for 683 yards and seven scores.

Who starts may be a matter of technicality based on formation. Autenrieth is considered the primary "X" tight end which is more of a end-line tight end or fullback role. He is better known as a blocker, although he did catch two passes for 27 yards in a win at Louisville.

Angeline, a 6-foot-7 and 254-pounder, is the primary "H" tight end, which is more of a receiver in the offense. He had to sit out the first two games as part of his transfer from USC, but in 11 contests Angeline hauled in nine passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. His 18.8 yards per catch average was the highest on the team among those with multiple receptions, and odds are good his role will increase this fall.

This unit, aside from quarterback, will have the most interesting competition of the spring and fall. It's a fairly safe bet that the returning right side of Fedd-Jackson, a junior, and Witt, a redshirt junior, will be starting. It also seems like a lock that Sculthorpe, a redshirt junior, will be inserted full-time into the lineup after splitting reps with Fedd-Jackson a year ago.

How they line up is the big question mark. Does Witt stay at right tackle or get a look at left tackle? Does Sculthorpe slide into Garrett Bradbury's old spot at center or move to left guard? Those questions will be answered by whoever wins the other competitions.

Along the interior, the solution to where Sculthorpe goes could depend on if NC State's line is better with Gibson at center or Speas at guard. Speas, a redshirt sophomore, has a tad more experience, but Gibson, a redshirt sophomore and former four-star prospect, excited the coaches with his potential after moving over from defensive tackle.

At tackle, fifth-year senior Riley started a pair of games last year after moving over from defensive end and had mixed results, struggling at times in a loss at Syracuse. Has the physically gifted tackle improved enough to become a reliable starter? Or has former four-star signee McGirt, now a fifth-year senior, finally become healthy enough to get a chance? Or perhaps does one of the younger players like the massive Strickland, a 6-foot-6 and 329-pounder, who thrilled coaches with how well he played last spring after enrolling early, prove ready?

A lot of these questions may take all the way up to the season opener and perhaps beyond to answer.

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