The NC State football spring game is Saturday, open to fans and also viewable on the ACC Network.

“Kickoff” will be at 1 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium in a format that has yet to be announced. It will be the one and only chance to get a good glimpse of the Wolfpack before its season opener on Thursday, Sept. 2 in Raleigh against visiting South Florida.

Spring games can be notoriously misleading, but there is some value and information that can be gleaned from the scrimmage.

Here are three things to watch on offense:

For the first time in almost six months, redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary will take the field for live reps in the spring game Saturday. The last time Leary was fully suited up in Carter-Finley Stadium, he suffered a season-ending leg injury in NC State’s 31-20 win over Duke on Oct. 17.

After surgery and months of physical therapy, Wolfpack fans will get a first look at their QB1 post-rehab.

Leary won’t be at risk of taking any live hits, but he will be able to showcase his ability to move his feet and throw the ball post-injury.

Prior to his leg break, Leary was posting impressive numbers in 2020. In three starts, the 6-1, 212-pounder completed 60 percent of his 110 pass attempts for 890 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

Freshman quarterback Ben Finley will also be one to watch Saturday. He appeared for five drives in the road loss to UNC in 2020, and Finley has taken great strides in his first true offseason according to NC State head coach Dave Doeren.

The 6-3, 201-pound younger brother of former Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley completed 13-of-20 pass attempts for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in his collegiate debut last season.

Then there is true freshman quarterback Aaron McLaughlin, the No. 19 pro-style quarterback in the 2021 class according to Rivals.

Wolfpack fans will presumably get their first look at the young talent from Cumming, Ga. How comfortable will he look in his first live reps at the college level? How quickly can he pick up Wolfpack offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s system? Is he the future QB1 at NC State?

All things to consider when watching the quarterbacks in the spring game Saturday.

Returning talent is the theme of NC State’s offseason, but few position groups had more turnover than the offensive line.

The Pack is returning essentially all of its offensive skill players from 2020, except tight end, but can the Wolfpack continue building upon the success it had last fall in year one under Beck?

Whether or not it does will depend on how well the offensive line performs up front, and Saturday should at least present a preview of what the unit could look like this fall.

Fifth-year senior guard Joe Sculthorpe and fifth-year senior tackle Justin Witt are the notable departures.

Returning linemen junior center Grant Gibson and sophomore tackle Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu are among the ACC’s best at their respective positions, but how will the rest of the position group shape up?

Redshirt junior guard/tackle Bryson Speas, redshirt freshman guard Dylan McMahon and graduate tackle Tyrone Riley, who is returning for a seventh collegiate season, all started in multiple contests last fall and will provide returning talent.

Redshirt sophomore tackle Derrick Eason Jr. is a younger returning talent that could see an uptick in usage this fall. So is redshirt freshman tackle Timothy McKay, but he won’t be available Saturday as he continues to rehab a foot injury.

The most notable addition to the line is Fairmont State graduate transfer Chandler Zavala, who was an honorable mention Division II All-American in 2018 and a two-time all-conference selection.

The 6-5, 325-pounder’s experience and proven production — granted, at a lower level of college football — makes him an immediate contender for a starting spot on the Wolfpack offensive line, but he won't be on the field Saturday as he has yet to officially enroll.

As previously mentioned, NC State is returning essentially all of its offensive skill production from last season.

Leading ball carriers junior running back Ricky Person Jr. and sophomore running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight will not participate Saturday. Leading pass catcher senior wide receiver Emeka Emezie is also expected to sit out the scrimmage.

That will give more opportunities to guys that didn’t get as many touches last season but still possess plenty of talent.

Doeren mentioned in his spring practice update that the offensive coaching staff is trying to get redshirt sophomore running back Trent Pennix more involved.

Pennix, a 6-3, 236-pounder, only received one carry in 2020 but reeled in three receptions for 11 yards and one touchdown. Pennix is versatile because of his size and athleticism, so don’t be surprised to see him moved around in the backfield in an effort to get him on the field.

“Trent Pennix is someone that can do a lot of the things that you saw back when Jaylen Samuels was here,” Doeren said. “You're going to see his position kind of change. He can play running back but also play that H-hybrid type position for us to give us some flexibility in personnel."

There’s also sophomore running back Jordan Houston. Houston was the Pack’s second-leading rusher in 2019 with 638 all-purpose yards but saw his usage dip to 42 carries last fall once a healthy Person returned to the rotation.

The 5-10, 190-pounder should see plenty of action Saturday with Person and Knight out of the equation, but can he solidify a concrete role in the rotation once the Pack’s feature backs return?

Considering Beck’s history of getting running backs involved in the passing game, don’t be surprised to see an uptick in the speedster’s usage in 2021, particularly as a receiving option out of the backfield considering his 29 career receptions (5.9 yards per catch) through two seasons.

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