Weekly NC State offense notebook: Devin Leary set for next start
This Saturday will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the 2018 recruiting class going up against each other, but thus far their college careers have taken different paths to reach this point.
Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence was the nation’s No. 1 prospect coming out of Cartersville (Ga.) High. It's safe to say he has met expectations and then much more. As a true freshman, Lawrence led the Tigers to its second national title in three years.
Watching Lawrence play NC State last fall in Clemson from the sideline was NC State’s Devin Leary, himself a four-star signing who was rated as the No. 240 overall prospect nationally by Rivals in 2018.
Leary redshirted while soon-to-be NFL starter Ryan Finley quarterbacked NCSU’s offense. Now after waiting half the season, Leary is trying to stake his claim as NC State’s quarterback of the future. He will be making his first home start for the Wolfpack Saturday against Clemson.
Leary noted that he and Lawrence struck up a friendship while camping at the Nike Elite 11 the summer before their respective senior years. After Lawrence won the national title, Leary shot him a congratulatory text to which Lawrence responded. Like everyone, Leary admits that the first thing that he noticed about Lawrence was his hair, but as he got to know him he discovered Lawrence is a good friend.
“He’s a great guy,” Leary said. “A very humble, down-to-earth guy. We were just hanging out there, talking football. It was great.”
Leary’s first order of business, however, is not to reunite with an old friend Saturday. He has to somehow get the struggling NC State offense going against the ACC’s most stellar defense. In his first career start, last Saturday at Wake Forest, Leary struggled after the Wolfpack fell behind 21-0 and finished the game completing 17 of 45 passes for 149 yards with two scores and one pick.
“It was a great learning experience for me,” Leary said.
He noted that in particular he learned it’s important to have a plan and then go execute it.
“As long as we can all execute together, we can do really good things,” he added.
Leary did not feel like he was nervous before his first start. That’s not part of his DNA.
“Pregame, usually I am just really calm,” Leary said. “Just relax my mind, [take] mental reps before the game. Taking myself through the game mentally, and when I get on the field just let loose, have fun.”
Leary added that NC State knows the challenge of what’s ahead.
“Obviously, we are well aware of what they have accomplished in the past,” Leary said. “But taking every team with the same approach every single week I feel like is very important.”
Jordan Houston Taking Advantage Of Opportunity
NC State freshman running back Jordan Houston thinks back a year and knows how much his life has changed. Twelve months ago, Houston was a verbal commitment to Maryland and was playing high school football for Oakton (Va.) Flint Hill.
Fast forward a year and Houston is playing for NC State and preparing to face the nation's No. 5 team (per the College Football Playoff poll) in Clemson at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC. Several moving parts have occurred to make the Wolfpack marriage happen.
Maryland let go of interim head coach Matt Canada, the former NCSU offensive coordinator, and Houston officially visited Michigan State and NC State. He switched his commitment to the Wolfpack Jan. 28, and has carved out a valuable role in the offense.
Houston is second on the team with 362 rushing yards on 63 carries and has two scores through eight contests. He also has six catches for 28 yards and has proven he could be a future weapon in the passing game.
“It has definitely been a big adjustment,” Houston said. “I’m happy. One of the reasons I came here is that I had a good chance of playing as a freshman.
“I do think about [the changes over the last year] sometimes. I was in high school a few months ago, and now I’m getting ready to play one of the best teams in the country. It’s a great opportunity for me and my team.”
Houston half-joked about being the last running back standing after the Wake Forest game. NCSU had entered the contest with sophomore Ricky Person Jr. out with an injury. Redshirt freshman Trent Pennix and freshman Zonovan Knight both exited the loss to the Demon Deacons with injuries that the team hopes are minor.
Houston finished with 11 carries for 48 yards, which was the second time in the last three games he reached double-digit carries.
“That was what people on the team would say,” Houston said of being the last healthy back. “We still got [freshman] Delbert Mimms and Zonovan will be back healthy. We still have a little bit of depth.”
NC State had Matthew Dayes rush for 1,000-plus yards in 2016, followed by Nyheim Hines in 2017 and Reggie Gallaspy Jr. in 2018. All three backs were different from each other, and so is Houston. He has started to learn some of the recent lineage at the position under co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Des Kitchings.
“He pushes me really hard and I think he wants the best from me,” Houston said. “He’s a great coach. He’s helped me grow since I’ve been here as a running back in terms of reading defenses and trying to get to that next level.”
Houston pointed out he’s more comfortable with the play signals and calls, and he’s been learning from the other backs. He also got to talk to Hines, who is now with the Indianapolis Colts.
“I was just asking him for advice," Houston said. "It means a lot to me to come here and play behind some of the best running backs.”
Joe Sculthorpe Understands Challenge Ahead
NC State redshirt junior left guard Joe Sculthorpe has experienced the highs and lows of playing Clemson.
Sculthorpe is one of seven currently healthy Wolfpack players who played in the 38-31 loss against Clemson at Carter-Finley Stadium on Nov. 4, 2017. NC State led 21-17 at halftime before the Clemson ground game started to take over.
Sculthorpe is one of 19 currently healthy players — five of which were starters — who also felt the sting of the eventual national champions last year in Clemson, S.C. The Tigers jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and little went right for the Wolfpack in falling 41-7. The 6-3, 314-pound Sculthorpe played 46 snaps in that game, squaring off with future NFL defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant.
Some of the Clemson players might be gone, but the Wolfpack take the same approach to whoever they play each week. The Tigers have 30 sacks, led by linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who has six, and four other players have three apiece. Sculthorpe knows the various blitzes will be coming to try and confuse redshirt freshman quarterback Devin Leary.
“I look at opponents the same way, looking at their strengths and weakness,” Sculthorpe said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, we have to handle ourselves first.”
NC State is coming off a demoralizing 44-10 loss at Wake Forest, which took on the same shape and form of last year’s loss at Clemson. Sculthorpe and his teammates had plenty of things to ponder on the bus ride back to Raleigh.
“It doesn’t matter how you lose,” Sculthorpe said. “When you lose, you don’t feel good. You try and go through everything that you remember from the game. You think about ‘I could have done that,' or 'I could have done this.’ A lot of guys are the same way.”
Sculthorpe understands the task at hand after watching past veterans go through similar heartache.
“We just have to go in and do our job, and that is our mindset,” Sculthorpe said. “We have to look at us individually and how each of us is playing. We have to take responsibility for how we are playing — our mistakes, mental errors and all that stuff, bad technique.”
It’s up to the NC State veterans and coaches to keep the younger players on track with four games remaining. NCSU needs two wins to become bowl eligible.
“A lot of guys come from really good high schools where they win all the time,” Sculthorpe said. “They don’t really know how to handle it. I remember my freshman year [in 2016], we weren’t really having a good season. The upperclassmen brought everyone into the meeting room and talked to them, saying they needed to focus up.”
——
• 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