NC State 2021 Football Preview

2020 Recap

North Carolina State came into 2020 looking to rebound after a tough 2019 season. The Wolfpack got off to a fast start winning four of their first five games, including road wins at Pittsburgh and Virginia. With a 4 – 1 start to the season, the Wolfpack were rolling heading into their toughest two game stretch of the season.

The first was a trip to play in state rival, North Carolina, but the game was not particularly close as the Wolfpack lost 48 – 21. They would rebound and play well the next week against Miami, but came up just short in a 44 – 41 loss. The fast start had been erased and the team was one more loss from .500 heading down the homestretch.

NC State did not let those two losses shake their season and instead went on a four game winning streak to close the regular season. Wins over Florida State, Liberty, Syracuse and Georgia Tech put the team in the Gator Bowl against Kentucky. Unfortunately, the Wolfpack got off to a slow start and their second half rally came up short against the Wildcats. Regardless of the outcome of the bowl game, NC State had bounced back from a tough 2019 season and set themselves up to carry momentum into 2021.

2020 Leaders

Projected Starters

Reasons For Optimism

Plenty of Playmakers on Offense

NC State’s offense averaged over 30 points per game and most of the skill players are back in 2021. The top two rushers, Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person Jr both return after running for over 1,400 yards between the two of them. At receiver the top four wide receivers all return and six of the teams top seven in receiving yards are back. Emeka Emezie was the star of the group, but Thayer Thomas and Devin Carter made big plays as well and kept defenses from focusing on Emezie. Additionally, Porter Rooks had a strong true freshman season and will continue to develop and add another explosive weapon in the passing game. Tight end, Cary Angeline is gone and that will be a loss, but the talent back at the other offensive skill positions will have the Wolfpack in great shape this season.

Offensive Line

The offensive line has the potential to be one of the best in college football. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is an excellent young lineman who continues to get better every year. Center Grant Gibson is one of the best at the position and brings experience to lead the offensive line. Right tackle Tyrone Riley was the left tackle before injuries derailed his career. He played left and right tackle last year and if healthy will provide a talented bookend across from Ekwonu. Dylan McMahon is a younger player who started seven games as a redshirt freshman in 2020, he should hold down one of the guard spots as he continues to progress in 2021. Chandler Zavalla transferred in after starting two straight years at Fairmont State. He is an experienced player who was an all conference performer and should step in and perform for the Wolfpack. The offensive line has talent, experience and depth and will lead the way for a potent offense in 2021.

Defense Returns Key Pieces

The Wolfpack are returning several key contributors on the defensive side of the ball as well. Payton Wilson was the teams leading tackler and led the team with two interceptions. He will be the leader of the defense in 2021, a unit that returns it’s top 12 tacklers from last season. NC State had six players record three or more sacks in 2020 and all six return in 2021, led by Daniel Joseph and Terrell Dawkins. In the secondary, four of the top five in pass breakups return with Malik Dunlap the only key departure here. The defense returns most of it’s production from last season and has the chance to build on that this year.

Causes For Concern

Can Leary stay healthy?

Devin Leary split time at quarterback in 2019 and started the season as a reserve in 2020, but earned the starting spot early in the season. Unfortunately, Leary suffered a lower leg injury in the week five game against Duke and did not return the rest of the year. North Carolina State turned to Bailey Hockman who was a bit turnover prone, but played well for the Wolfpack. With Leary healthy again, Hockman has transferred out of the program and leaves NC State with little experience behind Leary. The offense has loads of talent returning and if Leary can stay healthy in 2021 this could be a big year, but Hockman is not there to relieve him if he has to miss time.

Replacing McNeill

NC State has a large chunk of their defensive production from 2020 returning, but the biggest loss they suffered does not show up in the stat sheet as much as it will on the field. Alim McNeill played the nose tackle position, which doesn’t lend itself to showing up in the stat sheet very often, but is a critical position for a three man defensive line. McNeill was a rare talent who could eat blockers at the point of attack, but also had the athleticism and skill to be disruptive in the backfield. His presence up front made it easier for the other defensive linemen to get after the quarterback and kept the linebackers free to pursue the ball carrier. With McNeill gone, NC State will have to replace possibly their most important defensive player, even if he wasn’t the most productive on the stat sheet.

2021 Schedule

Top 25 Players

2021 Projection

NC State has a tough schedule in 2021 including an out of conference game against Mike Leach’s Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs did not have a great year in 2020, but they play an aggressive style of offense and can cause trouble any given week. Clemson will be a tough test in week 4 and though NC State is a good team, they will likely be a solid underdog in this game. Weeks 6 to 8 bring a challenging set of games coming out of the bye. The Wolfpack will travel to Boston College, to Miami and then return home to play Louisville. Finally the regular season ends with a home game against in-state rival North Carolina. The Wolfpack have a talented team returning and a challenging schedule that will test them. Eight wins is the safe bet here, but nine is not unlikely considering how much production returns. They will have to get past Clemson to play in the ACC Championship game, but it feels like the Wolfpack still has some building to do to get there.