With signing day behind us, here is an updated look at NC State football’s scholarship numbers before most of the seniors announce their decisions.
This analysis includes former walk-ons receiver Thayer Thomas and Trenton Gill remaining as scholarship players. Since 10 seniors have the option of returning next year and not counting towards the 85-player limit, the Pack can take up to 95 players on next year’s roster. Thus far it is at 98, meaning at least three more non-seniors are set to leave the team.
The current scholarship roster for next season in 2021 breaks down as follows:
Seniors (12)
Fifth-year seniors (8): WR C.J. Riley, TE Cary Angeline, TE Dylan Autenrieth, TE Dylan Parham, OT Tyrone Riley, OG/C Joe Sculthorpe, OT Justin Witt, DL Daniel Joseph
True seniors (4): WR Emeka Emezie, OL Chandler Zavala,* CB Chris Ingram, S Cyrus Fagan*
— * denotes seniors who count to the 85-team limit. The other seniors have been granted an extra year of eligibility that is now counted towards that limit for the 2021 season.
Juniors (16)
Redshirt juniors (11): QB Bailey Hockman, WR Thayer Thomas, OL Grant Gibson, OL Bryson Speas, DE Ibrahim Kante, DT Dante Johnson, DL Cory Durden, LB Levi Jones, LB Isaiah Moore, S Max Fisher, P Trenton Gill
True juniors (5): RB Ricky Person Jr., NIC Tyler Baker-Williams, S Tanner Ingle, CB Teshaun Smith, K Christopher Dunn
Sophomores (18)
Redshirt sophomores (6): QB Devin Leary, RB Trent Pennix, WR Devin Carter, WR Jasiah Provillon, OT Derrick Eason, LB Payton Wilson,
True sophomores (12): RB Jordan Houston, RB Zonovan Knight, WR Keyon Lesane, OT Ikem Ekwonu, OT Anthony Belton, DE Savion Jackson, LB Jaylon Scott, LB Drake Thomas, NIC Jakeen Harris, CB Cecil Powell, S Rakeim Ashford, LS Joe Shimko
Freshmen (52)
Redshirt freshmen (12): RB Delbert Mimms, WR Chris Toudle, TE Kam Walker, OL Zovon Lindsay, OL Timothy McKay, OL Dylan McMahon, DE Terrell Dawkins, DT C.J. Clark, DT Joshua Harris, NIC Jalen Frazier, CB Shyheim Battle, S Khalid Martin
True freshman (40): QB Ben Finley, QB Aaron McLaughlin, RB Demie Sumo, WR Jakolbe Baldwin, WR Jalen Coit, WR Josh Crabtree, WR Micah Crowell, WR Julian Gray, WR Porter Rooks, WR Chris Scott, WR Anthony Smith, TE Cedric Seabrough, TE Fred Seabrough, TE Ezemdi Udoh, OL Anthony Carter, OL Lyndon Cooper, OL Jaleel Davis, OL Thornton Gentry, OL Sean Hill, OL Ethan Lane, OL Patrick Matan, DL Nick Booker-Brown, DL Claude Larkins, DL Travali Price, DL Zyun Reeves, DL Jayden Tate, DL Davin Vann, LB Devon Betty, LB Caden Fordham, LB Jayland Parker, LB Jordan Poole, NIC Josh Pierre-Louis, CB Nate Evans, CB Mario Love Jr., CB Aydan White, S Devan Boykin, S Sean Brown, S Chase Hattley, S Nehki Meredith, K Ian Williams
• Thus far since the end of the 2019 season, 19 players have left the team. Quarterback Matthew McKay (Montana State), offensive lineman Justin Chase (East Carolina), defensive end Jeffery Gunter (Coastal Carolina), defensive end Joseph Boletepeli (Maryland), linebacker Brock Miller (Boise State), cornerback Nick McCloud (Notre Dame), and defensive back De’Von Graves (Northern Arizona) announced their transfer destinations before the 2020 season.
Miller, Chase and McCloud would have been a fifth-year seniors. McKay (redshirt), Gunter (redshirt) and Graves juniors in 2020, while Boletepeli was a redshirt sophomore.
Safety Isaiah Stallings was in the transfer portal, but it does not appear he found a new home. Offensive linemen Kollin Byers and Gabriel Gonzalez seem to have retired from football, while linebacker Louis Acceus, due to concussion-related reasons, also had to give the sport up. Stallings would have been a fifth-year senior while Accues was a true senior. Gonzalez was a redshirt sophomores, while Byers would have been a redshirt junior.
Junior Alim McNeill announced he was turning pro hours before the regular season finale against Georgia Tech. When the regular season was over, fifth-year senior defensive lineman Val Martin, redshirt sophomore linebacker Calvin Hart Jr., redshirt sophomore defensive back Taiyon Palmer, redshirt sophomore defensive back Malik Dunlap and redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Evans entered the portal.
Dunlap (Texas Tech), Martin (Minnesota) and Palmer (Troy) have already picked new schools.
• For some comparison, from the end of the 2018 season to the conclusion of the 2019 campaign, 12 players left the team. Between the end of the 2017 season and the end of the 2018 campaign, 16 players left the program.
This analysis includes former walk-ons receiver Thayer Thomas and Trenton Gill remaining as scholarship players. Since 10 seniors have the option of returning next year and not counting towards the 85-player limit, the Pack can take up to 95 players on next year’s roster. Thus far it is at 98, meaning at least three more non-seniors are set to leave the team.
The current scholarship roster for next season in 2021 breaks down as follows:
Seniors (12)
Fifth-year seniors (8): WR C.J. Riley, TE Cary Angeline, TE Dylan Autenrieth, TE Dylan Parham, OT Tyrone Riley, OG/C Joe Sculthorpe, OT Justin Witt, DL Daniel Joseph
True seniors (4): WR Emeka Emezie, OL Chandler Zavala,* CB Chris Ingram, S Cyrus Fagan*
— * denotes seniors who count to the 85-team limit. The other seniors have been granted an extra year of eligibility that is now counted towards that limit for the 2021 season.
Juniors (16)
Redshirt juniors (11): QB Bailey Hockman, WR Thayer Thomas, OL Grant Gibson, OL Bryson Speas, DE Ibrahim Kante, DT Dante Johnson, DL Cory Durden, LB Levi Jones, LB Isaiah Moore, S Max Fisher, P Trenton Gill
True juniors (5): RB Ricky Person Jr., NIC Tyler Baker-Williams, S Tanner Ingle, CB Teshaun Smith, K Christopher Dunn
Sophomores (18)
Redshirt sophomores (6): QB Devin Leary, RB Trent Pennix, WR Devin Carter, WR Jasiah Provillon, OT Derrick Eason, LB Payton Wilson,
True sophomores (12): RB Jordan Houston, RB Zonovan Knight, WR Keyon Lesane, OT Ikem Ekwonu, OT Anthony Belton, DE Savion Jackson, LB Jaylon Scott, LB Drake Thomas, NIC Jakeen Harris, CB Cecil Powell, S Rakeim Ashford, LS Joe Shimko
Freshmen (52)
Redshirt freshmen (12): RB Delbert Mimms, WR Chris Toudle, TE Kam Walker, OL Zovon Lindsay, OL Timothy McKay, OL Dylan McMahon, DE Terrell Dawkins, DT C.J. Clark, DT Joshua Harris, NIC Jalen Frazier, CB Shyheim Battle, S Khalid Martin
True freshman (40): QB Ben Finley, QB Aaron McLaughlin, RB Demie Sumo, WR Jakolbe Baldwin, WR Jalen Coit, WR Josh Crabtree, WR Micah Crowell, WR Julian Gray, WR Porter Rooks, WR Chris Scott, WR Anthony Smith, TE Cedric Seabrough, TE Fred Seabrough, TE Ezemdi Udoh, OL Anthony Carter, OL Lyndon Cooper, OL Jaleel Davis, OL Thornton Gentry, OL Sean Hill, OL Ethan Lane, OL Patrick Matan, DL Nick Booker-Brown, DL Claude Larkins, DL Travali Price, DL Zyun Reeves, DL Jayden Tate, DL Davin Vann, LB Devon Betty, LB Caden Fordham, LB Jayland Parker, LB Jordan Poole, NIC Josh Pierre-Louis, CB Nate Evans, CB Mario Love Jr., CB Aydan White, S Devan Boykin, S Sean Brown, S Chase Hattley, S Nehki Meredith, K Ian Williams
• Thus far since the end of the 2019 season, 19 players have left the team. Quarterback Matthew McKay (Montana State), offensive lineman Justin Chase (East Carolina), defensive end Jeffery Gunter (Coastal Carolina), defensive end Joseph Boletepeli (Maryland), linebacker Brock Miller (Boise State), cornerback Nick McCloud (Notre Dame), and defensive back De’Von Graves (Northern Arizona) announced their transfer destinations before the 2020 season.
Miller, Chase and McCloud would have been a fifth-year seniors. McKay (redshirt), Gunter (redshirt) and Graves juniors in 2020, while Boletepeli was a redshirt sophomore.
Safety Isaiah Stallings was in the transfer portal, but it does not appear he found a new home. Offensive linemen Kollin Byers and Gabriel Gonzalez seem to have retired from football, while linebacker Louis Acceus, due to concussion-related reasons, also had to give the sport up. Stallings would have been a fifth-year senior while Accues was a true senior. Gonzalez was a redshirt sophomores, while Byers would have been a redshirt junior.
Junior Alim McNeill announced he was turning pro hours before the regular season finale against Georgia Tech. When the regular season was over, fifth-year senior defensive lineman Val Martin, redshirt sophomore linebacker Calvin Hart Jr., redshirt sophomore defensive back Taiyon Palmer, redshirt sophomore defensive back Malik Dunlap and redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Evans entered the portal.
Dunlap (Texas Tech), Martin (Minnesota) and Palmer (Troy) have already picked new schools.
• For some comparison, from the end of the 2018 season to the conclusion of the 2019 campaign, 12 players left the team. Between the end of the 2017 season and the end of the 2018 campaign, 16 players left the program.
