Pack's Wentz a smart fit at center

Sophomore center Camden Wentz said his N.C. State teammates call him a treasure trove of useless facts, so the temptation to test him was great.

"What's the capital of Chile?" a reporter asked.

"Santiago," he said, without batting an eye.

Not bad.

"How many miles is it from the earth to the sun?"

"Astronomy is not really my thing."

OK.

"Who won the College World Series last year?"

"Fresno State."

That was two years ago, but you get the picture. Wentz is a smart guy. He carried a 3.98 grade point average at Lassiter High in Marietta, Ga., and learning the playbook quickly earned him a backup spot as a freshman center behind Ted Larsen.

As the projected starter this fall, Wentz is part of a youth movement on the offensive line. A group of promising linemen recruited by fourth-year coach Tom O'Brien is moving into prominent roles after the departures of 2009 senior starters Larsen, Jeraill McCuller and Julian Williams.

Sophomores Andrew Wallace of Charlotte (left guard) and Zach Allen (right guard) are starters on the depth chart going into the preseason. Another sophomore, R.J. Mattes of Concord, started eight games last season before suffering a torn knee ligament at Florida State. He is expected to be cleared to begin practice in early September.

Mikel Overgaard, the projected starter at right tackle, transferred in January from Snow College in Utah. Senior Jake Vermiglio, who faces an offseason citation for simple possession of marijuana but is still expected to help anchor the line, is the only healthy returning starter.

The team's most coveted recruit, Athens High graduate and Parade All-American Robert Crisp, is an offensive tackle.

"They've got some inexperience, and that means they've got to work extra hard," State offensive line coach Don Horton said. "Our goal is to improve each game."

As the player responsible for recognizing defenses and calling out blocking assignments, Wentz may be the most important player on the line.

His job requires an intelligent player, and Wentz fits that description. His parents, Jeff and Erin Wentz, have always expected A's and B's from him in the classroom.

Once, when Wentz was a freshman playing on the high school junior varsity lacrosse team, he learned a difficult lesson when his father wouldn't let him attend a varsity lacrosse playoff game because his grade on a test had been unacceptable.

On the football field, Wentz learned a lot last season from Larsen, a sixth-round draft choice of the New England Patriots. Even now, Larsen passes along subtle tips on footwork that he has learned from working in the NFL.

"By him being ahead of me, I got to pick up everything a lot quicker," Wentz said, "and now I am ready to play a lot."

Wentz has an advantage on Larsen, who didn't begin playing center until his junior year of college. Wentz played center throughout high school, so he is accustomed to having to snap before he blocks, which he said is the most challenging thing about playing the position.

But he relishes the idea that he and the quarterback are the only players who touch the ball on every down. At 6 feet 3 and 295 pounds, he has some natural athletic ability; his father was an All-America swimmer at Arkansas.

"He's very talented," Horton said. "He has very good football instincts. He understands the game."

Wentz also is confident in his teammates on the line. Last year's veterans helped lead an offense that averaged 30.3 points per game, fourth in the ACC.

But Wentz said this year's linemen shouldn't be underestimated just because they are young.

"We work out together, we run together," he said. "We get better together. That's going to make us an offensive line unit and not just a bunch of guys that play offensive line. We have guys that are good now and have a chance to be even better. I think we're going to be good."