NC State to add grad transfer quarterback

Dave Doeren didn’t name a starting quarterback after N.C. State’s spring practice. The Wolfpack football coach will have one more option in the fall.

Ryan Finley will graduate from Boise State and transfer to N.C. State this summer. He will be eligible to play right away and have at least two years of eligibility.

Finley will have a chance to compete with sophomore Jalan McClendon and redshirt freshman Jakobi Meyers for the Wolfpack’s starting job.

Finley follows offensive coordinator Eli Drinkwitz from Boise State to Raleigh. Drinkwitz was the Broncos’ play-caller the past two years.

Finley, who is 6-4 and 197 pounds, started the first three games for the Broncos before an ankle injury ended his 2015 season.

He completed 46 of 70 passes for 485 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions.

Finley won the Broncos’ starting job out of training camp and led the team to a 16-13 win over Washington in the season opener. He injured his right ankle in the first quarter of a 52-0 win over Idaho State on Sept. 18.

Freshman Brett Rypien stepped in for Finley and went on to throw for 3,353 yards and 20 touchdowns in an all-conference season.

With Rypien in place, and the ability to graduate, Finley chose to leave Boise State.

Finley, who played high school football in Phoenix, redshirted his first college season in 2013 and then played in five games as a backup in 2014.

Since he was injured in the third game of the 2015 season, Finley can apply for a medical redshirt.

The NCAA doesn’t typically grant a sixth season of eligibility, but that is a potential option for Finley and N.C. State down the road.

Finley will be the second graduate transfer to join the Wolfpack. Center Joseph Scelfo will graduate from South Alabama and join N.C. State in the summer. Scelfo also has the potential to start right away.

N.C. State must replace quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the starter for the last two years. Brissett was taken in the third round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots.

McClendon is considered the front-runner for the job, but Meyers was also impressive during the spring. Neither has as much college experience as Finley.

McClendon appeared in seven games last season, mostly in mop-up duty behind Brissett, with 14 career passing attempts.

Meyers, who was sidelined with a knee injury, redshirted last season.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 6:02 PM with the headline "NC State to add grad transfer quarterback."