How did NC State stumble to 1-5 in the ACC? It’s not just about injuries
Every coach is happy on National Signing Day, but in 2016 N.C. State coach Dave Doeren was particularly pleased with the height of his new freshmen class.
Doeren wanted to get taller and longer at the skill positions and even though the 23-man class wasn’t rated very highly nationally (No. 50 by 247 Sports), he was content with the talent haul at receiver and in the secondary.
“You can’t teach height or length,” Doeren said then.
As N.C. State (4-6) takes a four-game losing streak, and 1-5 ACC record, into a Thursday night matchup with Georgia Tech (2-8), Doeren would take any shape or size of healthy, available players from that 2016 class.
Through transfers and disciplinary decisions, N.C. State began this season with only 10 players left from the class, which should be the true seniors or fourth-year juniors on the roster. Injuries are a problem this season, but Doeren had a roster imbalance before any of the injuries hit.
On top of that, the wave of injuries has hit that group remaining from the class of 2016 the hardest. Five of the 10 players remaining from that class are out for the season with injuries.
The two most important injuries on the team — tight end Dylan Autenrieth and cornerback Nick McCloud — are from that class. That’s what Doeren meant when after a 44-10 loss at Wake Forest on Nov. 2 he described the injury situation as a “code red.”
Rebuilding year
A common criticism of Doeren this season is why is the team rebuilding in Year 7?
After a 3-9 debut season, Doeren posted records of 8-5, 7-6, 7-6, 9-4 and 9-4. Thirteen players from the past two years are in the NFL. Doeren lost four assistant coaches, notably offensive coordinator Eli Drinkwitz and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, after the 2018 season.
This season was going to be a transition season, even before any of the injuries started. The Wolfpack went from 6-2 and 5-3 in the ACC to 1-5 this season. That big of a drop-off might have been avoided by some of the injury woes, but there were trouble signs before the injuries started to pile up.
The past two recruiting classes in 2018 (No. 26) and 2019 (No. 31) were the two best, by ranking, of Doeren’s seven-year tenure. Of course, rankings only mean so much.
The 2014 class was arguably the best in school history. It produced 19 regular multi-year starters, eight NFL Draft picks, five All-ACC players and two All-Americans (first-round picks DE Bradley Chubb and C Garrett Bradbury). That class ranked No. 34 nationally and seventh in the ACC.
The 2015 class was top heavy, but it produced nine more regular starters and two more future pros in running back Nyheim Hines and receiver Jakobi Meyers. It’s what came in between the two talent waves that has hurt Doeren this season, even before the injuries became a problem.
N.C. State went into the season with 10 players left from the 2016 class and 13 (of 20) from the 2017 class. One more from the class of 2017, backup defensive end Xavier Lyas, decided to leave the program after the Clemson loss on Nov. 9.
Best of the class
The best player from the 2016 class turned out to be receiver Kelvin Harmon, who posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and went pro after his junior year. Harmon was an All-ACC pick last year and led the ACC in receiving yards (1,186) and yards per game (98.8).
With the loss of Harmon, Meyers and quarterback Ryan Finley, N.C. State’s pass offense has dropped from No. 8 in the country to No. 61 this season.
The most well-known prospect in the 2016 class was tight end Thaddeus Moss, who transferred after his freshman season. The son of the legendary NFL receiver has 32 catches for 355 yards for No. 1 LSU this season while N.C. State’s depth at the position has been taxed dry.
Left guard Joe Sculthorpe, who missed one game because of suspension, and linebacker Brock Miller are the only fourth-year players who have been healthy enough to start every game this season.
Riley’s injury a bad sign
The symbol of the 2016 class might be receiver C.J. Riley, one of the key taller targets (6-4) Doeren praised on Signing Day. Riley tore the ligaments in his right knee in a summer workout before the 2016 season.
In the first game of this season, Riley tore the ligaments in his left knee while trying to make a tackle on punt coverage in the first quarter of a 34-6 win over East Carolina.
Riley’s freak injury was the canary who never came out of the coal mine. No team in the country has started as many different players (45) as the Wolfpack has this season and only Clemson has used more freshmen this season than the Wolfpack (18).
Clemson’s rotation is by design, a recruiting feature for the defending national champions. N.C. State’s youth is by necessity, one from injuries but also a case of what amounts to a missing recruiting class.
Where’d they go?
The 23 players from N.C. State’s recruiting class in 2016. Every player in the class, except tackle Kendall Brown (two stars) was given a three-star rating in high school by 247 Sports:
Gone
Kelvin Harmon, WR (Palmyra, N.J.): Led N.C. State in receiving in 2017 (1,017) and 2018 (an ACC-best 1,186) and went pro after his junior season. He was a sixth-round pick of Washington.
Shug Frazier, DT (Buford, Ga.): Redshirted his first year then played parts of two injury-filled seasons in the defensive tackle rotation before he left the team last November and transferred to Hampton.
Thaddeus Moss, TE (Charlotte): Caught six passes for 49 yards as a freshman in 2016 but was behind Jaylen Samuels on the depth chart. He transferred to LSU and has 32 catches for 355 yards this season.
J.J. Givens, CB (Mechanicsville, Va.): Redshirted in 2016 and then transferred to Norfolk State.
James Valdez, CB (Orangeburg, S.C.): Redshirted his first year, suffered a knee injury his second year, was dismissed from the team for violation of unspecified rules in 2018 and transferred to Hampton.
Tim Kidd-Glass, S (Lynchburg, Va.): Started nine games at free safety in 2017 and then was a backup in 2018 and transferred to Liberty in August.
Harrison Gee, C (Burlington): Spent two years as a reserve linemen before taking a medical redshirt after the 2017 season.
Bryce Banks, CB (Columbia, Mo.): Redshirted in 2016, played in six games in 2017 and then transferred to South Dakota State.
Bryce Folsom, DE (Alpharetta, Ga.): Redshirted in 2016 and then left the program before the 2017 season.
Garrett Hooker, LB (Thomasville): Left the program after a redshirt year in 2016.
Daeshawn Stephens, WR (Durham): Spent two years with N.C. State before he transferred to N.C. Central in 2018. He has 28 catches for 354 yards with the Eagles this season.
Kendall Brown, T (Jacksonville, Fla.): Played in three games in 2018, and started one as a backup tight end, but left the program before the start of the 2019 season.
Bryce Dixon, TE (Angier): He enrolled early in January and then was dismissed three months later for violating team rules.
Still with the team
Justin Witt, T (New Lenox, Ill.): Starter at right tackle, suffered a shoulder injury at Florida State on Sept. 28 and is out for the season.
Dylan Parham, QB (Raleigh): Moved to tight end after his redshirt season in 2016. He has missed most of the past two years with injuries.
Nick McCloud, CB (Rock Hill, S.C.): Best cover corner on the team, missed eight games with a knee injury is out for the season. True senior has three interceptions in 20 career starts.
C.J. Riley, WR (Pompano Beach, Fla.): Suffered his second major knee injury in the season opener. He had 28 catches for 315 yards in 2018.
Isaiah Stallings, S (Fayetteville): Backup safety has played mostly on special teams this season but has missed the past two games with an injury.
Brock Miller, LB (Fort Pierce, Fla.): A redshirt junior, he has started eight games at outside linebacker and has 36 tackles.
Joe Sculthorpe, G (Hampstead): A redshirt junior, he has started nine of the 10 games this season and 12 in his career.
Dylan Autenrieth, TE (Dallas, Ga.): The redshirt junior is best run-blocker on the team; he injured his knee at West Virginia on Sept. 14 and was ruled out for the season.
Justin Chase, T (Chesapeake, Va.): A redshirt junior, Chase has played in 14 snaps in two games this season as a backup.
Kollin Byers, T (Shelby): He didn’t enroll until Jan. 2017; a redshirt sophomore reserve who has not played any snaps this season.
This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 5:38 PM.
