NC State coach Dave Doeren had plenty to unpack before the Wolfpack heads to Nashville for a road matchup with Vanderbilt, and the conversation started with KaTron Evans.
Doeren said he was “really happy for him” after Evans won his eligibility ruling, and he made clear the staff believed the case had merit from the start. He pointed to the amount of waiver work programs deal with now in the portal era, saying he and compliance director Kevin Hansen discuss those situations often. In Evans’ case, Doeren said the hardship was significant enough that it felt like the kind of case that should be approved.
He also drew a parallel to Chandler Zavala, calling it another example of a player needing a chance after losing time for reasons outside his control. Doeren said, “It was the right thing, and sometimes the right thing doesn't happen enough.”
That same people-first approach came up again when he explained why the staff backed Evans. Doeren said coaching is about more than football and described it as a form of mentorship.
Tony Gibson vouched for Evans as a person, and Doeren said that mattered because he trusted Gibson to be honest about who the player was. Once the staff reviewed the case, he said it was an easy decision to support him.
Doeren also addressed the challenge of evaluating a quarterback with limited college film. His answer was straightforward: when there isn’t much to go on, you study whatever you can find.
In this case, though, he said the film was enough to show the important traits - the arm, the ability to throw from the pocket or on the move, toughness as a runner and poise. He called him a “Really good football player” and said that while the college experience is limited, he does not look “gun-shy at all.”
The trip to Vanderbilt brings weather into the picture as well, and Doeren said NC State has already built a hydration plan around the heat. He noted the Wolfpack went through fall camp in temperatures ranging from 98 to 105 degrees, so the team is used to practicing and playing in hot conditions.
The staff has been stressing hydration and nutrition throughout camp, with the nutrition group and position coaches reinforcing the message. Doeren said the responsibility ultimately falls on the players, but the program has tried to stay ahead of it.
Road-game preparation was another topic, and Doeren said experiences like the Virginia trip help a team learn how to handle loud, sold-out environments. He said those moments add up, especially for newer players who are seeing it firsthand for the first time.
If crowd noise becomes a factor in Nashville, he said, the Wolfpack will be ready. The field is still the same size, he said, and the key is execution - something NC State did well in Week 2 and now needs to do again away from home in Week 3.
Doeren was also asked about the schedule adjustment that means Vanderbilt will not return to Raleigh in ’28. He brushed it off, saying conferences are moving from eight to nine league games and everyone is having to adjust.
He declined to discuss the former NC State player now at Vanderbilt, saying, “He's a player for them, and what we're trying to do is go play against Vanderbilt. Those kinds of conversations aren't for the game.”
Doeren spent time breaking down Vanderbilt’s offense, especially its use of tight ends and 22 personnel. He described the group as multiple and difficult to pin down, with different body types showing up in the same role.
One tight end is essentially an offensive lineman, another is a big fullback type in the backfield, and number 8 is a more skilled tight end who can line up in or out of the box. Doeren said NC State’s defense will need to be ready for the variety.
Finally, he praised Isaiah Shirley’s move back to tight end. Doeren said Shirley had played the position in high school and as a freshman at NC State, and the staff started preparing him for the switch during summer walkthroughs because the room was thin with Gus Ritchey still out.
By training camp, Doeren said, it was clear Shirley was the best option. He called him physical, controlled, dependable and a leader, adding that he simply gives the huddle another good football player.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Just Created A Frustrating Future Problem For NC State
NC State heads to Vanderbilt on Saturday, but the bigger issue for the Wolfpack may already be sitting three years down the road. Vanderbilt has canceled its scheduled return trip to Raleigh in 2028, according to the contract, and will owe NC State $1 million for breaching the agreement. The Commodores have already filled that opening by adding Virginia to their 2028 non-conference schedule, leaving the Wolfpack with an unexpected hole to patch.
For NC State, the timing is the frustration. The ACC requires a Power Four opponent on the non-conference slate, so the Wolfpack now have to replace a lost home game with another major-conference matchup for 2028. That is not just a scheduling inconvenience, either. It changes the shape of the future non-conference calendar and puts pressure on NC State to find a quality opponent willing to come to Raleigh. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Faces A New Vanderbilt Problem At Quarterback
Vanderbilts quarterback picture just got a little sharper heading into its meeting with North Carolina State, with coach Clark Lea announcing that freshman Jared Curtis will make his first start against the Wolfpack. Curtis arrived with a big reputation and has already flashed in relief through the opening two games, including a strong showing in the win over Delaware, so NC State will have a different look to prepare for than the one it might have expected a week ago.
For the Wolfpack, the timing adds another layer to a game already carrying some momentum after a record-setting victory. NC State is trying to carry that energy forward, but the challenge now includes a young quarterback who has quickly moved into the spotlight and could give Vanderbilt a different kind of offensive spark. [Read more 🡒]
NC States ACC Spending Picture Just Got More Interesting
A new Athletic report on college football roster budgets has added a fresh layer to the discussion around how ACC schools are spending, and NC State landed right in the middle of the conversation. The Wolfpacks football budget is estimated to be in the mid-range among Power 4 programs, reportedly somewhere between $22 million and $26 million, a figure that sits noticeably above a previous 247Sports estimate of under $20 million.
What makes the ACC picture even more intriguing is how wide the spending gap appears to be from school to school. Boston College was cited as the lowest-budget program among the power conferences, with its football spending potentially as low as $8 million, a number that naturally raises questions about how differently schools are allocating resources in the same league. For NC State, the new estimate only sharpens the sense that the Wolfpack are operating with a more competitive financial setup than some might have assumed. [Read more 🡒]