NC State’s latest depth chart for Friday’s trip to California came with a few notable wrinkles, and not much about it looks settled.
The Wolfpack released a revised two-deep in the days before heading to Berkeley, marking the first public update since Week 3. It arrives as NC State tries to bounce back in ACC play and chase its first road win of the season against Stanford in Week 9.
The biggest omission is at running back, where Duke Scott is not listed after missing the Wake Forest game with an injury. Behind Davion Gause, the backups are Darius Johnson and Deandre Desinor, while Jonathan Paylor, Dylan McCoy and Noah Moss - all of whom have seen snaps this season - do not appear on the chart.
There’s also movement up front and in the secondary. Tristan Teasdell is listed as an “OR” with King Mack at safety after he, too, sat out the Wake Forest game. On the offensive line, Rico Jackson is somehow penciled in at both left guard and right tackle, while Spike Sowells is still shown as the third-string center despite being confirmed out for the season.
And then there’s Elijah Satchell, who leads NC State with three sacks on the season but is not listed at all. So the chart may be useful, but Friday night will tell the real story.
Here’s how the projected lineup looks for the Golden Bears.
On offense, Jimarion McCrimon and Brody Smith are listed at left tackle, with Rico Jackson and Kage Payne at left guard. Teague Andersen gets the nod at center, with Daniel Cruz and the injured Sowells behind him. Kamen Smith and Trent Mitchell are the right guard options, while Jackson and TK Whitset are listed at right tackle.
At tight end, Hunter Provience is the name atop the chart, with Preston Douglas listed as an “OR.” The receiver spots show JoJo Trader and Davion Dozier at one position, with Tyran Warren also listed as an “OR.”
Victor Snow, Ashton Locklear and Je’rel Bolder are grouped together at another receiver spot, while Keenan Jackson and Chance Robinson are listed at the third. Gause is the starter at running back, followed by Johnson and Desinor, and CJ Bailey remains the quarterback with Will Wilson behind him.
Defensively, Joseph Adedire and Chase Bond are listed at end, while Josiah Victor is at nose guard with KaTron Evans and Omarian Abraham as “OR” options. Isaiah Shirley and AJ Prim are the tackles, and Harvey Dyson III leads the JACK spot with Ke’Von Carter and Sterling Dixon also in the mix.
At linebacker, Popo Aguirre is listed in the middle with Da’Kaari Nelson, Lacorian Hodge and Jordan Moreta behind him. Ziggy Moore headlines the weakside linebacker spot, with Moreta and Bailey Benson also listed.
Jackson Vick starts at nickel, followed by Ty White and Chino Aguirre. Jaren Sensabaugh and Caden Gordon are listed at corner, King Mack and Tristan Teasdell are the safeties, and Ronnie Royal III is at free safety with Brody Barnhardt behind him.
Brian Nelson II and Michael Tate are the cornerbacks on the other side.
Special teams stays mostly familiar. Kanoah Vinesett is the kicker, Jackson Waller the punter and holder, Nick Konieczynski and Drew Lovelace are listed at kickoff, Aiden Arias is the long snapper, Victor Snow is the punt returner and King Mack and Jonathan Paylor are the kickoff returners.
In Other News...
NC State Faces A Road Test That Just Got More Complicated
Stanfords latest win gave the Cardinal a burst of momentum heading into a visit from NC State, and Micah Ford made sure the Wolfpack had reason to take notice. Ford piled up a career-best 231 scrimmage yards and matched Stanfords single-game mark with four rushing touchdowns against Elon, a performance that underscored how dangerous the Cardinal can be when its run game gets rolling.
For NC State, the trip only gets trickier from here. Dave Doeren has already talked through the bye week and the travel demands of a cross-country game, and the Wolfpack arrive with quarterback CJ Bailey and top receiver Keenan Jackson carrying much of the offensive load while the status of leading rusher Jayden Scott is still part of the conversation. How NC State manages all of that, and how much it can lean on its usual plans after the long haul, will shape a road test that already looked tough before Stanfords backfield turned up the heat. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Showed One Encouraging Trait And One Early Concern
NC State got an early look at where its new basketball group stands in an exhibition against Mississippi State, and there was at least one encouraging sign to take away from it. The Wolfpack closed strong with a 12-2 run, and a handful of newcomers and key pieces helped carry the offense, with Darius Adams, Preston Edmead, Paul McNeil Jr. and Ven-Allen Lubin all making their presence felt in scoring and at the free-throw line.
The finish gave NC State something to build on, but the game also showed there is still work to do before the results start counting. Rebounding was the clearest issue, with Mississippi State owning the glass and creating extra chances throughout the night, a gap the Wolfpack will need to address quickly as it moves on to another exhibition against Lenoir-Rhyne University. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Faces A Backfield Blow As Stanford Depth Test Looms
NC States backfield is going to look different this week after Duke Scott was ruled out for the Stanford game following the leg and foot injury he picked up against Louisville. The Wolfpack are already working through a long injury list, with safety Tristan Teasdell among the players sidelined and several others out for the season, so the loss of another running back adds to the challenge as the schedule continues to tighten.
Kamen Smith has also landed back on the injury report, leaving his status in question for a second straight week and adding another layer of uncertainty to the rotation. Stanford, for its part, arrives with its own roster issues, including linebacker Matt Rose missing a third consecutive game and other starters unavailable, so both teams are heading into the matchup with depth being tested in a real way. [Read more 🡒]