NC State offensive coordinator Kurt Roper likes what he’s seeing in the first stretch of fall camp, and he’s not hiding the standard he wants this offense to meet.
After practice, Roper said the Wolfpack are still in the information-gathering stage, sorting out what each player can handle and how the system should be tailored to them. That process, he said, is part of the grind of camp and part of what makes this time of year matter.
“You know, it’s the anticipation of the season. You never get used to it, right? That’s why we do it, to go out there and compete and get back with the guys on the field.”
For Roper, that evaluation starts up front with the tight ends, a group he described as big, strong, long and athletic. He said the staff will lean on that position in the offense, but the exact roles may not look the same as they did a year ago.
A year ago, NC State used Hardy more as a blocker and Joly more as a pass catcher. Roper said the new group still has to be able to do everything, especially in 11 personnel, where a tight end has to run, catch, block at the line and pass protect.
“A tight end’s got to be able to do everything.”
He also made clear that the position is one of the toughest developmental jobs in college football. In his view, getting a young tight end ready can take longer than getting a quarterback ready, because so much is asked of the player in so many different phases of the game.
“They’re in the run game, they’re in the protection game, and they’re in the pass game.”
The quarterback room is showing its own growth, with Roper pointing to CJ Bailey’s increased understanding of defensive football. He said that’s where real progress happens - not just learning the offense, but learning what the other side is trying to do.
Roper recalled a lesson from his first college football coach, Mike Heimerdinger, who once walked him through linebacker alignment in a quarterback meeting. That stuck with him, and he’s seeing the same kind of growth now with Bailey, especially in how he handles pre-snap information.
“It’s at the line, right?”
Roper said Bailey is making better decisions before the snap and helping the offense get into favorable looks. He also said the game has slowed down for him.
As for Will Wilson, Roper drew a sharp line between throwing and passing. Wilson, he said, can throw it. The bigger jump has come in understanding the full picture - protection, coverage and decision-making.
“Will is outstanding, has been.”
Roper added that Wilson’s grasp of concepts, reads and coverages is continuing to rise as he gets more comfortable in the system.
He also singled out Davion Gause, saying the staff saw plenty to like in high school and on tape. Roper described him as a physical back with power, strong pass protection and good hands, someone who can wear down defenses as games go on.
“He is a guy that is powerful, really good in pass protection, has good hands.”
With full pads now on, Roper said the physical side of camp gives coaches a clearer read on who can handle the demands of the game. He pointed to the toughness he wants to see across the roster and tied it directly to the program’s identity under Dave Doeren.
“This is going to be a tough football team.”
That, more than anything, is the tone Roper says NC State is setting as camp rolls on: physical, competitive and built to fight until the final second.
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