NC State’s trip to Virginia wasn’t pretty as a team, but a handful of newcomers at least gave the Wolfpack something to track in Week 0.
The busiest newcomer by far was punter Jackson Waller, who handled seven kicks and averaged 46.7 yards per punt. Three of those went more than 50 yards, and he also placed three inside Virginia’s 20-yard line.
Waller arrived at NC State this season from Arkansas State, where he built a reputation as a polished specialist. As a starter for the Red Wolves, he put 19 of his 59 punts inside the 20 last season.
The return game had a couple of bright spots too. Snow finished with two punt returns for 32 yards, including a long of 29. He comes to NC State with plenty of experience from Buffalo, where he led the MAC in his junior season with 14.5 yards per return.
King Mack provided one of the few real jolts of the afternoon with a 32-yard opening return. He only logged two returns, but his 54 all-purpose yards still led the team.
Mack transferred in from Penn State, where he averaged 28 yards per return last season. The burst showed up immediately, and he looks like a player who can change field position in a hurry.
On offense, Victor Snow caught one pass for five yards against Virginia. Snow spent three seasons at Buffalo and was the team’s second-leading receiver last season with 815 yards. He also led the Buffalo offense with 10 touchdowns in 2025, which is why NC State is clearly expecting more once he and Bailey get more comfortable together.
Dozier added two catches for 14 yards, with his longest reception also going for 14. He arrived from Appalachian State after putting together a productive season there, finishing with 30 catches for 448 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, Mack chipped in seven tackles, tying for second on the team. He brings energy and range, and that showed up in his debut.
Dyson III also flashed impact potential. He finished with five tackles, one solo stop, a half-sack and one tackle for loss. State is hoping that kind of disruption becomes a habit after what he did at his previous stop, where he led the American Conference with eight sacks in 2025 and also ranked among the league leaders with two forced fumbles and 12 tackles for loss.
Aguirre was the volume leader with a career-high 18 tackles. Afterward, he said the group knows it has work to do.
“Definitely not the outcome we wanted,” Aguirre said. “But I believe in Coach Doeren, believe in Coach Eliot, and what we got going on.”
In Other News...
NC State Just Hit A Recruiting Setback It Cant Ignore
NC States 2027 recruiting board took a hit when Jaydn Jenkins, a four-star center, moved on from the Wolfpack as he trimmed his list to Michigan State, Xavier, Ohio State and Georgetown. Jenkins had been one of the more important names tied to NC States early work in the class, so his decision to leave the Wolfpack off the final group changes the picture around a key frontcourt target.
The timing makes it sting a little more because Jenkins has already been on campus at Xavier and is lining up visits to the other schools still in the mix. NC State, meanwhile, has one commit in the 2027 class and is still working other options such as Ian Condon and Mekhi Allen, which means the staff has room to keep building, but also another position group to address after losing ground with Jenkins. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Opener Exposed One Troubling Split On Offense
NC States season opener offered an early look at where the offense looked steady and where it still needs work, and the PFF grades told a pretty clear story. Will Wilson earned the top overall mark even with limited snaps, which at least gives the Wolfpack something encouraging to build around, while the offensive line held up well in pass protection and gave the quarterback a cleaner night than the run game got.
The more troubling part was the split elsewhere on the field. The receivers and tight ends did not grade out nearly as well, and the tight end group in particular showed a sharp drop from last seasons level. For an offense that wants balance, that kind of divide matters, because the protection looked usable but the supporting cast in the passing game did not consistently match it. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Reset Game Suddenly Comes With More Pressure
NC States reset game already carried some weight after a poor offensive showing against Virginia, but the margin for error looks a little smaller now. Richmond comes in with real momentum, fresh off a strong win over Bucknell, and the Spiders have climbed into the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, which gives this matchup a different feel than the usual tune-up against a lower-division opponent.
For the Wolfpack, this is more than just a chance to get right before the schedule tightens. It is an important test for an offense looking to find rhythm and a defense trying to sharpen itself before the next stretch of challenges. With an FCS opponent arriving after proving it can handle business, NC State has a meaningful opportunity to show that last week was an outlier rather than a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]