After a basketball season that began with more hype and anticipation than The Oscars, yet ended in more disappointment than the final Indiana Jones film, I, like the majority of the N.C. State faithful, have put the agony of basketball behind me, and set my sights on the fall, and more importantly, Wolfpack football. With spring football practice just around the corner and the spring organizational chart released I can hardly contain my excitement for September 3rd in Carter-Finley Stadium.
Similar to the depth chart released before State’s opening game, there were some unexpected changes from last fall. Most notably, redshirt sophomore Dean Haynes, who shocked almost everyone when he was named as the starting running back prior to the Pack’s opener against Western Carolina, was moved to second string boundary safety. Haynes suffered a concussion in the 2010 and struggled holding onto the football, fumbling the ball three times.
Additionally, redshirt senior Audie Cole will move from outside linebacker to middle linebacker, a position vacated by playmaker Nate Irving. Irving anchored the Pack defense with 97 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Replacing the first-team All-ACC linebacker will be no easy task. However, Cole is one of three seniors in the starting lineup with experience from last year.
The Monroe, Mich. native started all 13 games, finished third on the team in tackles with 86, forced three fumbles, intercepted a pass and recorded five sacks. Cole will anchor a defense that returns eight starters.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Pack will have to replace former quarterback Russell Wilson, who opted to pursue professional baseball rather than returning for his final year of eligibility in football. Redshirt junior Mike Glennon will take the reins as the starter. Glennon, a highly touted recruit out of Westfield High School in Centreville, Va., has seen action in each of his previous two seasons in relief of Wilson.
Glennon was ranked as the No. 3 quarterback prospect in the nation coming out of high school, and possesses a strong arm and good leadership ability. Pack Nation has highly anticipated both the arrival and tenure of Mike Glennon. With a build, mentality and offense similar to that of current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who was coached under O’Brien at Boston College, State fans have good reason to have such high hopes.
However, with the departure of last year’s leading receivers Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams, the burning question is who will Glennon throw to? Seniors T.J. Graham, Jay Smith, and Stephen Howard contributed last season, hauling in a combined 514 yards and six touchdowns.
Despite the lack of game experience at the wide receiver position, the corps of tight ends is deep, and all but one of them saw action last year. George Bryan, a two-time first team All-ACC selection and a finalist for the Mackey Trophy, an annual award given to the nation’s top tight end, highlights the crew and brings valuable experience as well as sure hands for Glennon to look to.
State will hold its annual Kay Yow Spring Game on April 16. Proceeds, donations and other contributions are taken to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. However, until then, many Wolfpack fans and I will be impatiently waiting, like a small child on a long car ride, wondering every five minutes, ‘are we there yet?’