Radio station 99.9 The Fan interviews Jaylen Samuels at the 2017 ACC Kickoff on Thursday, July 13 in Charlotte. Samuels says he looks forward to leading the Wolfpack in his senior year. " />
Inez Nicholson
Radio station 99.9 The Fan interviews Jaylen Samuels at the 2017 ACC Kickoff on Thursday, July 13 in Charlotte. Samuels says he looks forward to leading the Wolfpack in his senior year.
Last season, highlighted by missed opportunities, was a rollercoaster ride for the NC State football team. In 2017, with veteran leadership and lots of talent on the roster, expectations are high. The Wolfpack returns 21 seniors and eight starters on both sides of the ball. Senior all-purpose back Jaylen Samuels and senior defensive end Bradley Chubb are the anchors for offense and defense, respectively.
Last season, Samuels once again did it all. The human Swiss Army Knife led all Pack receivers with 55 catches and was the team’s third-leading rusher. Samuels tallied two 100-yard receiving games against Clemson and Vanderbilt, and was also named the offensive MVP in the Independence Bowl win against Vanderbilt.
For this upcoming year, the team will rely on Samuels even more heavily. The departure of star running back Matt Dayes will allow Samuels to get more touches in the backfield as well as more catches due to a more pass-oriented offense.
“Every night in the offseason I’m just thinking about what I have planned this upcoming season,” Samuels said. “Going into my senior season, my last year at NC State, I’m just trying to leave a mark for myself.”
Although it will be a challenge for the Wolfpack to make noise in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, Samuels believes NC State is highly overlooked.
“I feel like we’re on the same level [as Clemson and Florida State],” Samuels said. “Talent wise, I feel like we have the same talent as them. A lot of people just don’t see that because we haven’t been able to win games how they’ve been able to.”
Even with talented playmakers like Samuels on offense, this upcoming season’s success will start with NC State’s highly touted defensive line. All four members of the line return and are led by Chubb. Chubb had an impressive campaign last season, chalking up 22 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks in route to being an All-ACC selection. Many 2018 NFL mock drafts have Chubb’s name being called in the first or second rounds of next year’s draft.
ESPN writer Phil Steele also recently ranked NC State’s defensive line at number three in the nation heading into the 2017 season.
“We [the defensive line] put in the hard work and to see that is noticed is definitely a positive,” Chubb said. “We’re just trying to not be [the third best defensive line]. We’re pushing to be the best and pushing every week to never be complacent.”
The high level of talent was evident for NC State last season, as well. The Wolfpack was able to keep things close with ranked opponents such as Clemson and Florida State. However, closing the deal was a reoccurring issue as four of the team’s six losses came by seven points or less.
“We try not to think about last year,” Chubb said. “It’s a new year. We’re just trying to be the best that we can be, on and off the field. We’ve got guys that are going to go out there and play their hearts out for one another. I feel like the sky’s the limit for this team.”
If NC State cuts out the simple errors and fine tunes the smaller aspects of its game, the 2017 season could certainly be one of eight wins or more for the Wolfpack. Chubb, Samuels and the rest of the Pack will attempt to silence the naysayers and make the team’s lofty goals a reality.