NC State football is leaning on its veteran leadership ahead of spring game Saturday
This spring, Dave Doeren is coaching one of his oldest teams ever. There are players on the N.C. State roster who are going through their fifth spring practice.
Veterans like center Grant Gibson, wide receiver Thayer Thomas and safety Tanner Ingle have been through it enough that they can probably coach their position groups. The Pack’s opener at ECU on Sept. 3 will be career game No. 50 for Gibson and Thomas.
With the exception of the running back group, there is at least one fifth-year player at each position.
Doeren and his staff have been “judicious” with how much work his older player get. Some of them have up to 1,000 reps on their bodies over the course of their careers. The coaches don’t need to see them as much as they need to access some of the players behind them.
That’s been Doeren’s balancing act this spring. In the fall, he will coach his most experienced team, a team that will have expectations unlike any team before.
Coming off a nine-win season, and with 10 starters back on defense and star quarterback Devin Leary returning, N.C. State is expected to be a preseason top-15 team, a squad expected to compete for an ACC Atlantic Division championship.
With so many players taking advantage of the COVID year and returning, the Wolfpack is poised to have a big year, something the veterans appear to be taking to heart.
“The nice thing about these guys is they still have things they want to get better at,” Doeren said. “They’re older, they’re not perfect. There are things they are working on, each of them are different. We try to remind them of those things and put them in situations where they have opportunities to work on them.”
As good as the N.C. State defense was last season, Doeren wanted them to recover more fumbles, so this spring the older players on that side of the ball focused on creating turnovers. The defense was fifth in the ACC in sacks, so the defensive lineman have taken the spring to hone their pass rush moves.
Despite their age, the players still appear to want to be coached as if this was their first time going through spring practice. Doeren has noticed at times this group can be harder on itself than the coaches.
“Sometimes you’ll coach a team that says they want to do certain things and their actions don’t look like that,” Doeren said. “This is a team that says what they mean and means what they say and their actions fall in line with that.”
Blessing in disguise
With so many veterans, and the staff’s decision to allow them more rest, coaches are discovering younger players at different positions.
Because Thomas and fellow wide receiver Devin Carter have been around so long, Anthony Smith and Julian Gray have seen more reps this spring.
Gray, a redshirt freshman, had three catches in 2021. Smith, a sophomore, has nine total catches in two seasons. With tight ends Trent Pennix and Christopher Toudle out, twins Ced and Fred Seabrough have gotten more work this spring at that position.
“That’s going to be huge for their progression and their confidence and the ability to get better in the summer,” Doeren said. “Because they know their weaknesses more now and they can really put that into their workouts.”
And because the older guys have been taking practice seriously, there’s a trickle down effect throughout the roster.
“You’re showing these young guys what it’s supposed to look like,” Doeren said. “Or what it’s not supposed to look like. That’s the fun part of this thing, is getting that culture to where it carries itself a little bit.”
Keeping it fun
Gibson, with 49 games and 36 starts under his belt, has found a way to make yet another spring practice feel more than routine.
The old man on the line, not only tries to find something to work on everyday, but constantly reminds himself to attack each practice like it’s his last.
“We have fun with it,” Gibson told The News and Observer. “I’m just trying to enjoy every moment. I have been doing this for a while, but we (older guys) just want to give it our best.”
Gibson has also been serving as a mentor to backup center Lyndon Cooper.
One secret, according to Gibson, is the older guys can’t have the mindset that they can’t get better at something.
Even though he’s to the point where he can almost finish Doeren’s sentences, linebacker Isaiah Moore (43 career games, 42 starts) said the team can’t get bored with the process.
Moore is watching from the sideline this spring as he recovers from surgery during the season. For the players who have been able to practice, Doeren has tried to give them time to rest, even when they don’t want it.
“Do they like it? No,” Doeren said. “They understand.”
Spring game information
What: 2022 N.C. State spring game
Date: Saturday, April 9
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: Live on ACCNX, re-aired on ACC Network at 7 p.m.
Format: 1’s (Red) against the rest of the team (White). First half will be a normal clock, the second half a running clock. Game will be a mix of live tackling and “thud” tackling.
Fan Fest: The Fan Fest will be held in the Raleighwood area of Carter-Finley Stadium, located in the north end zone. Fan Fest will open at 10:30 a.m. for Wolfpack Club members, 11 a.m. for fans.
This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 5:32 AM with the headline "NC State football is leaning on its veteran leadership ahead of spring game Saturday."
