NC State All-Decade Special Teams

Here's a list of the Wolfpack's best player at each position between the years 2010-19

With NC State left out of the bowls this season, the book can officially be closed on its football history for the decade of the 2010s.

It's been an eventful 10 seasons, with some high highs and -- as was the case this year -- some disappointing lows. Along the way, some unforgettable players suited up for the Wolfpack.

In honor of their achievements, SI Wolfpack Maven has compiled a list of the best of the best at each position in the form of an All-Decade team for the 2010s.

Monday we revealed the offense. Tuesday it was the defense. Today, we wrap things up with special teams:

Placekicker

Christopher Dunn (2018-): The bar (but not necessarily the crossbar) was set extremely low for Dunn because of State's kicking woes during the three seasons before he arrived as one of the top high school kickers in the country. But not only has he exceeded those expectations, but he's surpassed every other kicker that has played for the Wolfpack by putting together the two best seasons in school history. His 23 field goals and 120 points in 2018 are both Wolfpack records. His 21 field goals this season were the second most in a season ever. Along the way, he converted 19 straight 3-pointers, the second-longest streak by a State kicker and he has yet to miss an extra point, converting all 79 he's attempted.

Punter

A.J. Cole III (2015-18): 

Cole won the punting job as a true freshman and was a four year starter who earned third-team All-ACC as a senior. Over his four seasons, he compiled 9,288 punting yards while averaging 42.2 yards per kick, the third best total and average in school history. As a junior in 2017, 25 of his 54 punts stopped inside the 20-yard line with only four touchbacks. As a senior, he landed 22 of his 49 kicks inside the 20 with 16 fair catches and four touchbacks. Off the field, Cole was voted as a member of the American Football Coaches Association's Good Works team for his spring break mission trips to Kenya. He is currently punting in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders.

Punt returner

T.J. Graham (2010-11): Graham is State's all-time leader in kickoff return yardage, but his two best seasons -- and two touchdowns -- came before the start of the decade. The speedy wide receiver was far more effective as a punt returner in 2010-11. He averaged better than 10 yards on his 36 returns during his final two seasons. The most memorable of those scores came in a 2010 win at rival North Carolina. With the Wolfpack trailing by two early in the fourth quarter, Graham fielded a punt, headed to his left and sprinted down the far sideline for a game-changing 87-yard score that sent State on to its fourth consecutive victory against the Tar Heels.

Kickoff returner

 Nyheim Hines (2015-17): Small, but speedy, Hines first established himself as an explosive return specialist before eventually expanding his role as a slot receiver, then every down running back. He ranks second in school history behind only Graham in career kickoff return yards with 2,171. Included among that total are a pair of 100-yard touchdown returns -- against Clemson during his freshman season of 2015 and the following year in an Independence Bowl victory against Vanderbilt.

 Long snapper 

Tyler Griffiths (2015-18): Griffiths was State's long snapper for both punts and placekicking for four seasons, executing over 400 snaps during his 52 career games for the Wolfpack. During his senior season, he was an integral part of the unit that helped Dunn set his school record for field goals and was named as a finalist for the David Bill Award, symbolic of the best long snapper in college football.