NC State Releases Depth Chart Full of Surprises Before Opener

The program opted for some interesting choices in the starting group.

Nov 11, 2023; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; The North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet rests on the bench during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

NC State pushed its depth chart release about as late as possible, with the program finally releasing its starters to the public a few hours before the season opener against East Carolina is set to kick off Thursday night.

Head coach Dave Doeren preferred to keep his decisions to himself as late as possible in years past, but with new ACC injury reporting guidelines, the team will be more open with its roster than before.

The depth chart for the season opener didn't come without any surprises, with a few names not expected to play a pivotal role right away slotted into starting roles for the Wolfpack.

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren after a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Surprises

Due to the suspensions of right guard Val Erickson and nose tackle Brandon Cleveland stemming from the brawl in last year's Military Bowl loss to ECU, a pair of young players have been thrust into starting roles in the first half. Redshirt sophomore Kamen Smith will get the start at right guard for at least the first half. Freshman defensive tackle Josiah Victor will get some reps for Cleveland in the first half alongside graduate seniors Chazz Wallace and Travali Price.

One of the biggest surprises came in the defensive backfield. Redshirt freshman safety Ronnie Royal III spoke to the media last week and seemed to accept a role behind some of the veteran players on the roster. To many's surprise, Royal will get the start at free safety for the Wolfpack Thursday night.

As for the special teams, Doeren rolled with youth over experience once again. He opted to start redshirt freshman placekicker Nick Konieczynski over graduate senior Kanoah Vinesett. Doeren announced the move on his weekly radio appearance, claiming Konieczynski won the job during fall camp with some solid performances.

The Wolfpack's dynamic offensive gadget player Jonathan Paylor was not listed on the depth chart ahead of Thursday's game.

The Regulars and Full Depth Chart

The rest of the depth chart didn't include many shocking decisions, and it's expected that there will be frequent rotation of players on the defensive side of the ball. To no one's surprise, sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey will get the start for the Wolfpack as one of the team captains.

Here is the full depth chart:

Offense

Position	Name	Class
LT	Jacarrius Peak	R-Jr
	Darion Rivers	R-So
LG	Anthony Carter Jr.	Gr.
	Trent Mitchell	R-Fr
C	Jalen Grant	Gr.
	Spike Sowells	Fr.
RG	Kamen Smith	R-So.
OR	Val Erickson	R-So.
OR	Yousef Mugharbil	R-Sr.
RT	Teague Andersen	R-So.
	Rico Jackson	R-So.
TE - B	Justin Joly	Jr.
	Preston Douglas	Fr.
TE - Y	Cody Hardy	Sr.
	Dante Daniel	R-Sr.
X	Wesley Grimes	Sr.
	Teddy Hoffman	Fr.
	Ethan Dowdy	Jr.
Y	Keenan Jackson	So.
	Ashton Locklear	R-Jr.
Z	Noah Rogers	R-So.
	Terrell Anderson	So.
RB	Hollywood Smothers	So.
	Duke Scott	R-Fr.
	Coleson Fields	R-So.
	Darius Johnson	R-So.
QB	CJ Bailey	So.
	Lex Thomas	R-So.
	Will Wilson	Fr.

Defense

Position	Name	Class
E	Sabastian Harsh	Gr.
	Chase Bond	R-Fr.
N	Brandon Cleveland	Sr.
	Chazz Wallace	Gr.
	Josiah Victor	Fr.
T	Travali Price	Gr.
	Isaiah Shirley	R-So.
	AJ Prim	R-So.
JACK	Cian Slone	Gr.
OR	Tra Thomas	Gr.
Nickel	Jackson Vick	R-Jr.
	Assad Brown	R-Fr.
	Jaren Sensabaugh	R-Fr.
MLB	Sean Brown	Gr.
OR	AJ Richardson	Jr.
	Logan Foust	R-Fr.
WLB	Caden Fordham	Gr.
OR	AJ Richardson	Jr.
	Zane Williams	R-Fr.
SAM	Kenny Soares Jr.	Gr.
	Ke'Von Carter	Fr.
LCB	Devon Marshall	Sr.
	Michael Tate	R-So.
	Jivan Baly	R-Fr.
SS	JJ Johnson	Gr.
	Brody Barnhardt	R-Fr.
	Zack Meyers	R-So.
FS	Ronnie Royal III	R-Fr.
	Tristan Teasdell	Fr.
RCB	Jamel Johnson	R-Jr.
	Brian Nelson II	R-So.

Special Teams

Joining placekicker Nick Konieczynski will be punter Caden Noonkester and long snapper Jake Mann. Redshirt freshman Charlie Birtwistle will handle kickoff duties. Receiver Wesley Grimes will return punts while running back Duke Scott will run back kicks.

With the lineup officially set, the Wolfpack is set to storm Carter-Finley Stadium at 7 P.M. EST.

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