NC State Offensive Grades For Week 1 Performance
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RALEIGH -- The NC State Wolfpack won its season opener 24-17 over East Carolina last Thursday. The win was full of intense moments, particularly the late fourth-down stop the Wolfpack made to win the game.
The defense performed admirably throughout the game, despite facing challenges from ECU's uptempo offensive scheme. The offense displayed how good it could be, but not on a consistent enough basis to garner attention and respect on a wide scale.
PFF grades each member of the team's performance during the game. The model takes into account every play in the game and adds it all up to create the player's total grade. Any grade from the 70s to 80s is considered a good performance. The 60s are average. Below 60 would be poor and above 80 would be elite.
How Did NC State's offense fare in PFF's view?
The Wide Receivers
- Freshman Teddy Hoffmann - 88.0
- Senior Wesley Grimes - 80.2
- Sophomore Noah Rogers - 64.1
- Sophomore Terrell Anderson - 60.9
- Sophomore Keenan Jackson - 55.2
Hoffmann's 88.0 grade was the highest on the Wolfpack roster. His 5 receptions for 93 yards were incredibly impressive and clearly made an impact on the PFF metrics as well. The 80.2 grade for Grimes marked the highest of his collegiate career.
Tight Ends
- Senior Justin Joly - 53.8
- Senior Cody Hardy - 49.8
- Senior Dante Daniels. - 48.6
It was a rough day for the tight ends in Raleigh, somewhat surprisingly. Joly, expected to be the team's top pass-catching option, never had a real opportunity to get going in the pass game. The Wolfpack ran multiple plays with all three tight ends in the game, also known as 13 personnel.
Offensive Line
- Junior left tackle Jacarrius Peak - 64.7
- Senior left guard Anthony Carter Jr. - 62.6
- Freshman center Spike Sowells - 62.5
- Sophomore right tackle Teague Andersen - 59.6
- Senior center Jalen Grant - 59.4
- Sophomore right guard Kamen Smith - 56.9
The offensive line played a very average game in the eyes of PFF. Peak's performance was well below his 2024 season grade, which was in the 70s. Grant struggled to handle ECU's different looks in the middle.
Running Backs
- Sophomore Hollywood Smothers - 72.9
- Freshman Duke Scott - 60.0
Smothers is often a PFF darling, especially because of his ability to create chaos in open space during games. He showcased his elusiveness in a big way, shaking defenders right and left throughout the win. Scott was a victim of limited touches and never had the opportunity to put his athleticism on display after a few short carries in the first half.
Quarterback
- Sophomore CJ Bailey - 77.3
Bailey put up a very solid performance in the season opener. He earned a passer grade of 74.3. He showcased his big arm on multiple occasions. The quarterback threw completions of 25-plus yards four times and had three completions over 40 yards in the game. His 48-yard touchdown pass to Grimes was far and away the highlight of the game for both Bailey and the NC State team as a whole.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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