Looking Back at This NC State Football Star

From 2015 to 2017, Nyheim Hines donned the Wolfpack red and helped NC State football to a pair of bowl wins.

The former star running back came up in 2025 at NC State fall camp after drawing comparisons to a current member of the Wolfpack, running back/wide receiver Jonathan Paylor.

Even the duo's coach, Dave Doeren, has noticed the similarities in the development of the two players.

"Yeah, it's a really similar thing," Doeren said. "It's been a smoother transition, not than Nyheim, but just than I expected. (Paylor's) done a really good job picking things up."

Doing It All

Like Paylor, Hines was also a player who stayed in his home state of North Carolina. Hines attended Garner High School in Garner, North Carolina, where he dominated as a young player.

When his high school career finished, Hines had racked up 6,242 rushing yards, 7,299 total yards and 126 touchdowns for the Trojans. He set multiple program records, including scoring seven touchdowns in a single game on two separate occasions.

Hines became one of Doeren's earliest recruiting projects. As a freshman, the staff worked to figure out what Hines' best fit as a player was. He rushed for 243 yards and finished with 256 yards receiving. He carved out a role on special teams as a freshman, something the program will likely try out with Paylor in 2025.

Dec 29, 2017; El Paso, TX, United States; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Nyheim Hines (7) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils defense in the 2017 Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-Imagn Images | Ivan Pierre Aguirre-Imagn Images

In 2016, he bounced back and forth between running back and receiver again, although his stats indicated more work as a pass catcher than a runner. Hines caught 43 passes for 525 yards in his sophomore year.

During his junior season, everything clicked. Hines became the team's top running back and rushed for 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Following his college career, Hines was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

There Is Another

Clearly, word of Paylor's performances throughout NC State fall camp made its way to Hines.

"Jonathan Paylor is going to be special yall I can just feel it," Hines wrote on X (Formerly Twitter).

Jonathan Paylor is going to special yall I can just feel 😤.. he is a player who can make highlight plays for us this fall
— Nyheim Miller-Hines (@TheNyNy7) August 14, 2025

Despite battling for a roster spot on the Los Angeles Chargers, Hines still pays attention to his alma mater's football program. The endorsement should be a major confidence boost for Paylor as he looks to break into a new role as a redshirt freshman.

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