NC State Football

Last April, four members of the NC State football team were arrested on misdemeanor drug charges after marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in their off campus apartment.

Just announced recently ...three of those four players, Jake Vermiglio, Markus Kuhn, and J.R. Sweezy, will have their charges dropped after a judge ruled that the search was unlawful.

The Wolfpack nation just exhaled a huge sigh of relief, as all those players were going to be key to the success of the upcoming football season for the Wolfpack.

The fourth player, George Bryan, had his hearing postponed to a later date, but I suspect that he will have a similar outcome as the other three.

George Bryan was possibly the most important of all the players to the Wolfpack football team, as he is best tight end in the ACC and was named first team All-ACC last season.

He also was going to be a big part of the passing attack for Wolfpack, who are going to be dependent on their offense to win games for them this season.

The ruling by Judge Keith Gregory will cause controversy because many people, including myself, believe that the cops were right to investigate the smell and did nothing wrong.

On a side note former Wolfpack great Dennis Byrd died recently. He suffered from a heart attack and was recovering when he had an unrelated back surgery and never regained consciousness.

Byrd was the first two time All-American in NC State history, and he is the only defensive player to have his number retired.

The Wolfpack nation weeps with his passing, but will is thankful for what he did on the field. 

We've reached the end of our offensive player rankings with a look at the ACC's best tight ends for 2010. A tight end can be anything from a sixth offensive lineman, to an extra receiver. Pure stats don't always tell the whole story of a tight end's value to a team.

Who are the best one's the ACC has to offer?

Completed Rankings at All About Sports .

Running Backs  | Quarterbacks  | Wide Receivers  | Offensive Linemen | Defensive Line | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties | Special Teams | Team Predictions

1) George Byran, NC State

Byran is the ACC's best pass catching tight end. He had 40 catches for 422 yards, and six touchdowns last year. He's 6'5" and 265 pounds, so he's a nice-sized target for NC State quarterback Russell Wilson. Bryan did get in some trouble during the offseason, as he was the tenant of an apartment police busted for marijuana. We'll have to see how coach Tom O'Brien handles this situation.

2) Zack Pianaloto, North Carolina

North Carolina's offense won't be explosive this season. Most of the Heels playmakers will be on defense, but Pianaloto will provide one of North Carolina's best options on offense. That is, if he can stay healthy. He's been hampered by injuries over the last few years. When healthy, he's a very reliable receiver. Pianaloto had 33 receptions for 334 yards in 2009. He could have a 50-catch season if he can avoid injuries.

3) Chris Pantale, Boston College  

Pantale had a very nice freshman year at BC, with 25 catches for 223 yards. Pantale is 6'6" and 244 pounds, so he has a solid frame to build on. Pantale is also a solid physical blocker who's only going to get better as a player. He has the talent to one day be an All-ACC performer.

4) Joe Torchia, Virginia

Torchia might be the best blocking TE in the ACC. At 6'6" and 250 pounds, he's like having an extra offensive lineman. When given the opportunity, he's also shown the ability to be a good pass catcher. As a junior, Torchia had 15 receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Expect new coach Mike London to use the senior more in the passing game.

5) Dwayne Allen, Clemson

Allen is a star in waiting for the Clemson Tigers. I think Allen has tons of potential. He's big at 6'4" and 255 pounds, and has great hands. He had 10 receptions last season while playing behind Michael Palmer. Allen was a four star, top 20 tight end when he committed to Clemson in 2008, and he's only a RS-sophomore.

ESPN's Heather Dinich  recently blogged about her pick for a dark-horse candidate for the ACC title , and she choose the NC State Wolfpack.

She said that she believed that the NC State Wolfpack could be a dark-horse candidate for the ACC title, because of their coach Tom O'Brien, Quarterback Russell Wilson, and the improving defense.

To go into detail she said that coach O'Brien is better then his record at NC State indicates, she also talks about how the injuries and and the run-ins with the law have hurt him.

She also goes into depth about the defense, she talks about how they should be improved with the experience from last year and the stability in this year's backfield.

In addition to the experience and stability, they will also have John Tenuta coaching the linebackers, which will be the strongest part of the defense as Nate Irving will be returning along with last years leading tackler Audie Cole. 

I will be playing the devil's advocate for this article, give some reasons they will not be a dark horse candidate for the ACC title.

They have to many off the field issues, injuries, and inexperience on the defensive line to hold off even the most sub-par defenses.

J.R. Sweezy has been arrested twice, both for reasons involving recreational drug usage. 

Sweezy was going to be one of the new defensive lineman depended upon to cause problems for opposing offensive lineman. 

He also was one of the few to have actual game experience, and that was huge.

George Bryan was another big contributor to last years team, and he was also expected to have an even bigger impact for this season, but he was also arrested for illegal drug usage.

These two are just an example of the off the field issues that have the Wolfpack program is having, these players may be suspended for the entire season or just one or two game.

Either way those losses are huge, and those two game could cost the Wolfpack team wins.

The offense of this year's NC State Wolfpack team will be even more one dimensional, with Toney Baker going pro they will have no experienced running back to step in and become the number one back.

The offense also will have to play behind an almost brand new offensive line, with only only starter from last year's squad, but he may be suspensed also because of off the feild issues.

If they can move past the off field issues and one dimensional offense, they could potentially make a legitimate at the ACC Title.   

I would be very interested in seeing what you, the reader feels about this pick for the dark-horse ACC title candidate.

I would also be interested in knowing if you dis-agree with the pick, who would you pick as a dark-horse ACC title candidate.

The NC State Wolfpack are coming into a crucial season for Tom O'Brein and his squad, after the failure of last season.

NC State has one of the ACC's best quarterbacks in Russell Wilson, along with maybe the best quarterback-in-waiting in the ACC in Mike Glennon.

The Wolfpack are expected to have one of the ACC's best passing attacks, and the passing game is going to be huge for the pack because of the lack of experience at the running back position.

The Pack's receivers are some of the best in the country, and they include Jarvis Williams, Owen Spencer, Darrell Davis, T.J. Graham, George Bryan, and Asa Watson.

Jarvis Williams had one of the best seasons of any receiver in the country, leading the Wolfpack in catches (45) and receiving touchdowns.

He had 11 receiving touchdowns that was tied for ninth in the FBS (formally known as Division I-A). He is considered the possession receiver for Russell Wilson.

Owen Spencer was another threat for Wilson, and he is considered the team's second fastest receiver.

Spencer is the team's deep threat. He averaged 25.5 yards per catch, and he also was the leading receiver in terms of yards with 765.

George Bryan is ACC's best passing catching tight end, and he had 40 catches, 422 yard, and six touchdowns.

You can also look for highly-touted tight end Asa Watson to line up on the other side of Bryan at some point in this upcoming season.

Watson is the brother of Ben Watson, another good passing catching tight end, who plays for the New England Patriots.

T.J. Graham is possibly the best receiver in space for the Wolfpack, and he is considered to be in the top five of fastest receivers in the nation.

His primary job is to return kicks and punts, but he can also be used a wide out. He is so explosive when put into space, if he can stay healthy this season the Wolfpack's opponents would be wise to make sure they know where he is on the field.

Darrell Davis is another receiver who is considered to be a possession receiver. Davis was once on the basketball team for the Wolfpack, and he has some major hops so he can go up there and pull a pass down.

With all of these talented and experienced receivers, the Wolfpack's passing game has really thrived these past couple of years where it had previously failed since Philip Rivers was the big man on campus.

The Wolfpack offense is going to lean heavily on the passing game to open up lanes for the rushing attack. 

This receiving group in my opinion is the best in the ACC, because of the talent and depth it contains.

Willie Young is a defensive lineman who attended N.C. State. He played many different spots on the defense, including tackle, end, and even some rush linebacker.

Young's future in the NFL is mostly as a linebacker in the 3-4 defensive scheme—or maybe even a speed-rushing defensive end.

He has a great amount of athleticism and height, which make him a very versatile player.

Young has ideal arm length and hand quickness to get around blockers on the next level, and he also has a high ceiling for development.

His career at N.C. State was rather successful, as he totaled 195 tackles, 19 sacks, one forced fumble, three interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.

The consensus on Willie Young is that he will translate into an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme, but he has little experience as a coverage defender.

He shows the ability to become a good coverage defender with his speed, agility, and balance.

Young was a top performer in the vertical jump at the NFL combine, where he is in a five-way tie for first with a height of 38 inches.

He lacks some natural strength, and he really needs to hit the weight room more to add some bulk. His lack of overall strength makes it difficult for him at times to hold up at the point of attack.

If he starts early on in his career, he would benefit best as a pure pass rusher in some pass-rush packages.

Another notch on Willie is that his natural instincts and reactions are not up to par for the NFL, along with his aggression.

He is ranked as the 14th-best defensive end in the draft, and his projected draft round is fourth—although he has topped as high as the third round.

Young shows he has the intelligence, effort, and raw physicality to be successful in the NFL.

He is the type of player who may take a year or two before he shows his worth. But overall, with some development, he could become a good contributor on a team's defense.

Russell Wilson has became a star at NC State mainly on the football field, but he has shown flashes of excellence on the baseball diamond.

Wilson is the heart and soul of the football team and as a red-shirt freshman he was a first team All-ACC quarterback. He holds the record of most consecutive passes without an interception at 379 pass attempts. 

Despite his team's failures, he has still put up fantastic numbers in two years of football. In his career, Wilson has thrown for almost 5,000 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Wilson still has two years of eligibility left and many people around the Wolfpack nation, including myself believe that Tom O'Brien has this team on the rise despite the setback last year. 

If Wilson stays these remaining years he could be a part of something special, including maybe winning an ACC Atlantic title and competing for a chance to go to the Orange Bowl.

On the other hand there is baseball, where Wilson has also excelled in some independent wooden bat leagues.

Don't let Wilson's collegiate baseball numbers fool you, his freshman year he focused on football where he was competing for the starting quarterback spot. Then the next baseball season, he had an injured knee from the PapaJohns.com bowl.

Wilson was originally drafted drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 41st round, 1,222 overall in the 2007 amateur draft. 

Now we all know that he choose to attend NC State, which would mean by rule, he would be eligible this year to enter the Major League Baseball Draft again. Many scouts have said that he has first round potential if he did enter the draft.

Tom O'Brien has already made it public that Wilson will skip spring practice, which would make it the second season in a row Mike Glennon will be taking the first team snaps.

Many people outside the Wolfpack Nation don't know that they have another potential star in waiting in the afore mentioned Mike Glennon. 

Glennon is more of a pocket passer and he has said he prefers to take snaps under center like a pro quarterback. He has the size of a pro quarterback being 6'6'' tall and weighing 195 pounds.

Russell has a tough decision in front of him. On one hand, he can continue to play football and become one of the better quarterbacks in NC State history. If he has that kind of success, then maybe he even has a chance at winning an ACC Championship.

On the other side of the debate, he can leave and enter the Major League Draft, make the big bucks and enter an organization's farm system.   

I am glad that I'm not Russell Wilson, because his is an extremely tough decision.

I would not be angry if he choose to go pro in baseball, because he is looking out for his and his families best interest. Not only that, but Glennon has taken many snaps with the first team and I'm confident he can step in and produce similar stats.

I would also not blame him if he choose to stay with football, because you have only one chance to play college football, plus if he continued to develop he might be able to have the same success as Pat White. 

Should Wilson look towards the future and enter the Major League Baseball Draft or continue his college career in football? 

No one knows but Russell Wilson himself and I would appreciate it if you let me know what you think he should do.

Hey, All-ACC football voters, where's Russell Wilson?

No Carolina St. 21 BOSTON COLLEGE (-2.5) 20

Both of these teams are coming off disappointing losses with NC State losing 28-49 as a double-digit home favorite to Duke and Boston College losing 14-48 at Virginia Tech. Both teams also apply to bounce-back situations, with NC State applying to a 28-3 ATS subset of a 67-16-1 ATS situation and BC applying to a 108-54-2 ATS situation.

The angle favoring NC State is more significant and my math model only favors the Eagles by 1/2 a point. The math also likes the under, as the defenses have advantages in this game.

NC State has averaged 5.4 yards per play in 4 games against Division 1A teams that would allow 5.4 yppl to an average team and the Boston College defense is 0.4 yppl better than average (5.2 yppl in 1A games against teams that would average 5.6 yppl against an average team) even with last week's poor showing.

The Eagles' offense has been 0.8 yppl worse than average (4.6 yppl against 1A teams that would allow 5.4 yppl) while NC State is 0.4 yppl better than average defensively, allowing 5.4 yppl in 4 games against 1A teams that would average 5.8 yppl against an average team.

Read more on my website www.drbobsports.com

I have 6 NCAA Best Bets and 6 NCAA Strong Opinions this week, and 1 NFL Best Bet and 1 NFL Strong Opinion!

Read an article about me in the Wall Street Journal

After NC State's season opening 7-3 loss to South Carolina it looked like their season would be another mediocre year. Now things are looking way up for the Wolfpack after two blowout wins over Division 1-AA teams and and a gritty comback win over a tough Pittsburgh team.

The main reason the Wolfpack have won their past three games has to be Russell Wilson. Wilson is now second in the NCAA in touchdown passes, despite throwing none in the Wolfpack's first game. He has thrown for four touchdowns in each of the past three games. He is only five touchdowns from passing his total of 17 from last season. He could get into the 30's this year. 

Wilson needs to get more media attention. The dude is an absolute beast, both through the air and on the ground (he had 91 rushing yards against Pittsburgh). When you hear the elite quarterbacks in the NCAA come up, you never hear Wilson's name.  He is second in the country in touchdown passes and hasn't thrown an interception in almost 300 pass attempts. Doesn't that qualify as an elite quarterback? The scary thing is that he is only a sophomore. NC State has a very bright future with him behind center.

One thing that looked promising all year for the Pack until the Pitt game was their defense. They only allowed 28 points combined in the first three game, then allowed 31 to Pittsburgh last Saturday. However, the defense didn't allow any long drives, the longest being six plays. They did give up many big plays on the ground and through the air though, which could be a big problem when a speedster like Clemson's C.J. Spiller is on the other side of the ball.

Besides the few big plays NC State gave up, their defense was pretty good though. They forced the Panthers into three straight three-and-outs down the stretch and made some great plays to stop a late touchdown by Pitt when they had the ball deep in NCSU territory because of a turnover.

NC State has all the tools to represent the ACC Atlantic in the ACC Championship and possibly represent the ACC in the BCS for NC State's first time ever. While that might be very optimistic, the Pack should be in the hunt all year long in a pretty weak division.

There is no team in that division that somebody can clearly say is better than the Wolfpack right now. There might be, and the Wolfpack will undoubtedly lose some conference games, but right now they are playing better football than any division foes.

The teams that have the best chances at challenging NC State are probably Florida State and Clemson. Florida State has looked good only in the BYU game, where they inexplicitly exploded for 54 points. They have only looked good in that game though. Clemson is also inconsistent.

Consistency is where NC State can really hurt opposing teams because Russell Wilson is always money, especially about turning the ball over. Their defense is also one of the best in the country as of now, so they are always going to be in games. Remember, the Wolfpack are one play from being a 4-0 team.

The other teams in the Atlantic include Boston College, Wake Forest, and Maryland. None of these teams are going to win the division. Clemson destroyed BC, Wake has lost some games they should not have lost already, and Maryland is just bad this year. Those teams will not win the ACC Atlantic division.

NC State really should be the favorite of the teams left. Florida State would be the pick to an average fan, but the Seminoles are very flawed and are very inconsistent. Clemson and NC State will battle it out for ACC Atlantic supremacy and a trip to Tampa for the ACC Championship and possibly a trip to a BCS bowl.

Prediction for NCSU @ Wake Forest: NCSU 27-Wake 17

The ACC has had an up and down season thus far.  Virginia Tech is again the class of the conference, Miami still has to prove that the "U is back", and NC State looks to continue their winning streak after an opening day loss.

Here are my predictions for week five in the ACC:

Virginia Tech 52, Duke 3

One name, Ryan Williams.  Williams will run wild against the Blue Devils, and by the time Duke looks up it will be 21-0.  This game will not go like last year's 14-3 performance by the Hokies, and it will likely be decided by halftime.

Clemson 31, Maryland 10

The Tigers are still a hard team to figure out, and C.J. Spiller has had a fairly disappointing season thus far.  Kyle Parker is playing pretty well, but Dabo Swinney continues to use a two-quarterback system.  Clemson won't struggle with Maryland, but they still have a few question marks heading into the rest of the season.

North Carolina 20, Virginia 6

This game is going to be painful to watch.  North Carolina has a good defense, but offensively, when challenged, they have consistently failed this season.  Everyone keeps trying to give Virginia a win this year, but unless they beat Duke or Maryland the Wahoo's may go winless.  So far, both of these teams have been very disappointing.

Florida State 31, Boston College 20

I guess Florida State will win if they decide they want to play on Saturday.  This team has been so inconsistent this season it's been embarrassing.  They seem undisciplined, they lack focus and it shows when they struggle with Jacksonville State and go down to South Florida. 

Boston College is honoring now cancer-free linebacker Mark Herzlich before the game, so look for a motivated Boston College team to stay motivated and maybe surprise the Seminoles and gain some momentum heading into Blacksburg next week.

NC State 35, Wake Forest 24

Both teams have decent defenses, but only one team has Russell Wilson.  I love Riley Skinner, but Wilson continues to amaze.  The Sophomore has thrown only one interception in his career, set the NCAA record for most pass attempts without throwing a pick, and has thrown 12 touchdowns already this season.

This will be the Wolfpacks' first conference game of the year, and they don't have an overwhelmingly difficult schedule before playing the Hokies in Blacksburg, which could also be an ACC Championship game matchup in early December.

Georgia Tech 31, Mississippi State 17

I hope for the sake of the ACC Georgia Tech decides to show up for this one.  After getting pounced by Miami the Yellow Jackets stung the Tar Heels, but North Carolina seems like they were a little overrated entering the year.

The Yellow Jackets will want to win their next two games, they play Florida State next week, so they can host the likely undefeated Hokies in Atlanta in two weeks with only one conference loss.  That game will probably decide the Coastal Division winner, if the Yellow Jackets can play more consistently.

Oklahoma 45, Miami 34

I'm not expecting a whole lot of defense in this one, as both teams have very good offenses and weaker defenses.  If Miami came out and won this game it would be huge for the conference, and bring a lot of respect to the ACC, I just don't see it happening. 

Randy Shannon will have to do a great job of motivating his team after a lackluster performance last week in Blacksburg.