RALEIGH, N.C. -- The start of the 2024 season is just around the corner for NC State, and excitement is building for a potentially special fall. The Wolfpack is currently ranked inside the Top 25 in both the preseason AP poll and Coaches poll for the second time under Dave Doeren, butis looking to finish inside both -- and the College Football Playoff poll -- by the end of the season.
In order to get there, the Wolfpack will need several young players to step up this fall, which brings us to our first Pack Pride Roundtable topic this offseason: NC State's Freshman of the Year. We allowed this to be open to both true and redshirt freshman heading into the 2024 season, which includes 50-plusoptions between scholarship and walk-on players.
Here's a look at what the members of the Pack Pride team had to say about their pick for the Pack Pride Roundtable. Read our takes then give us your thoughts in the comments below!
Michael Clark: Noah Rogers
I know I took the obvious choice, but I think Rogers' impact will be substantially more than any true or redshirt freshman on NC State's roster. I believehe's the most talented Wolfpack receiver in two decades and he'll have every opportunity to make an impact in his first year with the Wolfpack.
Beyond aforementioned factors, playing beside All-American candidateKevin Concepcion, as well talented pass-catchers Justin Joly, Wesley Grimes, Dacari Collins, etc., will likely lead to a lot of one-on-one coverage -- at leastearly in the season -- and Rogers should win those battles almost every time.
Bryan Pyrtle: Tamarcus Cooley
Nabbing multiple interceptions on your first day of practice is a pretty good sign for a young player. That's exactly what Tamarcus Cooley did his first time out with the red and white. The redshirt freshman lined up with the twos back on July 31 duringDay 1 and keeps making waves throughout fall camp.
Though Ja'Had Carter is the frontrunner to start at nickel, Cooley has the talent to make an impact for the Pack in year one. The Maryland transfer comes to Raleigh with four career games already under his belt, so his talent should sharpen as the season goes on.
The nickel already plays a major factor in Tony Gibson's system so even playing a rotational role gives Cooley the opportunity to put defenses on notice. Additionally, Cooley could see even more snaps if the Pack needs Carter to fill in at safety at some point.
Charlie Gribble: Elijah Groves
Dave Doeren and company brought in their highest-rated freshman class since 2018, according to 247Sports. While the transfer portal pickups over the offseason will likely cut into some immediate playtime for this star-studded group, the name to keep an eye on this season is linebacker Elijah Groves.
NC State enters the year with a linebacker group missing former All-American and Butkus Award winner Payton Wilson, who is already making a name for himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While it's a tall task to replace that level of production, Tony Gibson has established himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, particularly in the development of the linebacking group. The next name in line to join this historically prestigious group is Groves, a one-time Kentucky commit who the Pack successfully flipped on National Signing Day.
After arriving on campus earlier this summer, Gibson gave rave reviews of Groves in an interview with the ACC Road Trip crew, detailing an offseason where the former Top247 linebacker added over 18 pounds of muscle in just a month of being on campus. Furthermore, Gibson went on to call Groves a "creature" and a player who has already developed a frame that reminds him of the aforementioned Wilson.
While the Pack will likely start the year with a linebacking group of Sean Brown, Devon Betty and Caden Fordham, it would be no surprise to see Groves receive a significant amount of playtime and become a foundational piece for the Wolfpack defense moving forward.
Spencer Thomas: Elijah Groves
Being one of the highest linebacker recruits in recent years, Elijah Groves has already shown he has the physicality and IQ to make an impact on the Wolfpack defensively this year. In fact, he's the highest-ranked linebacker NC State has landed since Payton Wilson, so it makes sense that he's already making waves in his first fall camp.
Although the loss of Wilson leaves an enormous hole in the linebacker lineup, Groves has the capability to start to fill that hole in year one. With that possibility and his level of intensity that has already been seen in fall camp, I believe he will be the freshman of the year for NC State with his impact as a rotational player and carve out a more defined role in the future.
Cory Smith:Noah Rogers
Yeah, this one was a little too obvious in my opinion. Noah Rogers enters the 2024 season as one of the most talked about players on the roster for the Wolfpack, and he's only a redshirt freshman. After initially deciding to sign with Ohio State out of Rolesville (N.C.) High, the Raleigh native is back home and has all the intangibles to make an immediate impact in Year 1 with NC State.
Rogers brings great size, athleticism and speed to the Pack's wide receiving corps, but what could be a true difference maker is his ability to make contested catches. All of those factors made him a Top 50 overall player in the 2023 class and led to him being the No. 6 receiver in the transfer portal this cycle.
I fully expect Rogers to finish with 40-plus receptions and likely lead NC State in yards per reception as a true deep threat at the X receiver spot. Of course, there are a ton of other targets like Kevin Concepcion, Justin Joly, Wesley Grimes, Dacari Collins and more, but Rogers is going to be tough to keep off the field if he plays up to his potential.
