Leary Still Penciled in As Wolfpack Starting QB
The NC State football team only got five spring practices in before the NCAA halted all athletic activities in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
But apparently that was enough to reinforce Dave Doeren's handle on his quarterback situation. The Wolfpack coach said during a Zoom conference with local media Wednesday that he still has redshirt sophomore Devin Leary penciled into the starting job.
But at we all know, pencils are usually equipped with erasers, which is why Doeren isn't ruling out the chances of his three other quarterbacks once the all-clear is given and teams can resume preparations for the coming season.
"Like I’ve said multiple times now, it's his job to lose," Doeren said of Leary, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound New Jersey native who started the final five games of the 2019 season. "I know he's excited about the opportunity to grow from where he was."
Leary was one of three quarterbacks to see game action last season.
Matthew McKay, who has since transferred to Montana State, started the first five games before being relieved by rising junior Bailey Hockman for the next two. Although the Wolfpack lost all of the games Leary started, he displayed more arm strength and better poise in the pocket than his two predecessors.
He finished the season completing only 48.1 percent of his passes for 1,219 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
Despite the vote of confidence he received from his coach on Wednesday, Leary could potentially be pushed by Hockman, redshirt freshman Ty Evans and early enrolling true freshman Ben FInley -- all of whom made a positive impression on Doeren during the shortened spring.
"I know Bailey (Hockman) wants to be a better player than he was and he will compete his butt off to do so. I was excited about the progress he was making," Doeren said. "Then you have two young guys in Ty and Ben that are just trying to learn the offense right now.
"You have two guys that have played significant reps that we're counting on and two young guys that we want to see get better and have great ability and leadership tools. I like where we're at. We just need the opportunity to coach them now. I think that's the biggest thing moving forward. Reps are so valuable. Every rep counts. Until we can get back on the grass with them, it’s kind of a standstill situation."
The shutdown that shows no signs of ending anytime soon has complicated an already unsettled quarterback situation, not only because of the practice time Leary and the others missed but also because of the offensive changes brought about by the hiring of new coordinator Tim Beck.
"Spring ball would have been very valuable for all of our players that needed reps, obviously quarterback being critical with that," Doeren said. "We're in the same boat everyone else is. Coach Beck has done a really good job dialoguing with those guys and continuing their growth mindsets and helping them. Those kids are going to work really hard, and when we get them back here, whenever that is, we'll pick up where we left off."
Despite the less than ideal circumstances, Doeren said he's optimistic about his team's offense regardless of who ends up under center.
"I think for all those guys, they're going to learn from that experience," Doeren said of last year's revolving door at quarterback. "I think that's what it's all about. When you watch the evolution of a player, they need reps and they need game experience. They need to be able to learn from the things that happen good and bad, and good players take advantage of those moments, whether they're positive moments or negative moments."
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