#Wolfpack 2020: Going Deep With New Class of Receivers
It's no secret that the NC State football team struggled on offense this season, especially in the passing game.
The Wolfpack ranked dead last in the ACC in both scoring and offensive efficiency against conference opponents while going through three starting quarterbacks -- none of which exactly distinguished themselves.
But it would be simplistic to simply blame the trio of Matthew McKay, Bailey Hockman and Devin Leary for the Wolfpack's offensive deficiencies. Its hard to complete passes downfield when your receivers aren't getting open downfield.
"I think the one thing that we saw watching us on the field this year, is we need to get more separation," coach Dave Doeren said Wednesday at his early signing day press conference. "We need to have more runs after the catch. Adding some competition in (the receivers) room with those skill sets was important."
It's a priority Doeren and his receivers coach, co-offensive coordinator George McDonald, addressed by bringing in four new receivers in a 17-man recruiting class for 2020.
Here's what McDonald had to say about Porter Rooks, Anthony Smith, Chris Scott and Jalen Coit, and how they might contribute to the improvement of State's offense:
"We always want the best football players that we can get. Like what coach Doeren said, as an offensive staff we really wanted to try and get guys that had verified speed coming in. Coach Thunder (strength and conditioning coach Dantonio Burnette) does a great job of getting our guys faster and building them up through the weight program.
If we could get a guy that was an elite track guy, if we could get a guy on tape that shows over the course of his high school career that he could make people miss in space, we really wanted to try and target those guys and get them into our program.
Despite the struggles of 2019, McDonald said that State's recent history receivers -- particularly current NFl players Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers -- was an asset in helping to attract talented young receivers into the program:
"Kids have more information now, so they can check your track record of what you’ve done over the past career. Having guys that you've directly coached in the system that you’re running always helps, because you can say ‘Hey, this is what we did with Kelvin. This is what we did with Jakobi. This is how we helped Steph (Louis) have the type of stats he had.’ So I think it always helps when you have continuity of a staff that can continue on a tradition."
McDonald was asked if the Wolfpack's passing woes this season made it easier to recruit receivers, since they all have the opportunity to come in and contribute right away:
"Anytime you can add good players, I think it helps everybody. The troubles that we had were a myriad of troubles. But anytime you add players to a program that’s established like we are, it just makes the whole program better."
Finally, McDonald provided a scouting report on all four of his new receivers, each of whom share one thing in common. Speed:
"I think they're similar and different, if that's possible. Scott is a straight-line fast guy. He's a documented 10.79 (in the 100 meters). He's fast, fast. Coit, not having a track time because he's an elite basketball player, he has really good change of direction. And he can catch and run. He's probably an inch smaller than Chris, but once again, he's a guy who can do things with the ball naturally. That comes from his baskeball ability.
"Chris Scott and Anthony Smith are verified track fast. I think Porter (Rooks) and Jalen (Coit) are verified football fast and have the ability to do things naturally in terms of yards after the catch and make people miss in open space.
"As a group I think they're very dynamic. They have a chance to get us in that position of having some guys that can do something after the catch with the ball in their hands."
Here's a look at what to expect from the new class of receivers. Firsts, four-star Porter Rooks (6-1, 190, Charlotte):
Three-star Chris Scott (6-0, 160, Dacula, Ga.)
Three-star Jalen Coit, a South Carolina Shrine Bowler (5-11, 160, Cheraw, S.C.)
And three-star Anthony Smith (6-1, 185, Huntingtown, Md.)
