NC State football's Dave Doeren talks Grayson McCall, position battles, practice standouts

RALEIGH — The time to hit the field has arrived for N.C. State football , which held its first official practice of the 2024 season on Wednesday.

Following the Wolfpack ’s practice debut, 12th-year head coach Dave Doeren touched on several topics inside the lobby of the Close-King Indoor Practice Facility as N.C. State begins preparation for its season opener on Aug. 29 against Western Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Veteran defenders Aydan White and Davin Vann, along with reigning ACC Rookie of the Year wide receiver KC Concepcion, are among the returners for the Wolfpack. Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall headlines a group of highly-touted additions from the transfer portal.

Here are some highlights from Doeren’s first press conference of the 2024 preseason.

Grayson McCall settling in as NC State’s quarterback

Following the departures of Brennan Armstrong and MJ Morris, quarterback was at the top of Doeren’s to-do list ahead of the 2024 season.

It didn’t take long for the Wolfpack to find their guy. In mid-December, Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall committed to N.C. State. So far, so good for Doeren and the Wolfpack.

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“Thankful that he’s here. Excited for him, impressed by him,” Doeren said.

“He understands the game, he’s a quick learner and he’s a really good teammate. … He holds himself to a high standard and has no problem holding other guys accountable, and he does it in a good way. He’s demanding, but not demeaning. He’s got great touch on the field … he’s a vet and he’s a great fit in our program.”

Dave Doeren breaks down NC State football position battles

Offensive line, wide receiver and the secondary are among the position groups Doeren is keeping an eye on over the next few weeks.

N.C. State is set to return four of its five offensive line starters from last season in Anthony Belton, Anthony Carter Jr., Timothy McKay and Jacarrius Peak. Notre Dame transfer Zeke Correll is expected to slide into the starting center role and Oregon transfer Dawson Jaramillo could be in the mix for a spot.

Still, Doeren said, “there’s some competition there (on the offensive line), looking forward to seeing that at the guard positions — left guard, in particular.” Carter and freshman Kamen Smith are among the left guards.

Doeren also pointed to “some really talented young receivers,” a group that includes Ohio State transfer and redshirt freshman Noah Rogers, along with true freshmen Terrell Anderson, Jonathan Paylor and Keenan Jackson.

Defensively, the Wolfpack added depth to its secondary with Auburn transfer Donovan Kaufman, Ohio State transfer Ja’Had Carter and Akron transfer Kerry Martin Jr.

“We brought in some older DBs and there’s a competition there,” Doeren said. “Every day, these guys have an opportunity. The film is your resume. Go out and show what you are.”

Tamarcus Cooley, Keenan Jackson among NC State tone-setters on opening day

When asked if there were any surprises on the first official day of practice, Doeren said, “not really, it’s who we expected” before he mentioned two players who stood out.

“It’s good to see Tamarcus Cooley made some plays, had some nice interceptions,” Doeren said. “Keenan Jackson had some nice catches. Those two guys stepped up and looked good.”

Cooley, a redshirt freshman defensive back and Maryland transfer, originally committed to the Wolfpack in 2022 before picking the Terps. He played two games in his redshirt season.

Jackson was MVP of the 2023 NCHSAA 4A state championship game for Weddington. A day after decommitting from UNC in late December, the wide receiver chose the Wolfpack. He logged more than 3,000 yards with 35 touchdowns in high school.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State football's Dave Doeren talks Grayson McCall, position battles, practice standouts