NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media Wednesday morning as the Wolfpack progresses through fall camp in the lead-up to the 2023 season.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Doeren’s interview.
On how fall camp has been progressing since he last spoke with the media…
It’s great to be out there today. Yesterday was brutally hot. It was the hottest day in 15 years. We actually managed the heat well. Tomorrow’s a big scrimmage, the last one before we have a game in two weeks. I’m excited to see the growth from last Thursday to this Thursday’s scrimmage. It’s been a fun camp. Today was a big red zone day. Tomorrow, we’ll get in there and move the ball. We want to see consistent play out of some players. The biggest thing we’re looking for is the individual improvement on a daily basis. We’re trying to get the little things each day with different guys. Overall, it’s been good.
On what he wants to see improved from the last scrimmage…
It’d take five hours to explain all of that. Every guy on the field has areas to get better. We played in a downpour last Thursday. Hopefully, we’ll at least have a day without rain where we can run our normal plays. I want to see if we can throw and catch in the stadium; we weren’t really throwing the ball a ton in the rain that day. I want to see our guys finish blocks. The biggest area is just fewer mistakes and mental errors. It’s things that you would expect in your first scrimmage. People talk about growth between the first and second game. I’m expecting to see similar growth between the two scrimmages. We'll continue competition for the specialists; we want to see those guys kick in the stadium.
On what areas have stood out so far…
Our defensive line play has [stood out]. We have three older guys coming back: Savion [Jackson], C.J. [Clark], and Davin [Vann], but just the legs and the freshness that we have in there right now — being able to play multiple guys [like] Brandon Cleveland, Noah Potter, Red Hibbler, and Isaiah Shirley — there’s good rotation in there, and there’s a lot of production. It’s been an area we’ve been really excited about.
The linebacking corps, there’s a lot of eyes on that, losing two starters. It’s been fun to see Jaylon Scott, Devon Betty, and Caden Fordham emerge and get opportunities in there. One of the young linebackers, Kamal Bonner, has had a good camp as well.
If Brayden Narveson or Collin Smith has locked down the starting kicker role…
Not yet. We’ll probably have a really good feel after tomorrow. They’re all doing well.
On the team’s overall depth…
It depends on the day. Right now, it’s pretty good, but it’s a day-to-day thing. There’s good, competitive depth on our roster. There’s good, young players developing at the same time. We’ve still got two weeks, so hopefully we can stay in the same place. Most of the things we’re dealing with are minor.
On the conference shakeups…
One, I’m trying to do the best I can where I’m at, and NC State’s in a good place. I love the fact our conference has stayed what it is, and people haven’t left. There’s a lot of chattering and different things like that, but at this time of year, it’s really hard as a coach to spend all your time thinking about things that are out of your control.
From a naturalist standpoint, it’s disappointing to see some traditional rivalries break up in college football. I don’t like that, and a lot of people probably feel the same way. You’re losing hundreds of years of interstate rivalries in some cases. I was a part of that when I was at Kansas. The Kansas-Missouri game stopped, and that was tough, as a native to that state, to see that that no longer existed. You see it in other conferences as well. I don’t think that’s good for any sport, especially the one we’re in.
On Scott staying with the program…
In today’s world, there’s so many exits guys can take, easy ways to avoid adversity and move on with life. In Jaylon’s case, he’s grown up a ton here, and we’re so proud of the man he’s becoming and what he’s done. It’s not easy sitting behind players, but for him, the personal growth and the person he’s become through all of that adversity has helped him. We’re excited for him, and he’s playing really well.
On the importance of recruiting in-state players…
We’re excited about recruiting. I can’t comment on the guys. Things are good. In-state has always been something that we try to do. We want our young men in the state of North Carolina to stay home. We want them to play for us when we feel like they’re that kind of player. It’s helpful for their families. They get to be close by and be a part of the experience with them. It’s helpful for young men when they get time off. They can go home and be around their siblings and grandparents. I think part of that, for us, was a huge, huge push. When I first got here, the roster was less than half in-state. Now, it’s closer to 70 percent. It’s something that we take a lot of pride in.
