NC State OG Yousef Mugharbil Has Worked His Way Into The Starting Lineup
NC State saw significant improvement in the running game between week one against ECU and week two against UVA. Spectators who pay close attention to the offensive line may have noticed a new name in the group on Saturday.
Yousef Mugharbil got the starting nod at right guard for the Pack.
The 6-foot-5, 322-pound redshirt senior lineman has had to overcome quite a few hurdles to get on the field this season. As a freshman at Florida in 2021, Mugharbil redshirted while he rehabbed from an injury caused by a traffic accident.
Since then, he has not seen any significant game action. Last year, he played three snaps on the line against Stanford and saw action on special teams in three other games.
In addition to the injury, Mugharbil transferred to Colorado and then to NC State in the same offseason. As a result, he was ruled ineligible for transferring twice in the same year. Due to that, he started his career as a walk-on at NC State. Since then, he has earned a scholarship and feels “earning a scholarship as a guy who's not on one at any moment, you know, that's a dream come true for everybody. That's the goal of pretty much every walk-on, just earning a scholarship. So I feel very blessed that I was able to do that.”
To earn a scholarship after being a walk-on, you have to show some kind of improvement.
According to Mugharbil, he feels he’s gotten better in just about every aspect of his game.
“When I got here, I was still very underdeveloped as a player, physically as well,” he said. “I was out of shape. I got a lot stronger, a lot quicker, and I just became a more round, complete player.”
Given all that he’s been through, how has that shaped his perspective on life or how he approaches things?
“Yeah, I mean, I think I've been telling myself, like, after what I've been through in college football, and what everyone goes through when they're playing college football, the challenges that occur to you in life, that will happen because that's just what life's about. It's going to make it a whole lot easier to get through that. You just remember what you did to get through what you got through now.”
Given all the hard work and preparation it must take to be a part of a college football program, what has the last 4 or 5 years been like for Yousef?
“A lot of work, a lot of dedication, staying focused, and not letting any outside noise get in my ear and keep me away from the path I’m on.”
That hard work seems to finally be paying off in the form of getting on the field. That first game action had to feel great to Mugharbil.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I was very excited, and it was a long time coming. It was good to just get out there with my guys and play some football.
“I just realized, this is it. This is, me against them, us against them. And I was just excited to do everything I could for the team in a moment where it really mattered the most.”
After overcoming an injury, transferring multiple times, dealing with eligibility issues, being a walk-on, and not playing much, it would have been easy to give up. Yousef has stuck with it. Becoming a starter had to seem unlikely to him at some point.
“I mean, I think there's been a lot of things in my way that have made things seem unlikely. But I knew that I am good enough to do whatever I put my mind to. And I think the most important part is just putting your mind to it and following through with it.”
Mugharbill and the Wolfpack take on Wake Forest on Thursday night in Winston-Salem. Whether it is protecting CJ Bailey in the passing game or paving the way for Hollywood Smothers, NC State needs the offensive line to play well to keep winning. Based on his work ethic and success against UVA, Yousef Mugharbil should continue to be a big part of that success moving forward.
