NC State will face off against Richmond in its home opener. Here are several names to watch for the Spiders ahead of the home opener.
No. 6 DL Camden Byrd - Graduate - 6-foot-3, 247 pounds
Byrd enters the 2026 season as one of Richmond's most experienced and disruptive defensive players. The team captain was named to the Buck Buchanan Award preseason watch list and earned first-team preseason All-America honors from FCS Football Central.
The graduate student started all 12 games for the Spiders last season, recording 36 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, six quarterback hits, and a pass breakup.
Byrd continued that production in Richmond's season opener against Bucknell, recording three sacks as the Spiders held the Bison to 187 total yards. He also got his fourth sack in a 28-21 win against Howard.
NC State head coach Dave Doeren compared Byrd to former Wolfpack defensive lineman Cian Slone in his presser on Monday, highlighting the veteran's ability to create problems along the defensive front.
His ability to generate pressure could be particularly important against an NC State offensive line looking to rebound from its season-opening performance against Virginia. How the Wolfpack handles Byrd up front will be one of the more important individual matchups to watch.
No. 18 QB Ashten Snelsire - Senior - 6-foot-3, 233 pounds
Snelsire appeared in 10 games and started three last season, completing 52.3% of his passes for 848 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions while also rushing for 188 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
He opened the 2026 season with arguably his best performance of the year, throwing three touchdown passes in Richmond's 35-14 victory over Bucknell. The Spiders finished the game with 393 total yards while building a 28-0 halftime lead.
NC State's ability to disrupt Snelsire in the pocket and prevent him from creating explosive plays will be an important part of slowing down a Richmond offense that showed plenty of balance in its opener.
No. 8 WR Bryce Allen - Freshman - 6-foot-3, 206 pounds
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound freshman receiver gives Richmond another big target on the outside. Allen is the team’s second-leading receiver with seven catches for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first two games, averaging 20.6 yards per catch.
His performances have immediately established him as a primary weapon for Snelsire in the passing game and given Richmond a young player capable of stretching the field vertically for the Spiders.
Allen's size presents another challenge for an NC State secondary that will need to limit Richmond's passing game. His matchup against the Wolfpack's cornerbacks, such as Brian Nelson II and Jaren Sensabaugh, will be worth watching.
No. 3 RB Aziz Foster-Powell - Senior - 5-foot-9, 218 pounds
Foster-Powell enters his senior season as Richmond's leading returning rusher and one of the most important pieces of the Spiders' offense.
The Richmond native earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors in 2025 after leading the Spiders with 568 rushing yards on 125 carries. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored four rushing touchdowns while adding another touchdown as a receiver.
Foster-Powell immediately picked up where he left off, with 25 carries for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns. Doeren called Foster-Powell a “really good player” in his Monday presser, and his combination of vision, physicality, and production gives Richmond a dependable option in the backfield.
NC State's ability to maintain its run fits and limit Foster-Powell's effectiveness will be an important factor in keeping Richmond's offense from establishing the balance it showed in Week 1.
No. 11 LB Blake Houser - Junior - 6-foot-3, 227 pounds
Houser emerged as one of Richmond's most productive defensive players in the Spiders' season opener. Through two games for the Spiders, Houser has tallied 18 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one pass break-up, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. Leading the defense in tackles for the first two games.
The junior linebacker played in all 12 games as a freshman in 2024 and recorded a career-high 12 tackles against Holy Cross that season. He also recorded four tackles for loss and three sacks.
His 6-foot-3, 227-pound frame gives Richmond a physical presence in the middle of its defense, while his ability to get into the backfield adds another element to the Spiders' front seven.
Houser will be an important factor against an NC State offense that will look to establish the run and find consistency after struggling to move the ball in the season opener. The Wolfpack's ability to account for Houser at the second level will be worth watching.
