Hines Welcomes New Challenges With Wolfpack

The former Wake Forest and Oregon wideout returns to the Atlantic Coast Conference as a key component of NC State's 2019 offense.

Replacing two 1,000-yard receivers is never easy, but NC State has a familiar face entering the fold in 2019.

After transferring to the program from Oregon, graduate student wide receiver Tabari Hines looks to make an immediate impact in his final season of collegiate eligibility. Arriving on campus at the start of fall camp, Hines is already putting his work in along with the rest of the receiver corps.

“I feel like we’ve got a way’s to go,” Hines said. “We still have to get timing down right, get familiar with the quarterbacks, and get our routes right. We’re taking it day by day.”

Before his brief stint as an Oregon Duck, Hines had three years in the Atlantic Division under his belt as one of Wake Forest’s top wideouts. During his time for the Demon Deacons he amassed 1,496 receiving yards on 123 receptions with 13 touchdowns.

Most Wolfpack fans would remember him (though not too fondly) for his performance against State on Nov. 18, 2017. Hines hauled in eight catches for 139 yards and three scores as the Deacs defeated the Pack by six in Winston-Salem. Despite earning ACC Player of the Week honors for that game, Hines made it clear that he wants to leave the days in the black and gold behind him.

“I try not to think about it too much because it’s in the past,” Hines said. “It’s a great opportunity being able to compete with guys in the ACC again. It brings out the best in me, and it keeps me wanting to work hard and do what I do.”

The secondary that allowed Hines to have a field day two years ago has also changed since then. Hines doted on the Wolfpack defense that continually makes him play to the best of his ability.

“They’ve definitely gotten a lot better. They bring a lot of energy. They take these practices very seriously, and they make us raise our standards up higher every practice. There’s good competition across the board.”

With Hines now at the mercy of head coach Dave Doeren and wide receivers coach/co-offensive coordinator George McDonald, the Florence, S.C. native is primed to give his best efforts from here until the end of the season. In that same vein, Doeren and McDonald are likely to fully tap into that potential.

“This program has very tough coaching. The coaches bring out the best in us from one all the way down to the last player. You don’t get that everywhere you go."