NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media on Wednesday following the team's first practice of spring ball.
NOTE: Click the video in the player above to watch the press conference.
Opening statement
It’s great to be back outside on the grass on a beautiful day for football. The guys did a good job. It was a lot of guys running around, a lot of guys got their first day of college football in today. It was good to see Micah Crowell playing again coming back from his injury, Chase Hattley out their playing for the first time, Zion Reeves, some guys that didn’t play last year that were on the team, and then our mid-year guys, getting them out there. And then like you’d expect, seeing Devin Leary throw the ball to Devin Carter, seeing how that looks. Grant Gibson, the communication on the o-line, defense having all these guys back. It was a great first day. Obviously we’re not hitting yet, but the install was clean.
On if he was impressed by how fast players were moving on the first day…
Yeah, I think some of it’s good. We’re in different phases. You have the older players, where you’re criticizing them for a one-inch false step because that’s where they’re at. And then you have the younger guys that have no idea what they’re doing, and it’s paralysis by analysis for them. So you’re coaching guys that are in different parts of their career right now on day one. And some of them like Devin Carter’s a great example, Shy Battle, they’re out there in their fourth spring ball, so things are routine; they’re flying around, they’re in great shape. And then you have the young guys like, ‘What period is it?”, “Where am I going?” You’re coaching all of it, so you can’t really give the team a grade, because you’ve got guys in different places.
On how receptive Crowell and Hattley were to their position changes…
Both of them were open to it. Like most people, they want to play. They’ve seen what’s happened here with they’re bodies. They’ve filled out, they’re both big kids who have filled in nicely. It gives them a better opportunity with the frame that they have to play in that role and do things for us earlier in their career.
On how he emphasizes to players that this year’s team is starting from scratch…
I think every team is that way, and for us it’s more about postseason, people talking about our next season just like that. It’s just a different mindset as far as coming back; you just can’t be complacent. You have to remember, we didn’t win the ACC. We had a really good season [and] a lot of those guys are back, but they want to be better than they were, so they carry that chip on their shoulder. Particularly how our season finished. There’s a really big chip on their shoulder to get back on the grass and play again.
On if he’s looking forward to skill position battles…
Yeah at every position. It’s not just who’s gonna win the starting job, you’re looking at who’s in if the starter’s not, because we all know you’re only guaranteed the next play, and we don’t know what’s gonna happen. Every day you’re out here as a football player, you’re one play away from being out. So we have to get the next center ready, get the next quarterback ready, the next this. And then there’s positions that are open, and you’re excited to see what’s going to happen with the battle in the skill spots, where there’s Emeka [Emezie] leaving, and see how that takes over and how it progresses with Thayer [Thomas] and Porter [Rooks] in there at the same time.
On Bryson Speas’ versatility and if tackle is his job to lose…
Coach Garrison has always cross-trained guys that are capable, and getting Speas at that position since he can play it. Gotta get guys reps, and this is the best time to let them compete against good defensive linemen and see what your best five is, and try to get them enough reps in different spots to see that.
On what he’s seen from players who previously redshirted…
Redshirting guys helps them a lot in a lot of ways. I think the maturity aspect, the ability to get in the weight room and get confident in your body to go out there and compete against a 22-year-old guy at times. It’s hard physically, mentally, emotionally. So a redshirt year I think is really good for their personal growth. It’s hard for me to say how I’ve seen them progress until we get pads on and start playing, but body wise I’ve seen them progress quite a bit.
On how big returning the entire coaching staff is for the program…
Continuity is really important. These guys trust who is coaching them, they have relationships built, there’s time invested from player to coach, coach to player. These coaches have recruited these guys into their rooms and I think all of that plays into it. It would be great if these guys left to be head coaches one day, and I would be fired up for them, but until it happens, we want to keep these guys together. It’s a great staff, we have great chemistry together, our wives have great chemistry together, it’s a family. I really am blessed with who I work with. I think that’s one of the things you guys would agree with, when you walk into the office and see coworkers that are also people you respect, they’re great family men, they also do things the right way, it makes work different. It’s not the same as work, you get a lot of pride in going to work and seeing them every day.
On bringing wide receiver Darryl Jones on board…
Just trying to gap the youth of our receiver room and the age of our receiver room. Obviously with Thayer coming back and [Carter] coming back, Porter has played, you’ve got three guys with experience but everyone else is young. So just getting one more older guy [after] losing CJ Riley and Emeka we felt would help that room.
On the running back position after losing Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person…
We’ve just got to get them reps. We trust Jordan [Houston], Delbert [Mims], Demarcus [Jones], those three guys have been here and we know what they’re gonna do. Now it’s time to see what the new freshmen can do and get them in the mix. So it’ll be those five that we ride with and obviously in 14 days I’ll have a better picture of where we’ll be.
On Ikem Ekownu’s development into a potential top-5 pick…
Yeah, I see Mel Kiper come out yesterday, obviously I have great respect for him, a guy that knows the draft as well as anybody, to pick him first overall is a great honor. I know that the combine and pro days and interviews will all be a part of this, but Icky deserves all the respect that he’s getting. He’s a tremendous football player, he’s a tremendous human being. I remember the first time he walked in that building with his dad, and I remember seeing him play live at a game. I miss him, not having him on the field. He’s a guy that changes the temperature of the room, he’s got tremendous energy.
On if things feel more normal with Covid now…
I think other than the mask wearing that you have to do in some places, things are pretty much back to normal. People have seemed to settle in on how life is and treating it a little more like the common cold I guess you’d say is what we’re seeing. But yeah, definitely normalizing.
On if there’s any depth he’d like to see added to the defense…
Yeah I think so. I’m excited to see Tayshaun Smith come back, he’s been out a while and played a little bit last year, but he’s an experienced player who hasn’t been healthy. So to get him physically and mentally back out there would be big. Seeing the progression of Nate Evans at corner, I’m looking forward to seeing that. And obviously I want to see Shy and Derrek [Pitts] get back together and compete and get better, and work on the things they can work on. But defensively, I think if you ask every coach, you’re always trying to find who’s your best weapon and then who’s next. Because that 11, as you saw last year, changed seven times for us. We had seven starters out and the next man up was terrific. So it’s very important that we build that depth at those positions.
On Payton Wilson’s recovery…
Payton Wilson’s doing great. Every hurdle he’s passed, and so going through the spring and continuing to get him where he needs to be this summer. But he’s fully cleared to do the things he’s doing, and I’m really excited about him. He feels great right now.
On Isaiah Moore’s recovery…
Doing great. Same thing, both those guys are on just a later timeline but they’ll be full speed in the summer.
On if he thinks there’s anyone who benefited most by being thrust into a bigger role last season…
Maybe Chris Toudle. He took advantage of his opportunities as good as anybody did last year and went from a guy who didn’t play at all to a guy who impacted games.
On CJ Clark’s role when he’s healthy…
CJ is a guy that played nose guard last year, we’re training him to be able to play both end and nose so he can be a dual-trained guy like Devin Vann is and Cory Durden, so we can constantly rotate and get our best guys out there. So it’s going to be a formidable group when you get CJ Clark back, you get Cory Durden back, there’s going to be some guys that gain some experience with a lot of ability. I’m excited about the D-line rotation.
On how good it is to return Devin Leary…
For a head coach to have his starting quarterback back when he truly has had success with and believes in is a great thing. I sleep better at night because of that, every coach will tell you that. Devin’s in a different place than he was 12 months ago, I’m really proud of him and I’m excited for him. But for me personally, and for every coach on staff and every coach in America, we all like having our starting quarterback back.
