Dave Doeren: "We've Been Able To Grow Our Roster Over Time"
NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media following the Wolfpack’s first fall practice in full pads leading into the 2022 season.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Doeren’s interview.
“Well, it’s consistency over time. Bradley [Chubb] had a really solid sophomore year, one that kind of gave us the belief in him, and I see that with Savion [Jackson]. Bradley took it to another level. Savion still needs to do that, but we see that in him. It’s just consistent behavior over a long period of time, as a coach, that builds trust. With him, as you can see, he’s put on good weight, he’s moving well, and he’s out there everyday working hard. It’s our way of not just to honor those guys that have worn No. 9 but to get a player to understand we have confidence in him.”
“I want to make sure those guys understand why we’re doing it. Bradley had to do the same thing. He had to call Mario [Williams]. Mario talked to him. It’s what the responsibility is. It’s more than a jersey number. It’s a legacy.”
“Well, that piece of it [NIL] is new, but we’ve been trying since I’ve been here to build our walk-on program, and we have. We’re fortunate to be in a state that has so many kids that want to come to our school. To be able to have the roster size we do because of Title IX, we’ve been able to grow our roster over time. There’s kids we’re turning away [due to demand]. It’s a great position to be in. There’s kids turning down lower-level scholarships, at times, to come walk on here to play at the school they want to play at and play at the highest level to see if they’re good enough. It helps so much, and sometimes it’s not just on the scout team. Sometimes, it’s guys like Thayer Thomas or Brady Bodine from a couple of years ago that come along and earn scholarships and become some of our better playmakers on our team.”
“[Julian Gray brings] more confidence. He’s making more catches. He’s more consistent with fewer mistakes. He’s been fast since the minute he got on campus, but now he knows where to go and how to use his speed.”
“Darryl Jones would be one [unexpected standout player] just because he was out most of the spring with a hamstring. Being able to watch him now for seven practices and see his growth, he’s what we thought he was going to be, but we didn’t know because he was hurt all spring. His name comes to mind, for sure. Defensively, Jaylon Scott and Devon Betty, the two linebackers that got a lot of reps last year after injuries [to other players], have improved a lot. They’re making a lot of plays in practice.”
“Each position coach has a different room of guys. The running back room’s going to practice differently and have more reps than the linebacker room right now because we have three starters back at linebacker and no starter back at running back. Each coach has to manage his room, and we do know how many snaps these guys have in games. The magic of it is is how much do they need to be ready to play as good as they can in 23 days. We don’t have to give them everything. We have to give them enough. That’s where we have to discuss those reps everyday.”
“Tanner [Ingle] is different. He triggers differently than a lot of people in the back end. He sees things. His vision and ability to diagnose plays and react is unique. Having him out there, especially in the run game, makes a big difference because he can get from 12 yards from the line of scrimmage to the ball in a hurry. Even though he’s in a pass-coverage position at times where they’re not counting him, he can show up and be an extra hat.”
“Anthony Belton, for example, was a guy that heard all offseason about what’s gone instead of what’s coming back. For him, he’s got to prove. He knows he has an opportunity because, naturally, you’re going to wonder who our next left tackle is. It’s an opportunity to be in that spotlight and show that he’s good enough.”
“It’s a little different with [Jordan Houston] because he played so much a couple of years ago, but last year you could say he was the forgotten man. He was a great role player on special teams, and now it’s his turn."