The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1000643
120 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State redshirt freshman wide re- ceiver and return man Thayer Thomas received incredible news May 12. The former Wake Forest (N.C.) Heri- tage standout became one of the "buzz players" during spring practice and was rewarded with a scholarship. Thomas han- dled punt returns in rainy conditions and caught two passes for 17 yards in the 2018 Kay Yow Spring Game April 7 at Carter- Finley Stadium. The Thomas family received additional good news when Heritage senior mid- dle linebacker Drake Thomas, Thayer's younger brother, picked the Wolfpack June 1. Head coach Dave Doeren has been im- pressed with Thayer Thomas' work ethic. "He seems like a kid who has had a work ethic since he was young," Doeren said. "He is the same person every day, he works really hard, and he has a good skill set. He catches the ball well. He understands the game and has a high football IQ." The 6-1, 185-pound Thomas caught 74 passes for 965 yards and seven touch- downs his senior year at Heritage, where he played for former Wolfpack star Dewayne Washington. NC State prides itself on having capable walk-ons, with some eventually working their way into the starting lineup or two- deep. Thomas could be the next contribu- tor, especially in light of losing punt re- turner and kick returner Nyheim Hines to the NFL a year early. "He is sneaky, too; he runs by a lot of people," Doeren said. "The walk-ons are treated exactly like everybody else on the roster. They get the same opportunities. "It's about being opportunistic when you get a chance in the rotation, which he has this spring. He has been in there with the twos and the ones." NC State Suffers Roster Attrition During The Spring The Wolfpack lost five players during the spring, due to either injury or transfer. Redshirt freshman running back Erin Collins, redshirt freshman linebacker Ra- ven Saunders and redshirt sophomore cor- nerback Markel Valdez all decided to trans- fer to other schools. Valdez is headed to Hampton, Saunders is going to Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College and Collins WOLFPACK FOOTBALL Walk-On Thayer Thomas Rewarded With A Scholarship Thomas, a redshirt freshman wide receiver and kick returner, capped a strong spring by hauling in two receptions for 17 yards and handling punt returns in rainy conditions during the Kay Yow Spring Game April 7. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN ■ Projected 2018 NC State Depth Chart OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. QB 15 Ryan Finley 6-4 210 6th-Sr. 7 Matthew McKay 6-4 200 R-Fr. RB 25 Reggie Gallaspy II 5-11 236 Sr. 20 Ricky Person Jr. 6-1 212 Fr. X 3 Kelvin Harmon 6-3 213 Jr. 19 C.J. Riley 6-4 204 R-So. Z 1 Stephen Louis 6-2 217 5th-Sr. 86 Emeka Emezie 6-3 209 So. S 11 Jakobi Meyers 6-2 203 R-Jr. 87 Thayer Thomas 6-0 185 R-Fr. TE 42 Dylan Autenrieth 6-4 235 R-So. 28 Dylan Parham 6-5 235 R-So. LT 53 Tyler Jones 6-3 300 5th-Sr. 52 Kendall Brown 6-4 280 R-So. LG 70 Terronne Prescod 6-5 331 5th-Sr. 73 Justin Chase 6-5 302 R-So. C 65 Garrett Bradbury 6-3 300 5th-Sr. 71 Joe Sculthorpe 6-3 311 R-So. RG 66 Joshua Fedd-Jackson 6-3 332 So. 72 Philip Walton Jr. 6-6 305 R-Jr. RT 67 Justin Witt 6-6 307 R-So. 55 Tyrone Riley 6-6 285 R-Jr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. DE 80 James Smith-Williams 6-3 262 R-Jr. 44 Joe Babros 6-4 243 Jr. DT 91 Eurndraus Bryant 6-1 325 Sr. 92 Larrell Murchison 6-3 285 R-Jr. DT 90 Shug Frazier 6-3 316 R-So. 73 Grant Gibson 6-1 309 R-Fr. DE 45 Darian Roseboro 6-4 287 Sr. 97 Xavier Lyas 6-4 236 R-Fr. WLB 3 Germaine Pratt 6-3 245 5th-Sr. 36 Brock Miller 6-3 231 R-So. MLB 2 Louis Acceus 5-11 224 So. 41 Isaiah Moore 6-2 235 R-Fr. NIC 21 Stephen Griffin 6-3 211 R-Jr. 13 Stephen Morrison 5-11 216 5th-Sr. CB 4 Nick McCloud 6-1 189 Jr. 27 Vernon Grier 5-10 190 R-Jr. CB 8 Maurice Trowell 5-11 189 5th-Sr. 15 Chris Ingram 6-0 186 So. SS 31 Jarius Morehead 6-1 220 R-Jr. 22 Isaiah Stallings 6-4 223 R-So. FS 14 Dexter Wright 6-2 232 5th-Sr. 34 Tim Kidd-Glass 6-1 202 Jr. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. K 32 Christopher Dunn 5-8 170 Fr. 92 Kyle Bambard 5-8 190 Sr. P 90 A.J. Cole III 6-4 220 Sr. 99 Trenton Gill 6-4 204 R-Fr. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. LS 57 Tyler Griffiths 6-1 250 Sr. 50 Jackson Quiggle 5-11 214 R-So. SPECIAL TEAMS X — Split end wide receiver Z — Flanker wide receiver S — Slot receiver