The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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144 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Five Best Players 1. Matthew Dayes, Running Back Dayes became the first NC State run- ning back since T.A. McLendon in 2002 to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season when he ran for 1,166 yards in 2016, the sixth highest tally in a single year in school history. He would have broken 1,000 yards in 2015 had a toe injury against Clemson halfway through the eighth game of the season not ended his campaign at 865 rush- ing yards and 12 scores. Dayes averaged 108.1 yards per game that year. That injury also cost him the chance of be- coming just the fourth running back in school history to break 3,000 career yards — he finished his time in Raleigh with 2,856 yards. 2. Joshua Jones, Safety Jones will likely be the last member of the 2013 class to be playing in the NFL. He was drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Packers and started seven games during his rookie season in 2017. Jones was a rare combination of size (6-1, 220 pounds) and athleticism (clocking 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL com- bine). After a considerably promising red- shirt freshman season followed by an uneven sophomore year, Jones put it all together as a junior. Although he was not awarded all- conference honors, he played at that level with six games of double-digit tackles. 3. Jack Tocho, Cornerback Strangely, Tocho — an athletic, pro- ductive defensive back at a state power High Attrition In a 10-year span from 2004-13, the 2013 recruiting class had the second high- est attrition rate (56.5 percent) behind only to the lost class of 2012 (72.7), which was almost completely decimated shortly after Dave Doeren arrived on the job. Of the 13 who were gone before their careers ended, two were for health rea- sons, four transferred to other schools, one left early for the NFL, three (all offensive linemen) gave up football and three were dismissed from the team. Year Signees Attrition Rate 2004 16 7 48.4 percent 2005 22 8 36.4 percent 2006 18 10 55.5 percent 2007 25 11 44.0 percent 2008 22 8 36.4 percent 2009 24 11 45.8 percent 2010 17 5 29.4 percent 2011 20 6 30.0 percent 2012 22 16 72.7 percent 2013 23 13 56.5 percent