How NC State OL Yousef Mugharbil’s ‘relentless’ work ethic helped earn his first start following recovery from 2021 traffic collision

Yousef Mugharbil jogged onto the natural grass playing surface inside NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium with an excitement he hadn’t felt in years Saturday afternoon. It was 90 degrees on an abnormally warm September day, but that didn’t matter to the right guard.  At last, Mugharbil had earned his first-career start at the college level. It came after one of the more winding roads as he went from being among the top 10 offensive line prospects in the 2021 recruiting cycle to a path-altering traffic incident before he even had a chance to put on a Florida game uniform — requiring a more-than-three-year-long path back to the field. But Mugharbil, a 6-foot-5, 322-pound bruiser on the line, was able to get back onto the field for his first set of consistent snaps in the Wolfpack’s 35-31 win over Virginia this past weekend. It marked a full-circle moment for the once highly-touted high school recruit. He hadn't been on the field with an offense for the first snaps of a game since his senior season at Murphy (N.C.), when the Bulldogs beat Northside-Pinetown for the 1A state title during the spring 2021 season inside the very stadium he was set to do it again in. And his mind quickly focused on the task at hand. “I just realized this is it,” Mugharbil said Monday afternoon, sweat dripping from his white Wolfpack practice jersey with a red No. 71 across his chest. “This is me against them, us against them. I was just excited to do everything I could for the team in a moment where it mattered the most.” For NC State coach Dave Doeren, Mugharbil embodies everything the Wolfpack program stands for. He, in a way, beat the odds and became a unique story on the college football landscape in 2025.  “Yousef’s story is one for the books,” Doeren said. “He came here and has worked really hard. I’m proud of him. It’s a great story. He came in, gave us some really great energy today, some blocks. He’s a physical kid, really strong, one of our stronger offensive linemen. I’m happy for him, proud of him and it’s a great story, not one you see a lot in college football.” The years in between the tragic accident and his return to the field have changed Mugharbil’s perspective on life. He, however, found a way to overcome multiple obstacles that life set in front of him. Mugharbil, a determined and tough-spirited player, wasn’t going to let anything get in his way from earning his first-ever collegiate start.