NC State football availability report: TE Justin Joly, RB Hollywood Smothers questionable vs. Georgia Tech

NC State hasn’t played in Raleigh in nearly a month. Now, the Wolfpack returns home to host No. 8 Georgia Tech on Saturday night (7:30 p.m., ESPN2) at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Even though the Pack is back on its own field this weekend, it won’t be at full health going into its top-10 upset bid against the Yellow Jackets. NC State has 14 players listed out, while four more — all starters — are questionable going into the critical game.

Here’s a look at the Wolfpack’s Week 10 initial availability report.

NC State’s availability report

OUT

LB Sean Brown
S Rente Hinton
DB Isaiah Crowell
WR Jonathan Paylor
CB Jaren Sensabaugh
LB AJ Richardson
LB Cole Wilson
S Daemon Fagan
LB Sterling Dixon
S Brody Barnhardt
DL Steven Stokes III
OL Tyler West
OL Spike Sowells Jr.
OL Trent Mitchell

Questionable

S Ronnie Royal III
RB Hollywood Smothers
TE Justin Joly
S JJ Johnson

Notes on NC State’s availability report

— Sowells, the Wolfpack’s standout freshman right guard, is out for the second straight week. NC State will, however, get left guard Anthony Carter Jr. back from injury after he missed the Pitt loss following being a game-time decision last weekend.

— Joly and Royal, both of whom left the Pitt loss early due to injury, are questionable. Smothers, the ACC’s leading rusher, has played in every game this fall but isn’t a guarantee to play against Georgia Tech. Johnson, meanwhile, missed last week’s game due to an undisclosed injury, but appears to be recovering and was upgraded to questionable.

Georgia Tech’s availability report

OUT

DB Ahmari Harvey
DB Savion Riley
LB Myles Forristall
LS Will Benton IV

Questionable

DB Jy Gilmore
DL Matthew Alexander

Probable

WR Malik Rutherford
OL Harrison Moore