NC State working to blend 32 new faces with existing roster in spring practice

This was a different offseason for NC State coach Dave Doeren. Instead of the typical 10-15 new players on campus for spring practice, the Wolfpack have 32 additions on the practice field for the offseason work. 

NC State’s nearly three dozen new faces on the field presented a unique challenge for Doeren to help cultivate a bond that runs throughout the entire team. But it has been a task that the 12th-year coach has embraced in Raleigh. 

“When you just add 10-15 guys midyear, it’s not as hard to integrate, but 32 is a lot,” Doeren said after NC State’s first spring practice session Tuesday morning. “For me, it’s been how do we get this glue, this bond that we need, because that’s what wins games. When games get tight, one-possession games, that brotherhood is a big part of winning. I’ve got to really cultivate that.” 

The Wolfpack has looked for different ways to build the relationships throughout the entire roster — from the scholarship stars down to the walk-ons. One of those ways has been through NC State’s “Real World Wednesday” talks that are a weekly presentation to build leadership skills while also creating a sense of vulnerability within the team. 

Breaking down those walls is not always easy, but instead of bringing in guest speakers from outside the program, NC State has used the time for its own players and coaches to stand in front of the rest of the team to share their stories. 

Those efforts have worked, and the team has also looked to bond outside of the facility as well. 

“We’re just focused on hanging out outside of football,” senior defensive end Davin Vann said. “Lifting weights, watching film together, going out to eat, having a good time with each other to build that strong bond.”

NC State has stressed this bond within the program with the large influx of new faces, and part of that has to do with what has worked in the past. The Pack has thrived on a team getting along and playing for each other, so building those connections during the offseason will help when fall camp and the season roll around. 

“If you watch the Wolfpack play over the past couple of years, you can tell that we love each other here, really care for each other,” Coastal Carolina transfer quarterback Grayson McCall said. “That’s been one of my main goals during this transition was to get to know everybody. … It’s going great, and I’m looking forward to continuing to get to know all my teammates.”

Though NC State’s new faces are abundant, that does not mean they’re entirely strangers to those around them. Many of them have previous connections to the Wolfpack roster, whether that was born through playing against one another in high school or coming from the same college destination. 

One such highlight is Maryland transfer defensive backs Corey Coley Jr. and Tamarcus Cooley. The duo spent last season together in College Park, Md., and created a brother-like bond. While that relationship existed, so did Cooley’s connection with Ohio State transfer wide receiver Noah Rogers, who played with him at nearby Rolesville (N.C.) High. 

Doeren looked at the various links to the new players and the rest of the roster as a positive.

“Built-in friends coming in the door, that helps,” Doeren said. “Thirty-two guys, if none of them know each other, that can be challenging. There were some relationships, not only within the guys that came in, but with the guys currently on our team. … Those friendships help when you’re talking about building chemistry on your roster.”

While the off-the-field connections have time to grow, the newcomers are also learning the way NC State runs its program. The first day of practice was a brief introduction to how the Wolfpack operates on the grass fields outside of Carter-Finley Stadium, and Doeren said he noticed the newcomers were looking to find their bearings at times. 

The more the Pack practices together, the more efficient the team’s practices will become, Doeren noted. But for now, he was pleased with how the first day went and the red and white have positive things to build off.

“When you have a lot of change on the roster, you have a lot of work to do,” Doeren said. “The chemistry of the team, the timing of things, the communication. It’s great to be back out there. … There’s going to be a lot to coach off of, but I like the way the guys worked.”