NC State Football Position Preview: Tight Ends/H-Backs
Regardless of whoever is running the offense, ever since Dave Doeren has taken over as the head coach of the Wolfpack, he has been adamant about utilizing his tight ends. Going into last season, this position was in question after Southern Cal transfer Cary Angeline decided not to exercise his last year of eligibility. Dylan Parham was able to lighten the load slightly for newcomers as the lead blocker of the group; newcomers being former running back Trent Pennix and converted wide receiver Christopher Toudle. But now that Parham is out of the mix as well, there will certainly be some new faces that will join Pennix and Toudle in the very important position under Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck.
It would be hard to debate that a player for NC State was revitalized more this past season than Trent Pennix. The hometown kid out of Sanderson High committed to the Wolfpack as a running back along with high school teammate Alim McNeil. While McNeil’s career blossomed from the start, now in Detroit playing professionally, Pennix was more of a slow bloomer. Struggling to find playing time behind an ever-evolving running back group, he, along with Doeren thought a move to the hybrid H-back position would increase his on-field opportunities. A position that is not asked to block as much as a traditional tight end, the H-back is usually off of the line of scrimmage, counting as one of the backs in the formation. However, the H-Back is called upon more often offensively in short-yardage passing situations in addition to the occasional sweep or misdirection run. And after seeing what Pennix was able to do in this position last year, it is difficult to see him anywhere else on the field now. Catching a career-high 17 balls for 246 yards and three scores, it seemed that he was always a go-to favorite for QB Devin Leary in the clutch moments of a game. The RS Junior is setting up for an even bigger 2022 season, but how will he react to having defenses now building their schemes around containing him.
The other player that made a position change in order to see more playing time is Hoggard High graduate Christopher Toudle. The Wilmington native joined the Wolfpack three years ago as a wide receiver. After redshirting his first season and seeing minimal snaps as a RS Freshman, he made the switch to tight end after Cary Angeline departed. While there were some adjustments that needed to be made to not only his game but to his body, he improved drastically as the season progressed. From not seeing a target to hauling in 19 receptions with four touchdowns within a year is extremely impressive, which is why he earned the team’s “Alpha Rising Award” in 2021, which honors one player on the team that showed exceptional improvement. However, for this coming season, he may be taking on the lead blocking role as the Y, the traditional tight end, no longer relieving Pennix as the H-back. No question that Toudle will be able to produce offensively but can he become one of the team’s best blockers that the Y position has so often been in the Doeren era?
If Toudle is slower to improve on his run-blocking, look for Kameron (Kam) Walker to step in as the lead tight end. From Pisgah High in Canton, North Carolina, Walker has become one of the leaders on special teams over the past two seasons. The big-bodied RS Sophomore could potentially see a major jump in snaps with the offense, playing a big role in run-blocking for the zone stretches that we have become so accustomed to.
We may also see the emergence of twin brothers out of Swainsboro, Georgia, Fredrick and Cedric Seabrough. The RS Freshmen, who go by Fred and Ced, were both stars alongside each other at Swainsboro High, combining for 176 receptions, 2,327 yards, and 29 touchdowns during their careers there. While both have yet to see any action on the field, it would not surprise me if one, if not both, elevate themselves into contention for minutes.
Another player on the team known for his athleticism and blocking is Andrew Jayne. The Fayetteville native out of Terry Sanford High spent two years playing professional baseball after being drafted in the 19th round by the Baltimore Orioles out of high school. Following a stint in the Rookie Gulf Coast League, he joined the Wolfpack and quickly gained playing time with the special teams unit. And after appearing in multiple depth charts throughout last season, Jayne aims to continue that trend.
Also, RS Freshmen from Terry Sanford high school are reserves Ezemdi Udoh and Yates Johnson. Both will most likely fight to earn special teams spots that will be empty following the promotions of players such as Kameron Walker and RB Delbert Mimms III.
Projections:
H-Back
Y
From Jaylen Samuels and Cole Cook, to Dylan Autenrieth and Cary Angeline, the tight end position has been vital to the success of the offense under Dave Doeren. In this style, we generally see a duo emerge; one being the lead blocker, basically adding another offensive lineman on the field, and the other being more of a passing threat in short-yardage and red-zone packages. We know what we are getting with Trent Pennix. With Toudle still developing, and the others not having much experience with game reps, it is yet to be seen as to who rises up when the opportunity is given. By the time conference play rolls around, my assumption is that we will have our answer.
