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NC State is awful this year. There are lots of reasons for it - from lack of consistent QB play to myriad injuries to recent NFL departures to slower development from some younger guys. I have trouble putting much of the blame for any of this on Dave Doeren though.
This season in a lot of ways is the result of the success of the past few years. NC State had tons of 3 & 4 year starters - which is great. But it also tends to make recruiting and development behind those guys tougher. Hence, a transitional year.
But letâs look bigger picture.
Including 2020, Doeren has 11 blue chip recruits in 3 years.
In the 10 years before his first full class, NC State signed 10 blue chips.
Including 2020, Doeren has 11 blue chip recruits in 3 years.
In the 10 years before his first full class, NC State signed 10 blue chips.
Look at players drafted:
From 2007 through 2014, NC State had 19 players drafted (in 8 years).
From 2016-19 theyâve had 17 (in 4 years).
From 2007 through 2014, NC State had 19 players drafted (in 8 years).
From 2016-19 theyâve had 17 (in 4 years).
Look at on-field success:
Weeks in AP top 25
2017 & 2018: 12 weeks
2002 through 2016: 4 weeks
W-L vs P5/BCS in 3-year increments
2004-06: 8-17
2007-09: 9-17
2010-12: 13-13
2013-15: 6-19
2016-18: 17-13
Weeks in AP top 25
2017 & 2018: 12 weeks
2002 through 2016: 4 weeks
W-L vs P5/BCS in 3-year increments
2004-06: 8-17
2007-09: 9-17
2010-12: 13-13
2013-15: 6-19
2016-18: 17-13
You might say Doeren has underperformed his talent & thatâs partially true. All those NFL guys last few years didnât = an ACC title. But based on 247âs talent composite, THIS is actually his most talented team. NC State ranked 9th in the ACC in avg talent in 15, 16, 17 & 18.
None of this is to suggest Doeren is without fault and Iâm not a fan of the âknow who you areâ logic of defining a CFB program. But letâs be real about who NC State is todayâŠ
The Wolfpack are not a program capable of just winning 8-10 games every year without ever stepping back. They donât get to reload. They have to rebuild. Thatâs life for programs like this. If you want that to change, you have to give coaches some leeway to do it.
Again, Iâm not suggesting Doeren = Dabo or anything of that nature, but NC State is in a far better place today than it was when he arrived & the fact that thereâs real frustration now is actually a product of that success. Yes, this year stinks. But I canât see panicking.
And I should also add that thereâs roughly a 0.01% chance NC State was going to move on from Doeren anyway, but just a quick reality check for the fans who are (rightfully) upset about the best course forward.
Also I should add, weâre at most 2 years away from Doeren giving Dabo a wedgie and Dabo slashing Doerenâs tires after a game, so we canât make any changes too quickly. We need to see this happen.
