News, notes and headlines from the North Carolina college football landscape while being treated for early onset transfer portal whiplash. Here is your morning briefing for Thursday, Dec. 7:
* First, some non-portal headlines: The Duke coaching search could be over soon. Adam Rowe from 247Sports.com reported Wednesday evening that an official announcement could come within the next 48 hours, possibly sooner. The search appears to be down to two finalists. Could the names in this URL — https://247sports.com/college/duke/article/duke-football-head-coaching-search-manny-diaz-trooper-taylor-jim-knowles-222511998/ — be providing some hints?
UPDATE: Multiple sources, including FootballScoop.com and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, reporting Thursday mid-morning that former Miami head coach Manny Diaz (currently DC at Penn State) will be named the Blue Devils new head man, possibly today.
* NC State recognized All-America linebacker Payton Wilson during the first media timeout of Wednesday’s hoops game in Reynolds Coliseum — then presented him with a national award. During the break, Wilson was announced as the winner of the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in college football.
Wilson had a monster season for the Wolfpack, leading the Pack in tackles in 10 of its 12 games and finishing with 138 stops in all. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has already appeared on two first-team All-American lists, from CBS Sports and USA Today. That list could grow quite a bit in the coming weeks.
Wilson represents the type of player NC State fans love. He flipped from rival UNC before signing day, stayed at NC State his whole career (eschewing the NFL Draft last spring), overcame injuries and played with heart, soul, blood and guts every snap. He’ll finish his career as one of the most decorated defensive players in school history.
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* Speaking of beloved players, North Carolina Central’s Davius Richard learned this week that he has won MEAC Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row.
According to NCCU sports information: Richard is tied for first in the FCS in points responsible for, averaging 24.0 points per game, and ranks in the top-15 nationally in 13 different categories. Richard tops the MEAC in total offense (313.0 total y/g – #4 FCS), scoring (18.0 ppg – #2 FCS), passing touchdowns (14), rushing touchdowns (18 – #2 FCS), completions per game (16.0 – #4 FCS), completion percentage (59.3%).
He was a five-time selection as MEAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2023 (leading us to joke on social media that the award should have been renamed the Davius Richard MEAC Offensive Player of the Week). Five times!
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* Jadyn Davis, senior quarterback at Providence Day, was named the 2023 North Carolina Mr Football this week. Davis led Providence Day from Charlotte to a third-straight NCISAA state championship.
Davis also won the Mr Football Award, sponsored by Deer Park Water, in 2022. He has committed to play at Michigan next season.
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* Before the season, several sports books put out projected regular-season win totals for each of the state’s FBS schools (see the graphic posted above this section).
If you had the “over” for Appalachian State, Duke and NC State, your ticket cashed. The “under” hit, barely, for North Carolina (8.5). East Carolina and Wake Forest went several games under their projected totals. Depending on which book you went through, Charlotte either went over (2.5), under (3.5) or pushed (3.0).
* OK, now on to transfer news. While quarterbacks from NC State, Duke, Wake Forest and East Carolina have announced intentions to transfer, Appalachian State’s top signal caller, Joey Aguilar, will stay put. The Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year, posted a video this week stating his intentions to run it back in Boone in 2024.
Aguilar took over as the starter in the opener due to an injury to Ryan Burger and never relinquished the job. He went on to throw 33 touchdown passes and finish with more than 3,500 passing yards.
“I’m a big believer that when you commit somewhere, you commit there for a reason,” Aguilar said in a video message announcing his return. “What made me come here was the tradition of winning, the hard work, and the brotherhood. I’ve been the underdog my whole life, so all I do is hard work…”
Read more about Aguilar’s announcement from 247Sports.com HERE.
* With that being said, most of the player news this week has centered around the dizzying array leaving their 2023 schools for new (greener?) pastures. FBS schools aren’t the only ones being gutted by portal departures either.
A number of notable FCS names appeared on the transfer portal list the past few days, including:
- Ty French (Gardner-Webb): three-time all-conference defender who set the Bulldogs’ all-time sacks record late in the ’23 season.
- Desmond Reid (Western Carolina): stellar running back who wracked up 897 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns despite injuries slowing him the back half of the season. (Reid posted on his Twitter/X account Wednesday that Coastal Carolina had offered him).
- Torricelli SimpkinsIII (NC Central): an anchor on the Eagles offensive line, who earned first-team all-MEAC.
- Jason Chambers (NC Central): another first-team all-conference performer who picked off three passes and finished with 41 tackles.
Nearly 20 players from Gardner-Webb have either entered the portal or indicated their intention to do so following head coach Tre Lamb’s departure to East Tennessee State, according to Joe L. Hughes II of the Shelby Star. The list includes multiple all-conference performers including first-teamers Will McRainey (linebacker, 105 tackles this season) and Jayden Brown (running back, 666 rushing yards and 10 total TDs).
Gardner-Webb has announced a national search to find Lamb’s replacement. For now, interim coach Nick Newsome and remaining staff will try to hold things together.
For more on the Gardner-Webb roster upheaval, check out Hughes’ Dec. 6 story in the Shelby Star HERE.
* David Glenn and the NC Sports Network have compiled an ACC outgoing transfer portal watch list. It was last updated Wednesday and includes a sizeable list of names. Glenn and company have divided the list into stars, regular starters, part-time starters, contributing reserves and others.
To check out the latest updates, click HERE.
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