Thayer Thomas left his name in the NC State record books. Coit, Gray trying to do the same
When football coaches talk about complementary football, it’s easy to think about offense and defense. Special teams gets overlooked, despite it being a hybrid unit that impacts the other phases. It shouldn’t be forgotten.
The N.C. State defense took a few weeks to settle into a rhythm. The offense still hasn’t figured everything out. Special teams, though, has provided consistency through the whole season.
Caden Noonkester and Collin Smith provide the defense with excellent field position in the punting and kickoff roles, respectively. Noonkester averages 42.9 yards per attempt, his longest clocking in at 67 yards. Smith averages 61.1 yards per kickoff and has recorded 19 touchbacks.
On the offensive side, though, Jalen Coit and Julian Gray deserve a lot of ongoing credit for their efforts. They have N.C. State in the ACC’s top two for returns and are finally getting the attention and playing time they’ve been waiting for.
N.C. State got some help from Keon Lesane and Trent Pennix on kickoff returns against Marshall, but Gray and Coit remain the main figures back to receive.
“Our return game in both phases – kickoff return with Julian, punt return with Jalen – has been very, very productive,” Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren previously said.
Fans got to see exactly what the return game can be when N.C. State hosted VMI and dominated on special teams.
Gray recorded an 82-yard kickoff return touchdown, scoring for the first time in his career. That came in addition to another 12-yard return.
NC State football rebounds in a big way: Wolfpack runs over VMI, 45-7
“I kind of just bolted. I didn’t really look back or think about where anyone was at,” Gray said this week. “It was my glimpse of green grass. It was, like, as soon as I saw it, I just took off.
“To have the opportunity to score in the Carter, it felt really good. I just thank God every day just for the opportunity just to play football.”
He finished with 181 all purpose yards in that game. Since then, the redshirt sophomore hasn’t scored, but he’s up to 362 kickoff return yards and 500 all purpose yards. On kick returns alone, the Charlotte native averages 30.2 yards. With the 82-yard touchdown removed, his average still sits at 23.3 yards per attempt.
Doeren called Gray “exceptional.”
Gray likes knowing the coaches and his teammates trust him to make plays. He put in countless hours to improve this offseason and now it’s all paying off.
“They know we can score,” Gray said. “There is a chance that we will score on kick returns. That’s kind of a big thing.”
Fellow returner Jalen Coit said he’s happy for his teammate. They vowed before the season to make the return game dominant. Now, he has extra motivation to score on a return.
“We were out here during the summer working. To see us actually doing it in game time; all the hard work paid off. We just keep building from here,” Coit said after the win over VMI. “We can’t just settle for three games. We’ve got to keep building the whole season, so that when we come to the end of this thing, special teams really played a big part in it.”
Gray feels like he has a high ceiling and set a lofty goal of scoring 10 touchdowns this season. It’s not easy, but he believes in himself. Even when they don’t score, their success in the run game is key to field position.
Coit has 152 yards on punt return duties, including a career-high 33-yard return. He didn’t record any punt returns against Louisville, opting for the fair catch. In the outing versus Marshall, he finished with three returns for 42 yards.
Doeren called Coit a natural and a difference maker. The redshirt sophomore has good hands, can judge the ball well and get underneath. Then, he’s someone who can run fast and change directions effectively.
“I’m really proud of him,” Doeren said two weeks ago. “He showed us in the spring and in fall camp that he was a very, very trusted ball catcher as a punt returner, but until it’s live, you don’t know how they’re going to handle that exposure to the bullets or the missiles running down at you.”
The veteran coach also praised Coit’s decision-making skills; an underrated aspect of the return game.
“He has shown us that he knows what to do: when to fair catch it and when not to do something that could hurt the team,” Doeren said back in August.
The Pack currently ranks No. 4 in the ACC for kickoff returns and No. 26 in FBS, averaging 24 yards. It is No. 3 in the conference and No. 21 nationally in punt returns, logging 14.1 yards per attempt.
“Our special teams have done a very, very good job this year,” Doeren said Saturday. “There’s areas that I know Coach (Todd) Goebbel wants to be better, but they’ve definitely held their own.”
They credit now-Minnesota Vikings receiver Thayer Thomas with much of their development.
Thomas left the N.C. State program with 25 career touchdowns (24 receiving, 1 punt return) for 12th in program history. His 24 receiving TDs ranks No. 2 in the record books.
Additionally, Thomas finished with a 9.73-yard punt return average, ranking him No. 13 all time, and 2,484 receiving yards put him at fifth in Pack history.
The duo needed to adjust a bit to their new roles, but they felt prepared and ready to go. Coit, specifically, noted some hesitation in the opener at UConn, but he’s found his footing. They studied Thomas – and still look up to Keyon Lesane – and know it’s possible to meet and possibly exceed the expectations he set.
“It got tough at times, of course, but having older guys like that led the way and guided you really helped,” Coit said. “I came here for a reason. God put me here for a reason, so I feel like if I just stay focused and keep the passion that I have for football, everything will work out.”
