I hope that you have had a chance to read our entry from earlier in the week when Coach O’Brien released the Wolfpack’s depth chart for the Central Florida game.
I was traveling when BJD posted the entry and was looking forward to making some comments about what I saw. Then I read what our insightful readers (like noah and Mr. O and others) had shared in the comments sectino and realized that there wasn’t much left for me to say!!! The community really nailed the analysis of what was important on the depth chart – like kicker, punter and some other positions. (Entries like that really make you appreciate the high quality of the readership and interaction at this blog!)
One topic of conversation regarding the depth chart was the lack of depth on the offensive line that is amplified by the absence of Jerrail McCuller and emphasized by the inclusion of two TRUE freshman on the two deep depth chart –
Jake Vermiglio 6-5/315 at left tackle
and
Desmond Roberts 6-4/295 at right tackle.
A few quick bytes:
(1) Although Jake Vermiglio is a true freshman at NC State, please don’t forget that he attended a year of prep school at Millford Academy after graduating from high school. Therefore, Vermigilio’s age and physical maturity resembles more of that of a redshirtted freshman than that of a true freshman.
(2) Whenever I see Desmond Roberts name I can’t help but think of an entry that I started last year and never finished. I originally titled the entry: ‘Bad State Fans Help Land Recruit’
You see, afterthe three-star offensive lineman commitment to the Wolfpack last year the News & Observer included the following comments in an article about Roberts’ commitment:
Roberts said he has followed State for the past two or three years but drew close to Wolfpack assistant Curt Cignetti, who recruited him. Roberts said he was impressed when he attended N.C. State basketball games.
“The fans have so much love for their teams,” Roberts said. “It is the perfect fit for me. State offers me everything I want and need.”
Wow! I couldn’t love that more! Talk about the divergence of reality from bullshit political posturing.
You have to remember the timeline of this – Roberts committed in the summer of 2006. Therefore he was talking about attending basketball games during the Herb Sendek era. You know, the Herb Sendek era that included NC State’s Athletics Director’s continual attacks on the fanbase for not being supportive enough of the program despite the fact that NC State was consistently among the country’s Top 20 in annual basketball attendance. The same ‘mean’ NC State fanbase that many still incorrectly propose ‘ran away’ Coach Sendek despite Sendek exercising his own choice to accept the Arizona State job for a longer termed contract that guaranteed him significantly more compensation than what he is allowed to make under Nor
It just never ceases to amaze me how much reality can sometimes differ from the ridiculous public posturing of some ‘leaders’. Luckily, there are people like Desmond Roberts who didn’t have dogs in the fight and could view things through unbiased vision. What a beautiful unbiased vision he must have seen to have realized how supportive NC State fans were of all of their programs despite what some people tried to spin to help support their own misguided agendas.
(3) The aforementioned and linked N&O article from August of 2006 also provides some pretty insighful foreshadowing of Roberts’ immediate impact in Raleigh that is worth noting:
Roberts, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound center, already handles deep snaps and is a solid interior blocker.
“I suspect that State will redshirt him next fall,” Hasty said, referring to the practice of allowing players to practice but not play for a year without affecting their eligibility.
“He is a young senior. He won’t be 17 until November. He will get stronger, I think. But if State needs someone to play some next year, Desmond might be going there at the right time.”
