Several interesting articles on the ESPN ACC blog over the past couple of days regarding new Pack QB Jacoby Brissett.
ACC Most Indispensable Players
5. Jacoby Brissett — OK, NC State might not do much this year even with Brissett, but what’s the option if he goes down? The Pack’s hopes for 2014 are riding almost entirely on his shoulders, and unlike last year, there’s actually some reason for optimism.
Is this year of the transfer QB in the ACC?
at least 10 of the ACC’s 14 teams will start new faces under center when games kick off next week. And there is a good chance that four of those 10 will have quarterbacks who began their college careers elsewhere.
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Jacoby Brissett transferred to NC State shortly after coach Dave Doeren was hired there, sitting out last season and taking enough initiative behind the scenes to earn the starting nod before spring ball this year.“Last year we brought in Brandon Mitchell [from Arkansas] through the one-year loophole, and then at the end of the year, Pete Thomas and Manny Stocker left to go to [Louisiana-Monroe and UT-Martin],” Doeren said. “While that was going on, Jacoby transferred here from Florida. So I’ve seen about all of it that can go around. It’s just part of what recruiting is now. Guys want to play and people don’t want to wait their turn much anymore.”
Murphy, who transferred in January, has one year to add some pizzazz to an Eagles’ offense looking to spread the field more after last season’s run-heavy approach. He spoke often with Brissett (who has two years left at NC State) back when both were still weighing their options when departing Florida.
And one more.
Ex-Gators eager to start anew in ACC
After it became clear Brissett’s career at Florida had plateaued in 2012, he decided it was time to transfer. He sat down with [Tyler] Murphy and mapped out his options. West Virginia seemed a possibility, but the coaching staff there was eager to compare Brissett with former Moutaineers QB Geno Smith, and Brissett had already spent too much time living in the shadows of other players.
“I was like, ‘I’m not the next Geno,'” Brissett said. “I wanted to be Jacoby, and I felt like [NC State] was a place I could do that.”
Brissett already knew NC State coach Dave Doeren from his recruitment, which made the transition a bit easier. Still, Brissett would have to sit out a year because of NCAA transfer rules, which meant one more year watching from the sidelines.
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“You can’t say I’m going to transfer and then say never mind because everybody knows you want to leave,” Brissett said. “So just do it and get it over with, know where you want to go. And no matter where you go, if they’re taking you right now, you’re pretty much going to be the starter. So make sure when you go there, play how you play and you’ll be fine. Everything else will take care of itself.”
So far, it has.
Brissett was the best quarterback on NC State’s roster last season, and although he was relegated to a redshirt, Doeren had already begun grooming him for a starting role in 2014.
