Crisp Done for the Season

Rob Crisp's season, and possibly his career, is over. N.C. State officials announced (and Joe Ovies tweeted) today that the concussed senior left tackle will not return this season.

The former five-star prospect, a triangle native who graduated from Athens Drive High, has seen his promising career derailed by injuries. The 6-7, 300-pound Crisp missed five games last year and was bothered all season by a lower back injury. He made just two starts this year. His absence has certainly contributed to the Pack's porous line play; State quarterbacks have been sacked an average of three times per game, a mark that ranks 108^th worst of 125 FBS teams.

Joe Thuney, who played well on stints on the interior of the line but has struggled with the league's better pass rushers while at tackle, will continue to start in Crisp's place.

The announcement could represent a bit of maneuvering by the N.C. State staff, as Crisp meets the eligibility of the NCAA medical hardship waiver so long as he does not compete in another game this season. Perhaps, even if he would be ready to go in another few weeks, Dave Doeren and company don't want to use up his last gasp of eligibility on what may be a lost season. And, for Crisp, a second shot at a healthy senior season might allow him to rekindle his draft stock. Despite how his career has unfolded so far, the former #2 tackle prospect in the nation out of high school certainly has the pedigree to be viewed as a prospect at the next level.

Maybe he'll be back.