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NC State got out of the USF game without any significant injuries; no doubt it helped to be able to start working reserves into the game relatively quickly. So there’s nothing surprising about the way the depth chart stacks up heading into the Mississippi State game.
You will see the word OR on there a whole bunch since the Wolfpack has what the coaching staff considers co-starters in a number of places. Dave Doeren talked specifically about this regarding the secondary, noting that the staff doesn’t see a drop-off among its top five corners:
I think, with some of these guys, we look at them as starters even though they don’t take the first snap. We see that with our defensive front, too. At corner right now, you can see Derrek Pitts or Chris Ingram. You could see Aydan White in the game on the other side, or you could see Shyheim Battle or Teshaun Smith. We look at any of those guys as starters for us.
The Week 1 reps bear this out: Chris Ingram played 39 snaps, Aydan White played 27, Teshaun Smith played 26, Derrick Pitts played 24, and Shyheim Battle logged 18. Pretty good position to be in, especially with a pass-happy offense on the horizon.