Audie Cole Gets Front Page Treatment

'09 Football Football Recruiting NCS Football Tom O'Brien18

Ken Tysiac has a nice writeup this morning:

It’s no secret that N.C. State was most effective late last season when a healthy Irving and defensive end Willie Young rushed the quarterback from opposite sides.

Opponents had to slide their protection toward one of those players. If N.C. State schemed correctly, that meant a running back was responsible for pass protection against either Irving or Young.

“That’s a great situation,” Archer said.

Leonard’s smallish size meant he wasn’t much of a threat to rush the quarterback. Opponents didn’t have to adjust their protection to account for him. With Cole, it could be different. He’s strong enough to get into the backfield and disrupt the quarterback’s rhythm.

He gives N.C. State an option it didn’t have with Leonard, and he still possesses the quickness to cover slot receivers. After playing a minor supporting role last season, Cole seems a bit surprised at his sudden billing as an emerging standout.

What Tysiac doesn’t expressly mention is that Audie Cole is the quintessential Tom O’Brien “hidden gem” recruit. Coach O’Brien is never going to be a splashy recruiter, landing Top Ten national classes. But he does have a secret weapon – the uncanny ability to find players that have slipped under the radar, see the untapped potential, and coach them into surprise stars. BJ Raji, anyone?

Audie Cole was going to play QB at Central Michigan, before Brian Kelly accepted the head job at Cincinnati. Fresh off taking the NC State job, Tom O’Brien swept in and offered him a scholarship to play LB for the Pack – a position Cole never even played in high school. Two and a half years and 30 pounds of added muscle later, Audie Cole is the talk of Wolfpack camp, poised to be the next TOB hidden gem and the extra “plus” defender that the NC State front seven sorely needs.

In 2010, you’ll see more hidden gems make their Wolfpack debuts on the offensive line. This is why I’m so confident in the 2010-12 window to challenge for ACC football supremacy.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

'09 Football Football Recruiting NCS Football Tom O'Brien

18 Responses to Audie Cole Gets Front Page Treatment

  1. Dogbreath 08/09/2009 at 11:42 AM #

    I find outside linebackers who are 6’5 250 lbs highly agreeable.

  2. TheCOWDOG 08/09/2009 at 1:27 PM #

    And, BJ, exactly why this years team is going to be so very good.

  3. highstick 08/09/2009 at 2:24 PM #

    I actually also liked Tysiac’s analysis of why the UNC Pine Trees get a pre-season Top 20 pick. Just “stay under” the radar of the media and keep winning!

  4. b 08/09/2009 at 4:06 PM #

    I read somewhere one of the things that won Cole over was that our staff told him off the bat he would be a LB. Other schools were telling him they would “try” him at QB but he “might” be moved, but TOB shot straight and he was impressed by it. If Cole turns into a playmaker, the combination of he and an improved Maddox/Manning can ease the loss of Irving. The great thing about having a coach with integrity, is that he attracts young men with integrity.

    We just need a CB to step up and Javon Walker to recover to 90% of his previous playing ability to be good enough to support what should be a potent offense. Injuries (a Wolfpack certainty it would seem) aside of course.

  5. Wufpacker 08/09/2009 at 4:10 PM #

    I have gone out of my way to temper my expectations for this year. I really wish you guys would not keep tempting me to become optimistic.

    You are State fans…you know how being optimistic turns out 99 times out of 100.

    Now, stop it!

  6. VaWolf82 08/09/2009 at 4:32 PM #

    I really wish you guys would not keep tempting me to become optimistic.

    This type of article is not a reason for optimism…they are simply speculative, human-interest articles to fill up space in a dying industry. Some of these articles will highlight future-stars, some will rehash old news, and some will talk about kids that we’ll never hear about again.

  7. BJD95 08/09/2009 at 6:15 PM #

    I would say that this is consistent with chatter that I trust – the coaching staff really is very high on Cole, and he’s probably the biggest “upside play” if you want to impress your friends with defensive sleeper picks.

    Next year, there is a 1 or 2-star OL from Georgia (already on the roster, but won’t play much until 2010) that the staff just loves, believes he will be an absolute stud. Don’t remember the name, but probably would be able to confirm if I heard it.

  8. Dogbreath 08/09/2009 at 6:24 PM #

    Duran Christophe? The poor man’s Xavier Nixon.

  9. highstick 08/09/2009 at 6:59 PM #

    Stay under the radar, don’t get overly hyped, but just keep on winning!!!

    Cowdog, I hope you’re right cause we could sure use some “thusiasm”!

    BTW, loved the way you shot down Ole Lou’s political aspirations! Saw him on a panel on Hannity a couple of weeks ago and he kept breaking out into half time speeches! “All you need to know is the 4 “S”‘s in life…..maybe it was 5. I’m sure you’ve heard that one before.

  10. McPete 08/09/2009 at 7:52 PM #

    Duran Christophe or Camden Wentz? Wentz i think will play Center.

    Also,
    Rashard Smith had a 77 yard INT returned for a touchdown in the team’s 1st scrimmage today. This guy will be a stud. He was 1st team all state football and basketball in georgia not once, but 2 years in a row. for some reason flew under the radar in recruiting (didn’t do the combine circuit), but state got a steal in him as well.

  11. GAWolf 08/09/2009 at 8:53 PM #

    Can Smith play basketball, too?

  12. Greywolf 08/09/2009 at 9:15 PM #

    If we are getting good recruits, and I believe we are, there is always the possibility of one or two surprises who we know nothing about. What I don’t like is having to use guys like Koyal George as starting CBs. Perhaps we are seeing in Rashard Smith the kind of athlete/player that lets Koyal contribute in other ways.

    I’m taking ’em one at a time and there are no guaranteed loses on this schedule. Regardless of the final record I’d bet everything I own that the Pack and TOB will not embarrass themselves or the University.

    Somebody mentioned Michael Lemon. I beleive he got into somemore trouble. That would about do it for TOB, I’d think.

  13. tvp1 08/10/2009 at 7:16 AM #

    BJD – is it Zach Allen? R-FR this year.

  14. StateFans 08/10/2009 at 7:34 AM #

    No. Staff loves Allen, Wallace & Mattes…but, I’m guessing that BJD is talking about either Christopher or Wentz.

  15. RickJ 08/10/2009 at 8:22 AM #

    Brian Slay is a good example of how this staff operates. Slay is a true freshman defensive tackle that is apparently doing very well early in practice. He is from Virginia, we were his first and only offer and he accepted very early in the recruiting process. Only weighed 255 lbs when he committed but the staff loved his motor and thought he had the frame to gain weight. Apparently, they were right as he is now up to 290 lbs. Ended up being pretty highly rated and no doubt would have gotten a lot of offers had he waited. Hopefully, we stay healthy at DT and he is able to red shirt.

  16. BJD95 08/10/2009 at 8:45 AM #

    I actually was thinking of Allen.

  17. Classof89 08/10/2009 at 10:03 AM #

    When is the dreaded nate irving August visit to the orthopedic doctor we’ve been hearing about that will determine if there is any chance we see him in 2009?

  18. Wufpacker 08/10/2009 at 8:50 PM #

    Wufpacker said:
    I have gone out of my way to temper my expectations for this year. I really wish you guys would not keep tempting me to become optimistic.
    You are State fans…you know how being optimistic turns out 99 times out of 100.
    Now, stop it!

    VaWolf82 said:
    This type of article is not a reason for optimism…they are simply speculative, human-interest articles to fill up space in a dying industry. Some of these articles will highlight future-stars, some will rehash old news, and some will talk about kids that we’ll never hear about again.
    ——————-

    My entire post was intended to be a joke.

    All I was trying to do was to make a humorous comment (at least that was what I was trying to do) regarding all the pieces that are coming out hyping this year’s team, how some State fans tend to believe the hype rather than thinking for themselves, and how State fans are often victims of their own unrealistic expectations. I realize after re-reading my post that it could have been inferred as not being humorous. I guess it must not have been.

    I realize the article is basically useless, aside from the information about TOB being impressed with Cole and offering him specifically as a LB, assuming that is accurate. Given TOB’s penchant for finding underrated talent, THAT part actually does give me encouragement, though not necessarily about the overall results we’ll see as a team THIS season.

    With regard to the rest of the article, even though the writer strives for a positive tone, it’s true there is nothing else in it that is really anything more than speculation. For that reason I agree with you that it shouldn’t have any bearing on people’s optimism or expectations about how we’ll do as a team this year, or even how Cole will do as a member of said team. In fact, that was exactly the point I was trying to make by using humor. Again, obviously I missed the mark.

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