It’s official. In under one week, NC State will host its home opener against East Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium. East Carolina and NC State battled it out in the Military Bowl in December last year, and now open up 2025 against each other - a great way to see if either team improved or got worse in the offseason.
Wolfpack fans won’t have to worry about Rahjai Harris running 86 yards to ice the game; instead, new faces on both sides are battling it out to get off to a perfect 1-0 start.
One of the more intriguing faces the Pirates added to the program was receiver Jaquaize Pettaway, a former four-star recruit from Texas. East Carolina beat the Wolfpack with a dominant ground game in December, but the passing attack for the Pirates was a strength last season, ranking 27th in the country.
The team returns two of its top four wideouts in Anthony Smith and Yannick Smith, but added Pettway to bolster the room even more.
Pettaway was a consensus four-star and top 100 recruit from Langham Creek High School in Houston, Texas. According to 247sports Composite rankings, he was ranked the 56th recruit in the country and the eighth best in Texas.
He recorded over 1,800 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns through his sophomore and senior seasons. His accolades during those years include 2022 Under Armour All-America, 2021 Texas District 16-6A unanimous first-team selection and 2020 16-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
The Houston product was also successful in track and field. He posted three sub-10.50 100-meter times as a junior. A real athlete on the outside.
He had 28 offers and three official visits to Oklahoma, Texas and Ole Miss. In June 2022, he committed to Oklahoma and signed his letter of intent in December.
His time at Oklahoma may not have gone as he had envisioned. Pettaway struggled to get consistent targets in his two years at the program. As a true freshman, he appeared in nine games, catching only 11 passes for 70 yards. Nine of those passes were caught against Arkansas State, setting a school record by a true freshman for receptions in their first career game.
It wasn’t enough, as he only made a single start the next few years. He still played in 11 games, catching five passes for 87 yards. He averaged 17.4 yards per catch, showcasing his big-play ability, which he had in high school. Just hasn’t been able to do it at the next level consistently.
Let’s get paid☠️ @ECUPiratesFB @Dyrell_Roberts @coach_jdbaker pic.twitter.com/IuMM6FNJWU
— JAQUAIZE PETTAWAY (@JAQUAIZE4) December 20, 2024
Now the Pirates hope Pettaway can bolster their passing attack even more and turn it into a top-25 unit for the 2025 season. The passing attack by the Pirates will be a good first test for the Wolfpack and new defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot.
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker and never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!