Tuffy Talk

Victor Snow has one catch through two games.The coaching staff spent the preseason telling everybody he was a dog. Through two games he has been out-touched by a fourth string running back, he went out with the twos on the first play of the second half, and he muffed a punt.Ethan's take, and he warned us he was going to be mean about it: this is exactly what NC State has always done at receiver. You rotate guys, and when it is your week it is your week. This week it was Keenan Jackson.The number that frames everything else: NC State running backs forced 29 missed tackles against Richmond. Against Virginia it was four or five. Ethan supplies his own caveat immediately, which is that you are not forcing 29 missed tackles against Vanderbilt, and that is the whole question heading into Saturday.His stat pack argument is that the offensive line is the most sustainable thing this team has. They created 2.86 offensive line yards per carry against Virginia, which is 80th percentile, and 3.7 against Richmond. That number does not care who is carrying it. On the other side, 359 yards after contact at 8.35 per run is not a repeatable thing against an SEC defense.Also in here: the basketball schedule, where Ethan makes the case that NC State could walk into ACC play without a single Quad 1 win, and where Greg still cannot let go of the cancelled VCU game. Plus fall baseball, the Atlantis Collegiate Baseball Series in the Bahamas against Michigan, two four-star softball commits out of the Texas Bombers, and Garrett Bradbury and Joe Thuney lining up next to each other for the Bears.4 days until NC State at Vanderbilt. Saturday, September 19, 12:45 PM ET.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only videos a month plus the members-only rumor chat, $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Two of the three of us are taking Richmond and the points.The number is 32.5. Ethan took the Spiders, Greg took the Spiders, and Layton went the other way mostly so it would not be a clean sweep on our own team.Ethan's framing is the one that stuck: this is not a quiz. This is classwork. Nobody remembers classwork. The quiz comes next week at Vanderbilt.He is also honest that the offense cannot move the needle for him no matter what happens Friday, so he is watching the defense. His one exception: if CJ Bailey throws eight to ten passes of 20-plus air yards, that would be genuinely noteworthy, because he has not been willing to do it even against overmatched opponents.Layton wants swagger back. Against Virginia you saw concern, nervousness and fear from almost everybody for the entire game, and the first thing he is looking for is CJ being CJ again.Greg calls it the ultimate definition of a get right game.The football conversation that matters: Doeren said NC State had to scheme receivers open against Virginia. That is not a formula that survives real competition, so the thing to watch is whether these guys can win one on one. Plus the tight end rotation, more than seven snaps for the young guy, and getting Davion Gause involved.Also the ACC through one week. Florida State is who we thought they were, Cal got blown out by UCLA, Georgia Tech lost to Colorado, and Clemson looked as bad as anybody. Miami and Wake Forest were the most impressive, but Ethan makes the case that Syracuse moved the needle most relative to expectations with Steve Angeli back from the Achilles.And the Wolfpack Warriors uniforms, the Army partnership, and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Greg was active duty that day.Kickoff is Friday, September 11 at 7:00 PM at Carter-Finley.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only videos a month plus the members-only rumor chat, $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

CJ Bailey has taken four days of it. So the question worth asking is whether the criticism is justified.During the game Layton tweeted that either Bailey was extremely overrated and playing terribly, or nobody was open. Four days and a lot of film breakdowns later, he has an answer. They were open. He just did not see them.Ethan's answer is yes, the criticism is warranted, and he says he has been at the front of that line all offseason. His harsher version: this is the same quarterback he was as a freshman. Same happy feet. Same throws off the back foot from a clean pocket. Same trouble reading an RPO, including on the first play of the game.But he also thinks the locker room is not taking this anywhere near as hard as the fanbase is, and that there is a good reason for that. They are kids. They are athletes. It is a season and you flush it.The other side of that comes from Kai Crutchfield, the former NC State women's basketball player now at ACC Network, who pushed back on the Bailey criticism and pointed out how experienced Virginia's defense is. Ethan's response is that her perspective is noteworthy precisely because it is how athletes look at it.Plus the thing that will surprise people: Ethan thinks the offensive line was the best unit NC State had on the field. He also argues the defense is nearly impossible to evaluate from this game, because two turnovers handed Virginia short fields and 31 points instead of 34 would not have been a crazy number.Where they land: if Beau Pribula has to throw the ball 25 or 30 times, Virginia is in trouble. NC State never made them do it.Also in here: the Doeren losses that would have gotten him fired, why Richmond has nothing to gain and Vanderbilt is the real test, and why Ethan does not think NC State's administration sees this the way the fanbase does.8 days until Richmond. Friday, September 11, 7:00 PM at Carter-Finley.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only videos a month plus the members-only rumor chat, $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Oconee Gold Small Batcj BBQ Sauce & RubDo you LOVE to Barbecue??? Check out our sponsor Oconee Gold Small Batch and all of their BBQ SauDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Doeren said at halftime that the wide receivers needed to get open.Ethan's answer: the wide receivers who do get open, you let them walk. You told The Athletic last week that you picked the offensive line over them. And we all know you picked CJ Bailey over them.That exchange is the show. Virginia 34, NC State 8, and we spent 85 minutes on how it happened.The argument worth staying for is the one about roster construction. Ethan's case is that Virginia put together a masterclass and NC State looked like a team that overpaid its quarterback and lost every piece around him. Virginia decided they did not care who played quarterback, took a running quarterback, built a very good offensive line and a very good defense, and took four to five yards a carry all afternoon. His line: they got smoked in the front office.The follow-up is the uncomfortable one. If the number really was three to four million for Bailey, would you rather have paid seven fifty to a million at quarterback and put the other two and a half million on defense? And his point is not that you paid a quarterback, it is which quarterback you paid, because last year the receivers were elevating Bailey and now those receivers are gone.Also in here: why Virginia never faced a third and long, how a long fourth-quarter-style drive with four fourth down conversions took the life out of the building, Harvey Dyson getting only eight pass rushing snaps, Popo Aguirre's 18 tackles that did not matter, and the NFL roster cuts including two undrafted Wolfpack who made 53-man rosters.Where we landed: Layton came down from 10-2 to 8-4. Greg is staying at 9-3. Ethan never moved off 8-4.10 days until Richmond. Friday, September 11, 7:00 PM at Carter-Finley.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only videos a month for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Oconee Gold Small Batcj BBQ Sauce & RubDo you LOVE to Barbecue??? Check out our sponsor Oconee Gold Small Batch and all of their BBQ SauDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Eric Mac Lain from the ACC Network joined us to preview NC State at Virginia, and he picked the Cavaliers.But the part worth staying for is what he said about Dave Doeren. Asked about the fans who want a change, a national voice with no stake in it said what a lot of Wolfpack fans will not: you have had double digit wins once, ever, he is the best coach you have ever had, so why are you trying to get rid of him?His score is 24-21 Virginia, though he also thinks that if CJ Bailey is feeling it this could be a Wolfpack blowout, and that there is no middle outcome he can picture.He says the biggest thing NC State did all offseason had nothing to do with the transfer portal. It was keeping Bailey home, and how Bailey said it.Plus why Virginia's offensive line is the best in the ACC on paper, why he would force Beau Pribula to beat him with his arm, what Cam Robinson coming back changes, which coordinator battle he is watching, and the thing fans miss most when they watch offensive line play, from a man who was All-ACC at it.Mac Lain is a studio analyst on The Huddle, a former Clemson offensive lineman who holds the record for most wins by a single player in Clemson history, and a Hope Mills, North Carolina native. He will be in Charlottesville on Saturday with The Huddle crew, live at 10 AM out on the hill.3 days until NC State at Virginia.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 3 members-only videos a week for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#ad Powered by Oconee Gold BBQ. Code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your entire order. oconeegoldbbqsauce.com#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Oconee Gold Small Batcj BBQ Sauce & RubDo you LOVE to Barbecue??? Check out our sponsor Oconee Gold Small Batch and all of their BBQ SauDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Three of us went on the record before the season and came out with three different numbers. Layton has NC State at 10-2. Greg has them 9-3. Ethan has them 8-4. And Greg is the only one of the three who does not have the Wolfpack losing at Virginia on Saturday.His reasoning on Vanderbilt is the part worth hearing. By his count NC State is 1-6 all time against SEC opponents under Dave Doeren, and the only win came against Vanderbilt in a bowl game. He also reports the Vanderbilt return game has come off the future schedule, which has not been reported anywhere else.Ethan's Stat Pack argues last year's Virginia game was CJ Bailey's best in two seasons. 16 of 23 for 200 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, 8.7 yards per attempt against a top 20 defense. And the number nobody remembers: Virginia converted 13 of 19 third downs, NC State converted 1 of 7, and the Wolfpack won anyway.Plus KaTron Evans and what the court order actually says, the new targeting rule, why the Baha Mar Hoops draw is a disappointment, women's soccer at 4-0 for the first time since 2013, and Christina Koch getting an engineering building named after her.4 days until NC State at Virginia. Our full preview episode drops in the next couple of days.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 3 members-only videos a week for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#ad Powered by Oconee Gold BBQ. Code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your entire order. oconeegoldbbqsauce.com#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Oconee Gold Small Batcj BBQ Sauce & RubDo you LOVE to Barbecue??? Check out our sponsor Oconee Gold Small Batch and all of their BBQ SauDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Layton has NC State going 10-2 this season. Ethan has them 8-4. And both of them circled the exact same game as the loss, which is not UNC and not Florida State.It is Duke, on November 7th. Ethan's case is that the Blue Devils have been a boogeyman for NC State across three different coaching staffs, and that even a depleted Duke roster finds ways to cause problems.That Duke roster is depleted for a reason worth understanding. Darian Mensah led them to their first outright ACC championship since 1962, announced he was coming back, then reversed course in January. Duke sued to enforce a two-year eight million dollar contract, got a restraining order, and settled a week later. Miami reportedly spent around ten million to land him and took his best receiver with him. The money was gone by the time he was.The other split is Florida State, where Layton leans on the fact that the Seminoles are 6-13 against the spread at home over three seasons, and Ethan counters that a team firing its coach mid-season is not a free win.Plus a 10:30 Eastern kickoff at Stanford where the team lands back in Raleigh at seven in the morning, a Halloween matchup with Cal featuring two of the ACC's best quarterbacks, and why the care level in the NC State and UNC rivalry has gone completely one way.Part 1 covered the first six games. Go back and listen to that one first.6 days until NC State at Virginia.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#ad Powered by Oconee Gold BBQ. Code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your entire order. oconeegoldbbqsauce.com#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Oconee Gold Small Batcj BBQ Sauce & RubDo you LOVE to Barbecue??? Check out our sponsor Oconee Gold Small Batch and all of their BBQ SauDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Two people went through the first six games of NC State's schedule and disagreed on exactly one of them. It is not Virginia and it is not Louisville.Ethan calls the Louisville game the biggest fifty-fifty on the entire schedule and we both took the win anyway. The one that split us was Vanderbilt, where Diego Pavia and Eli Stowers are both gone and it is still not settled whether five-star freshman Jared Curtis takes the first snap. Ethan's comparison is driving down to Clemson years ago for Trevor Lawrence's first start, expecting the defense to give him problems, and watching him be great regardless.Neither of us picked NC State to win at Virginia. Ethan's case is that the Cavaliers quietly built a top 25 defense down the stretch last season and that NC State has not covered a Week 1 spread since 2021. Layton's case is simpler: Virginia is loaded with seniors, and experience wins early. Beau Pribula takes over at quarterback after starting ten games at Missouri, where he went 7-3 and completed 67.4 percent, third best in the SEC.We also get into why Louisville is the toughest home game on the schedule with an 8.5 win total and Jeff Brohm sitting at 28-12, and why Ethan thinks Wake Forest's nine-win season last year was as fluky as you will ever see, even with Gio Lopez reuniting with his old South Alabama coordinator.Final tally through six: Layton has NC State 5-1, Ethan has them 4-2.Part 2 covers the back half of the schedule, including the UNC game and the final record.7 days until NC State at Virginia.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#ad Powered by Oconee Gold BBQ. Code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your entire order. oconeegoldbbqsauce.com#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Oconee Gold Small Batcj BBQ Sauce & RubDo you LOVE to Barbecue??? Check out our sponsor Oconee Gold Small Batch and all of their BBQ SauDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

The Technician ran a piece headlined "don't let the Doeren hit you on the way out," twelve days before the season starts. Sub .500 in conference, no ACC Championship appearances, a losing bowl record.Here is what that argument leaves out. Dave Doeren inherited a 2013 roster that gave up 35 points in a single quarter to Florida State. Take those eight losses off his record and he goes from a .48 coach to a .52 coach. And NC State has won ten games once in its entire history, with Philip Rivers and four non-conference cupcakes to do it.Then the good news. Ven-Allen Lubin is back for a fifth year, and he did it by turning down Oklahoma and Will Wade at LSU. Wade said at his introductory press conference that he would find fifteen players in the portal. He is at four, and the two he chased hardest, Paul McNeil and Lubin, both said no while NC State was almost certainly not the highest bidder.Ethan's Stat Pack digs into what Lubin actually needs to improve, which is not the offense. Torvik has NC State 26th nationally and fifth in the ACC, behind Duke, Virginia, Louisville and Miami, and that is before any step forward on defense.Plus why the Wolfpack is a five and a half point underdog at Virginia, the new Fort Bragg partnership and the Wolfpack Warriors uniforms for the September 11 home opener, Jamel Johnson returning at corner, and a men's soccer team that might be the best program on campus.11 days until NC State at Virginia.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#ad Powered by Oconee Gold BBQ. Code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your entire order. oconeegoldbbqsauce.com#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Oconee Gold Small Batcj BBQ Sauce & RubDo you LOVE to Barbecue??? Check out our sponsor Oconee Gold Small Batch and all of their BBQ SauDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

NC State has not had a 1,000 yard rusher since Reggie Gallaspy went for 1,091 in 2018. Duke Scott takes over the backfield this season, and Ethan and I could not disagree more about whether he gets there.We ran seven season-long over/unders on this team and took opposite sides on the first three: CJ Bailey's passing yards, his touchdown total, and Scott at 1,000.Then Ethan found the number that should worry you. NC State finished plus three in turnover margin last season, but recovered 14 of the 20 fumbles that hit the ground in their games. Seventy percent. His argument is that recovering fumbles is not a skill, it is luck, and that regresses toward 50, which flips the margin the other way.Plus why Will Wilson has quietly taken every short yardage carry, and which receiver leads this rebuilt room in yards.14 days until NC State at Virginia.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#ad Powered by Oconee Gold BBQ. Code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your entire order.#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

NC State spent two weeks being told its defensive line was the scariest thing on the roster. Then a federal judge handed the Wolfpack its nose guard back, nineteen days before kickoff.KaTron Evans is eligible and practicing. The NCAA denied his waiver, denied his appeal, and had him off the roster on July 28, one day before camp opened. He went to federal court and won a temporary restraining order. The catch: a TRO is temporary by definition, and there is another hearing on August 18.Greg and I get into what Evans actually fixes on a defensive line that was leaning on a guy with 96 career snaps, Justin Gainey landing a kid NC State offered while he was completely unranked, Micah Handlogten and the portal-timing loophole, why nobody can stop Will Wilson on fourth down, and the tenth straight year NC State has put a player on the Freaks List.18 days until NC State at Virginia.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#ad Powered by Oconee Gold BBQ. Code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your entire order.#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Part 2 of this conversation is on Patreon.For 30 years, NC State baseball meant Elliott Avent. Now it's Chris Hart's program — and he just spoke to the media for the first time since taking over.Ethan and Greg break down what he said, and the answer that caught them both off guard. Asked what he'd do differently, Hart didn't talk about pulling pitchers or building a lineup. He talked about expectations — specifically about coming from Florida State, where getting to Omaha wasn't a goal you chased, it was the floor. He told a story about Texas beating the Seminoles and nobody celebrating the season, because Omaha had been the assumption all along. He wants that standard in Raleigh.Along the way: whether winning the ACC should be a real goal or an afterthought, why fans may have been souring on Avent after three decades, what playing to your personnel actually looks like for this roster, and the stolen base problem that drives Greg crazy. Rhett Johnson went 7-for-9 on the bases for USA Baseball this summer. He had 14 steals all season at NC State.Plus what it signals that NC State promoted from inside the building instead of hiring away from it.Part 2 is on Patreon — coaching staff roles, the roster, and where we think this team actually lands. $5 a month gets you that plus 11 more breakdowns:patreon.com/c/tuffytalkNew episodes every week — follow so you never miss one.Follow us:Twitter/X: @tuffytalknowGreg "The Leg" Haas: @PackFanInNOVAEthan Barry: @ncstatestats#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalk #NCStateBaseballSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

We got asked to submit our top 5 NC State football players of all time. The list got rejected, because Philip Rivers wasn't on it.Layton stands by it anyway: Ted Brown, Torry Holt, Bradley Chubb, Mario Williams, Adrian Wilson. Greg argues you cannot build a top 5 without a quarterback, and brings his own list. Ethan watches the two of them go at it.Before that: a federal judge just granted an entire class of athletes a fifth year of eligibility, and three former Wolfpack basketball players are caught in the middle, with Ven-Allen Lubin looking like the most likely to return. Plus whether a player who transfers away still counts as one of ours, and a response to the writer who called NC State's defensive line the thinnest he can remember.25 days until NC State opens at Virginia.New episodes every week — follow so you never miss one.Support Tuffy Talk on Patreon: 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5 — patreon.com/c/tuffytalkFollow us:Twitter/X: @tuffytalknowGreg "The Leg" Haas: @PackFanInNOVAEthan Barry: @ncstatestats#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

NC State's offense returns 62% of its production. The defense returns 46%. Layton and Ethan go position by position through the 2026 Wolfpack defense — every projected starter, all five defensive transfers, and whether a rebuilt unit is a downgrade or an upgrade.KaTron Evans is suing the NCAA after his waiver was denied a day before camp. Harvey Dyson arrives from Tulane to carry a pass rush that generated only 20 sacks last season — and Ethan digs into why that number should have been much higher. Josiah Victor has 96 career snaps and might be the most important player on the roster.By the end, the two of us flatly disagree on how good this defense can be.Part 2 of our 2026 preview series. Full season predictions coming next.New episodes every week — follow so you never miss one.Support Tuffy Talk on Patreon: 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5 — patreon.com/c/tuffytalkFollow us:Twitter/X: @tuffytalknowGreg "The Leg" Haas: @PackFanInNOVAEthan Barry: @ncstatestats#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

We said Chris Dunn is the greatest kicker in NC State history, some of you were furious, so we settled a bigger question: at how many positions does NC State actually have an UNDISPUTED GOAT? Ethan, Greg, Macon and Layton go position by position — and only three names survive.Before the debate: Jacoby Brissett's new deal with Arizona, worth up to $21 million. UNC's general manager getting put on paid administrative leave five weeks before kickoff. And the three defensive transfers who could swing NC State's season.Then Ethan closes with the question nobody's ready for — with four-star Gunner Rivers, Philip's son, on the way, who's actually NC State's starting quarterback a year from now?The three undisputed GOATs, the one that got away, and a whole lot of arguing in between.New episodes every week — follow so you never miss one.Support Tuffy Talk on Patreon: 12 members-only NC State breakdowns a month for $5 — patreon.com/c/tuffytalkFollow us:Twitter/X: @tuffytalknowGreg "The Leg" Haas: @PackFanInNOVAEthan Barry: @ncstatestats#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

NC State football averaged 30.2 points a game last season. It also scored seven points. Twice. Layton and Ethan break down every position group on the 2026 offense and try to work out which of those numbers is the real team.CJ Bailey enters year three after 3,105 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Ethan's verdict: they've gone all in on him, and it's his show now. Whether that works comes down to two things — and the hosts don't agree on which matters more.Also: why Doeren attempted only nine field goals all season, whether Duke Scott gets to 1,000 yards for the first time since 2018, who actually becomes Bailey's number one receiver, and why losing Jai'Lun Hampton on the offensive line hurts more than it first looked.Part one of six. Defense preview next week.New episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.Support Tuffy Talk on Patreon and get 12 members-only NC State breakdowns every month for just $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalkFind Tuffy Talk on all major podcast platforms — Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart, and more. Search "Tuffy Talk" wherever you listen.Follow us everywhere:Twitter/X: @tuffytalknowGreg "The Leg" Haas: @PackFanInNOVAEthan Barry: @ncstatestats#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Dave Doeren said CJ Bailey could be one of the five best quarterbacks in the country. Ethan isn't buying it, and he brought the numbers.Layton, Greg, and Ethan react to everything out of ACC Kickoff 2026 for NC State football: Doeren's "sick of being second" comment and the version of him nobody has seen before, Bailey's claim that he's the alpha leader this team needs, Isaiah Shirley's national community honor, and Dabo Swinney's argument that stopping tampering will take an act of Congress.All three hosts lock in an X-factor for NC State to win the ACC title — on record, come back in December and hold them to it. Ethan's Stat Pack digs into how much offensive production is actually returning, and the number caught everyone off guard. Plus the UNC revenue figures that started a genuine argument on air, and the eligibility ruling that cost the Wolfpack an offensive tackle 40 days before kickoff.This episode was originally recorded live on July 20, 2026.New episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.Support Tuffy Talk on Patreon and get 12 members-only NC State breakdowns every month for just $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalkFind Tuffy Talk on all major podcast platforms — Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart, and more. Search "Tuffy Talk" wherever you listen.Follow us everywhere:Twitter/X: @tuffytalknowGreg "The Leg" Haas: @PackFanInNOVAEthan Barry: @ncstatestats#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Greg and Ethan break down the most underrated and slept on NC State players across every sport, the athletes who outperformed their roster billing and gave the Wolfpack more than anyone expected in 2025-26.Football: was the offensive line NC State's most overlooked unit? CJ Bailey's value relative to his contract gets debated. Basketball: Quadir Copeland, now signed with the Houston Rockets on a two-way deal, leads the list, with Paul McNeil's loyalty and production right behind him. Does NC State basketball need NBA-level talent to compete in the ACC? Greg and Ethan go back and forth. Baseball: Rhett Johnson's 28-game hitting streak and historic freshman season make him the unanimous choice, with Sherman Johnson, Ty Head, and Chris McHugh rounding out the conversation.Plus: a closing debate on the NC State women's cross country dynasty and whether Laurie Henes can sustain it without Katelyn Tuohy.New episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Seven NC State players drafted in the 2026 MLB Draft, Ty Head, Jacob Dudan, Ryan Marohn, Luke Nixon, Sherman Johnson, Cooper Consiglio, and Chris McHugh. Layton, Greg, and Ethan break down every pick, debate whether Ty Head or Jacob Dudan will reach the majors first, and Ethan's Stat Pack reveals how this draft class stacks up historically in total signing bonus money.Plus: the crew debates whether NC State was the highest bidder for CJ Bailey's return, reacts to ACC head referee Gary Patterson quitting mid-season, and discusses whether NC State basketball belongs higher than 21st all time. Heath Andrews signs with the Cleveland Guardians as an undrafted free agent to round out the full Pack pipeline story.New episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Greg and Ethan draft their top three NC State sports moments of the 2025-2026 season, and debate whether this was a weak year for Wolfpack highlights overall.Ethan takes the men's soccer run to the national championship game behind Donavan Phillip, women's cross country's fourth title in five years without star runner Katelyn Tuohy, and the men's basketball win over UNC. Greg counters with the cross country dynasty argument, Isaac Trumble's NCAA heavyweight wrestling championship and his decision to enter military service, and the Gasparilla Bowl win over Memphis that helped NC State football get back on track under Dave Doeren.Honorable mentions include Elliott Avent's final win at Doak Field and NC State basketball's ACC road win streak — plus a closing debate on whether Will Wade leaving for LSU mid-season cost the Wolfpack a legitimate NCAA Tournament run.New episodes every week. Support the show on Patreon for extra NC State breakdowns: patreon.com/c/tuffytalkFollow on Twitter/X: @tuffytalknow | @PackFanInNOVA | @ncstatestatsSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Layton and Greg debate whether 2026 is finally Dave Doeren's year to break through in the ACC — then lock in their official NC State football breakout player predictions on record. Greg takes Duke Scott for 1,000 rushing yards, the first NC State back to hit that mark since Reggie Gillespie in 2018. Layton takes Jonathan Taylor, a former four-star prospect who's been waiting two years for his shot after a redshirt year and a season-ending knee injury.The crew also ranks the Top 5 NC State fall storylines across every sport: volleyball's European tour and breakthrough potential, women's cross country's bid for a fifth national title without Katelyn Tuohy, women's soccer building behind JJ Barlow, men's soccer facing life without Donavan Phillip after his national championship run, and NC State football as the clear #1 — experienced roster, favorable schedule, year 14 for Doeren.Tweet of the Week: Rhett Johnson makes the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and heads to Taiwan, Coach Elliott Avent honored by Team USA, Taylor Black returns to NC State baseball under Chris Hart, college football's new 21-practice rule and FCS scrimmage changes explained, the transfer portal window shrinking from 15 to 10 days, and a North Carolina sports betting revenue bill that could send up to $5.8 million annually to NC State athletics.New episodes every Monday. Support the show on Patreon for extra NC State breakdowns: patreon.com/c/tuffytalkFollow on Twitter/X: @tuffytalknow | @PackFanInNOVA | @ncstatestatsSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

While the rest of the planet is glued to the World Cup, Layton, Greg, and Ethan are locked in on the Wolfpack. This week on Tuffy Talk, the crew breaks down VCU's coach calling out NC State for "ducking smoke" after the Wolfpack bought out their non-conference matchup — and unpacks the new game against UNC that's taking its place...The crew also reacts to NC State basketball's newly revealed jersey numbers for Justin Gainey's first full roster, debates Matt Abel's comments about leaving for a "higher level" program at USC, celebrates LuJames Groover's first MLB home run with the Diamondbacks, and Ethan reveals his Top 10 highest-paid NC State athletes for the upcoming season — including a surprising name at center. Plus: Tweet of the Week, a Texas transfer portal addition for NC State baseball, and a major offensive line recruiting commitment. Support the show on Patreon for extra weekly breakdowns: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk Follow on Twitter/X: @tuffytalknow #NCState #Wolfpack #GoPack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailSupport the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.

Tuffy Talk Live finally returns after getting pushed back a night by a brutal storm that knocked out power lines across the Triangle and apparently took Ethan's AC down with it for good measure. Layton, Greg, and Ethan pick up right where they left off, and there's a lot to get to.It starts with Duke Scott. NC State just handed him the No. 1 jersey, the most prestigious number in the program, and the crew breaks down why it matters that he's the first offensive player to wear it since Stephen Louis back in 2018. Greg calls it a leadership distinction more than a production promise, though nobody on the show is shy about saying they expect a monster role for Scott regardless. From there, the conversation shifts to the number everyone's been asking about, NC State's win total, which opened at 6.5 with heavy juice on the over before eventually settling at 7.5. Greg makes the case for the over, Ethan plays the skeptic, and the group lands on an interesting historical parallel: last year's UNC team carried the exact same 7.5 win total and the exact same "this is a bet on the schedule, not the roster" framing — and it blew up spectacularly. Ethan isn't ready to call NC State the next UNC, but he's not dismissing the comparison either.Then Ethan's Stat Pack digs into a problem that's been quietly building for two years, NC State baseball's home run production has cratered, dropping from a real power threat just a few seasons ago to near the bottom of the ACC. Ethan and Greg trade guesses on just how far the power numbers fell, and the answer surprises both of them.The show also debuts a brand new segment — Pack Pro of the Week — kicking things off with honorable mentions for Garrett Pennington's promotion to Double-A and Saniya Rivers hitting 500 career points in the WNBA, before handing the main honor to Trent Hidlay for locking up his second straight U.S. Senior World Team berth, beating fellow Wolfpack legend Michael Macchiavello to do it.Tweet of the Week brings two of the biggest stories in all of college sports, the NCAA's new five-year, no-exceptions eligibility model that's about to eliminate redshirting as a concept entirely, and NC State basketball quietly buying out of its scheduled home-and-home with VCU, a decision that has Greg more frustrated than almost anything else discussed on the show. The crew closes out debating the best home environments in college football, with a Carter-Finley shoutout from an unlikely source, before Rod Brind'Amour's NC State hat strikes again, this time getting called out directly by the NC State baseball Twitter account.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New episodes every Monday at 8:30 PM ET on YouTube. Join the Patreon at patreon.com/c/tuffytalk for exclusive weekly NC State breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.

Send us Fan MailThere's a number that explains almost every NC State football loss over the past two years, and it has nothing to do with talent, scheme, or who's lining up around him. Ethan Barry pulled it straight from his own Patreon breakdown: CJ Bailey is 10-1 in his career when he throws one interception or fewer. He's 3-10 when he throws multiple. Same quarterback. Same coaching staff. Completely different team.Layton and Ethan dig into exactly which losses that gap accounts for, the three-interception Duke game, the uncompetitive Notre Dame and Miami showings, the 2024 Georgia Tech heartbreaker decided by a single point. They also revisit the seasons before Bailey, back to Devin Leary and the quarterback carousel years, and the pattern holds up every time: when NC State protects the football, it doesn't matter who's behind center. When it doesn't, nothing else matters either.But this isn't just a look backward. Bailey is heading into a contract-year-sized spotlight in 2026 — bigger money, bigger expectations, and a receiving corps that lost Noah Rogers, Hollywood Smothers, and Justin Joly. Ethan makes the case for why the schedule actually sets Bailey up to succeed this time (no Clemson, no Miami, no Notre Dame on the slate), points to the Virginia Tech home loss as the one game last year he should have stolen and didn't, and closes by breaking down where he'd actually place a bet on Bailey's 2026 prop numbers — and it's not where you'd think.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New episodes every Monday at 8:30 PM ET on YouTube. Join the Patreon at patreon.com/c/tuffytalk for exclusive weekly NC State breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThe Carolina Hurricanes are about to throw a parade twenty years in the making. Layton and Ethan open with the scale of it — over 100,000 fans expected in downtown Raleigh this Saturday, a city that's been partying nonstop since the Cup came home, and a fanbase that somehow manages to unite NC State, UNC, Duke, and Wake Forest fans under one roof at Lenovo Center. But this isn't really a hockey episode. It's an episode about why the Canes' championship run matters to the Wolfpack too.It starts with a number. Rod Brind'Amour — now the first player-turned-coach to win a title with the same franchise since 1956 — wears 17 for Carolina. Philip Rivers wore 17 for NC State. Neither connection was planned, but as Layton puts it, numbers have a funny way of working themselves out. From there, the episode digs into Justin Gainey's full-circle moment — the same man who scored the first basket ever in what's now Lenovo Center back in the late 90s is the one who rang the ceremonial siren before Game 1 of the Canes' first-round series, and is now NC State's head coach in that very building.Then the story turns to Carter-Finley Stadium, where the Canes hosted a Stadium Series outdoor game against Washington in 2023 — complete with the NC State marching band, Mr. and Mrs. Wolf, and Wolf hands thrown up mid-celebration. Ethan calls it one of the best live sporting events he's ever attended. Just days later, the Frozen Finley college hockey game drew over 25,000 fans, completely overwhelming the merchandise table.The episode closes on the practical stuff that actually matters for NC State's future — the $300 million Lenovo Center renovation now accelerating because of the Cup run, the $1 billion of development planned around the arena, and why playing home games in a real professional arena has quietly been one of NC State basketball's best recruiting tools for years. And finally, the big debate: would an NC State men's basketball national championship draw a parade anywhere close to the size of what the Canes are getting this weekend? Ethan isn't so sure — but he'd love to find out.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New episodes every Monday at 8:30 PM ET on YouTube. Join the Patreon at patreon.com/c/tuffytalk for exclusive weekly NC State breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.

Send us Fan MailIt's Monday night and Tuffy Talk Live opens with breaking news before the show even hits its second segment, Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby and the university mutually part ways, ending the gambling injunction saga that had college football holding its breath for two weeks. Layton, Greg, and Ethan react in real time. Greg calls the NCAA "punked." Ethan says it feels like a PR move driven by Big 12 pressure. Layton ties it directly to the Will Wade situation, because if you want to talk about ethics in college athletics, you can't do it without talking about both.Then the Will Wade investigation. NC State is not letting this go quietly. The timeline is damning, LSU's season ended March 11, Wade resigned March 25, he was introduced at LSU March 26, and the buyout was set to drop from $5 million to $3 million on April 1. NC State Vice Chancellor Allison Newhart wrote that the school has reason to suspect LSU influenced efforts to avoid or delay notice of Wade's recruitment to save money on the buyout. LSU responded by asking NC State to sign a legal waiver. NC State refused. Wade's response to all of it? "They're pretty mad for a coach they didn't think was very good." Ethan calls it a Captain Obvious situation. Greg says you hold people accountable. And the conversation turns to the real question, does NC State have a case, and what are they actually going after?Then the new Report Card segment debuts, and Layton, Greg, and Ethan grade every one of Chris Hart's moves in his first two weeks as head coach. First up is a name we hadn't heard before, Mississippi State catcher Andrew Raymond, who chose NC State over multiple SEC schools specifically because of the program's catcher development history. All-Rookie A-10 as a freshman at George Mason before transferring to Mississippi State. Greg and Ethan both land at B-plus. Then Hunter Warren gets an A, Ethan makes the case that Warren has been better than Luke Nixon in Year 1 and Year 2 comparisons. Chet Lax gets a B-minus from Ethan, not a reflection on Lax himself but on where he slots in a rotation that still needs more arms. Jesse Gutierrez gets a B, Greg hears from a former San Jose State teammate that Gutierrez sits 89 to 91 as a starter and bumps to 92-93 out of the bullpen. McCall Biemiller gets a C from Ethan and an incomplete from Greg — 13 career innings is simply not enough data. Taylor Black as recruiting coordinator gets an A-minus from both, Ethan notes he stepped into exactly the job Hart vacated, the Florida pipeline stays open, and Bo Robinson and JT Jarrett keep their roles without having to be promoted past where they belong.Then NC State basketball, JUCO center Shah Hall official visit breakdown, the Auburn frontcourt target situation, and whether state even needs Hall if the roster fills out elsewhere. Jacob Burns and Amir Moore football commits, Greg says he can't get excited about three-star recruits even though he respects what they represent. Ethan ties it back to the bigger picture, you find your star players through the high school ranks and use the portal for depth, not the other way around. And the ACC power rankings debate, On3's Andy Staples has NC State 10th. Greg says 7 or 8. Ethan says Virginia is the most overrated team on the list and breaks down exactly why their nine-win season last year was smoke and mirrors. Plus shoutouts to Ty Head as a Gold Glove finalist and Rett Johnson earning Perfect Game second-team freshman All-American honors.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New episodes every Monday at 8:30 PM ET on YouTube. Join the Patreon at patreon.com/cw/ncstatestats for exclusive weekly NC State breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.

Send us Fan MailNC State baseball's first transfer portal pitcher, Wright State LHP Chet Lax, joins Tuffy Talk for his first interview as a Wolfpack. Before Chet Lax ever set foot in Raleigh, he was already making the case for himself, seven shutout innings against Tennessee in a 6-0 Wright State win, and one run allowed in four innings against Georgia, a team that went to the College World Series. That's the arm Chris Hart made his first pitcher commit in the NC State baseball transfer portal.Layton sits down with Chet to talk through the full story. How NC State found him in the transfer portal through his Wright State coach who played at NC State. What his time at Wright State actually looked like, the highs, the rough stretches early in his career, and how stepping up when Sunday starter Warren Hartzell went down with an injury changed everything. What it felt like to toe the rubber at Tennessee knowing his family was in the stands. And what sold him on NC State the moment he stepped on campus and spent a full day with Coach Hart and Clint Chrysler.Chet also opens up about his roommate and fellow NC State baseball commit Hunter Warren, three years as roommates, two years as First Team All-Horizon League teammates, and now both heading to Raleigh together. He talks about his summer on the Cape Cod League with the Harwich Mariners, what he's working on before fall ball, why his mound mentality is his greatest strength as a pitcher, and his personal goals for the 2027 NC State baseball season.Then the rapid fire, favorite pitch to throw, strikeout looking or swinging, cookout tray order, favorite baseball movie (Million Dollar Arm — a first for this show), cheat meal of choice, what sport he'd play if it wasn't baseball (rodeo — his grandfather rode bulls at UT Martin), and the one thing Wolfpack fans should know about him before he arrives.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New content dropping all summer. Subscribe on YouTube and join the Patreon at patreon.com/cw/ncstatestats for exclusive weekly NC State breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.

Send us Fan MailJustin Gainey is building one of the most interesting non-conference schedules in NC State basketball history, and Layton and Ethan are grading every game we know so far.They start with the marquee matchup. Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on December 6. Twenty thousand seats. Rick Barnes on the other sideline. Gainey coaching against his mentor for the first time as a head coach. Ethan gives it an A-plus and makes the case that a win there would carry the same name recognition weight as beating Duke or UNC. Layton grades it slightly lower and explains why the mentor versus mentee spotlight, the unproven roster, and Tennessee's loaded portal additions all factor in.Then the Baha Mar Bahamas Championship, Wisconsin and Seton Hall confirmed, fourth team still unknown. Ethan lands at a B-minus. Two potential Quad 1 opportunities but too many unknowns to go higher. The Maui comparison comes up, and Ethan makes a point about the travel distance that most fans haven't considered.South Carolina at home for the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 1 gets a C. You should win it but you won't get much resume credit for it. Bart Torvik currently has South Carolina projected 89th in the country, and if that holds, this might not even be a Quad 2 game. Ethan doesn't love the quads system. He says so clearly.Ole Miss in Biloxi, Mississippi gets a B. Layton grades it a B. Ethan goes A-minus on the full two-year series. Then Ethan drops a fact that reframes the whole conversation Biloxi is five hours from Oxford. This isn't really a neutral site game.Then VCU on the road. Ethan's grade might be the most interesting take in the entire episode.Then the full ACC road schedule. No home games against Duke or UNC. Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, UNC, Stanford, Virginia, and Virginia Tech all as road games. Is this the toughest away ACC schedule NC State has had in recent memory? And does a road-heavy schedule actually help the NCAA Tournament resume more than it hurts it?Ethan closes with the overall non-conference grade, and his bold prediction on whether Gainey's Year 1 team is a tournament team. He doesn't think it's close.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New content dropping all summer. Subscribe on YouTube and join the Patreon at patreon.com/cw/ncstatestats for exclusive weekly NC State breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.

Send us Fan MailChris Hart didn't wait. In his first week as NC State's head coach, he landed two transfer portal commits from the same program — infielder Hunter Warren and left-handed pitcher Chet Lax, both from Wright State. Layton, Greg, and Ethan break down both additions in full, debate which one is the bigger get, and dig into what their numbers against SEC competition actually tell you about how they'll translate to the ACC.Warren hit .328 with a .831 OPS across 61 games in 2025, won Horizon League Freshman of the Year, and posted an .856 OPS in 23 plate appearances against Tennessee and Georgia. Lax went seven innings against Tennessee with a 0.82 ERA across 11 innings of SEC competition, showing the kind of stuff that projects as a legitimate weekend starter. Both were First Team All-Horizon League. Both are exactly the profile Hart and Avent have always targeted — proven smaller-school D1 talent that translates up.Then the full offseason rundown. The Brazil game is cancelled and moved to Charlottesville — NC State nets roughly $1.15 million after travel expenses, but is now a five and a half point underdog in what was supposed to be a neutral site opener. Rett Johnson earns NCBWA 2nd Team Freshman All-American honors. Colt Hauser commits to the 2027 football class — and yes, his dad is Cole Hauser, Rip Wheeler from Yellowstone. Alex Scott commits over Tennessee and Texas A&M. Gunnar Rivers visits Raleigh wearing Philip Rivers' retired number 17 — and the debate about whether he'll actually wear it if he commits is genuinely one of the most interesting conversations of the offseason. LuJames Groover gets called up to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Diana Schneider reaches the French Open semifinals as a top 25 player in the world. Jacob Smith officially drops football for baseball only.Ethan closes with the Stat Pack — Warren and Lax's numbers against SEC pitching and hitting broken down fully, what a 2.5 WAR Hunter Warren looks like in NC State's 2027 lineup, and the sacrifice bunt debate that may never get resolved.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New episodes every Monday at 8:30 PM ET on YouTube. Join the Patreon at patreon.com/cw/ncstatestats for exclusive weekly NC State breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.

Send us Fan MailIn Part 1, Greg and Ethan tore apart the 2026 season — the schedule failures, the offensive identity crisis, the pitching injuries, and the analytics that tell the real story. In Part 2, they close the book on the Elliott Avent era, open the door on the Chris Hart era, and go through the entire roster player by player to figure out who's coming back, who's heading to the draft, and who's already gone.They start with Avent's real legacy. Not the wins — the man. Four baseball coaches at NC State since World War II. Twenty out of twenty-three seasons in the NCAA Tournament. Three trips to Omaha. But beyond the numbers — the 500 text messages he received the day he announced his retirement, the Chris Combs story that goes far beyond baseball, and what thirty years at one school actually means when the scoreboard stops mattering.Then it's Chris Hart. Forty-six years old. Twenty-four years as Avent's right hand. A five-year contract. Greg and Ethan debate whether Boo Corrigan called anyone else before settling on Hart, what Hart was actually responsible for day to day under Avent, and the uncomfortable question — was Avent a figurehead in his final years? Then the three things Hart must change immediately — the non-conference schedule, the pitching philosophy, and above everything else — NIL funding. NC State baseball is not competitive in the transfer portal market right now. That has to change in year one, not year three.Then the full roster. Every single player on the 2026 roster gets a verdict — Nixon, Sherman Johnson, Ty Head, Rett Johnson, Garino, Nance, McHugh, Hemric, Ragusa, Marone, Dudan, Collins Black, Devin Mitchell, and more. Who has leverage, who doesn't, who's gone, who's staying, and who could make the biggest leap in 2027.They close on the big question — is Nance, Ragusa, and Hemric enough as your weekend rotation to compete in the ACC? And what does Chris Hart actually need to go get this offseason to make NC State baseball dangerous again?This is Part 2 of 2. Watch Part 1 here → youtu.be/RzkFwG1UxLUTuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New episodes every Monday at 8:30 PM ET on YouTube. Subscribe at patreon.com/cw/ncstatestats for exclusive weekly breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThe 2026 NC State baseball season is over. 32-24. Fourteen wins in ACC play. Zero road series wins. A second straight early exit in the Auburn Regional.So what actually happened?In Part 1 of this two-part series, Greg and Ethan pull no punches on the full season breakdown. They start where every honest conversation has to start — did this team meet expectations? Coming in as a top-15 program with what looked like the most talented roster in years, the answer is complicated. And the reasons why are even more so.They dig into the offensive identity crisis that plagued this team all year — a roster built for speed that rarely ran, and supposedly built for power that finished second to last in the ACC in home runs. The DH carousel that went unsolved for the second straight season. The Brayden Freeman decision that lingered too long. The Andrew Wiggins debate, was he the problem or was he exactly what he was always going to be? And the Chris McHugh 74 wRC+ that nobody in the fanbase wants to talk about.Then there's the schedule. Greg and Ethan make the case that NC State went five years without playing a true power-conference non-conference opponent on a weekend, and why that has to change in the Chris Hart era. The Puerto Rico trip was fun. Lafayette and Princeton were not a schedule.They close Part 1 on the pitching staff, the injuries to Jacob Dudan and Ryan Marone that derailed the Omaha dream, the freshman pitchers thrown into the fire too early, the Consiglio versus Andrews rotation confusion that went two months too long, and why Anderson Nance being moved into the starting rotation felt like a panic move rather than a plan.Part 2 covers Elliott Avent's full legacy, the Chris Hart era, and everything coming in the offseason.Tuffy Talk is NC State's home for sports talk, hot takes, and everything Wolfpack. New episodes every Monday at 8:30 PM ET on YouTube. Subscribe at patreon.com/cw/ncstatestats for exclusive weekly breakdowns from Ethan — $5/month.Support the show

Send us Fan MailTonight is different.We're not just talking NC State sports. Tonight, Tuffy Talk Live looks and feels completely different, new brand, new look, new energy, and a major announcement that changes what this show is going forward.On the content side, NC State baseball's season is over and Elliott Avent's 30-year legacy deserves a proper send-off. We break down what he built, what Chris Hart inherits, and what the future of Pack baseball looks like. Then we shift to Justin Gainey's roster,NC State just landed New Hampshire guard transfer Comeh Emuobor, the frontcourt depth hunt continues, and summer workouts start next week. CJ Bailey is ranked No. 2 in CBS Sports' early 2026 preseason QB rankings — we talk about what that means for the football season. Plus the Friday night home opener is officially on the calendar.But the real reason to tune in tonight is the announcement. #GoPack #NCState #WolfpackNation #TuffyTalkLive #PackBaseball #AuburnRegional #ThankYou9

Send us Fan MailPack Nation — Elliott Avent gets one more shot. Tonight we break down everything you need to know before Friday.NC State heads to Auburn as the #3 seed for the third time as a regional site. First up — UCF at 6 PM on ESPN+ Friday. The Knights are 31-21 under third-year head coach Rich Wallace and earned one of six Big 12 at-large bids. Their ace Camden Wicker and senior outfielder DeAmez Ross are names to know. This is a very winnable game for the Pack — and one they have to win to extend Avent's career one more weekend.Beat UCF and NC State would face the winner of #4 national seed Auburn vs. Milwaukee Saturday. Last year in Auburn, the Pack went 2-2 and lost to the Tigers 11-1 in the regional final. Unfinished business.Then we talk about what this season meant. 32-22. Sneaking into the field as one of the last teams in. Rett Johnson's historic freshman season. The road struggles. The Miami series win. And what Elliott Avent's 30-year legacy actually looks like when you put it all together — 10 NCAA Regionals in the last 11 seasons, 1,103 wins, three College World Series trips.Chris Hart is ready. But first — at least one more weekend with the legend who built it.#GoPack #NCState #WolfpackNation #TuffyTalkLive #PackBaseball #AuburnRegional #ThankYou9

Send us Fan MailWolfpack Nation — tonight we're talking about everything on the line for NC State baseball in Charlotte this week.The Pack heads to the ACC Tournament as the #9 seed, opening against #16 Duke on Tuesday at 9 AM on ACC Network. NC State is 32-21 on the season and sitting squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble — one of the last four teams in the projected field. What does this team actually need to do to dance? How far do they have to go in Charlotte? And is this roster capable of it?We also give the UNC series an honest autopsy. Two losses at home. 17-7 in Game 2. What went wrong and what has to be fixed before Tuesday?Then we turn the page to something that felt great this week — Tommy Gantt made his UFC debut and finished his opponent by KO/TKO. NC State All-American. 11-0 as a pro. From the wrestling room in Raleigh to the Octagon in Las Vegas. We celebrate that one.And we close with the women's tennis season in full — back-to-back ACC Championships, seven straight Sweet 16s, an Elite 8 run against the reigning national champion. That program deserves its flowers.

Send us Fan MailWolfpack Nation — this might be the biggest week of the NC State sports calendar this spring, and we're breaking all of it down tonight.First up — women's tennis. NC State rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat #9 Texas in the Super Regional, with Victoria Osuigwe winning a three-set thriller to clinch it and Mia Slama dominating 7-5, 6-0. Now the Pack heads to Athens to face #1 seed Georgia — the host school and reigning national champion — in the Elite 8 on Friday. Can they pull off the biggest upset of the tournament?Then we turn to Doak Field. UNC comes to Raleigh on Thursday. The #2 team in the country. RPI 6. Eight straight series wins. NC State's NCAA Tournament hopes are very much on the line. We break down what the Pack needs to do, whether Rett Johnson's 22-game hit streak continues, and whether this team makes it to Omaha regardless of what happens this weekend.We also get into NC State football — CBS Sports is predicting double-digit wins in 2026. The season opens in Brazil against Virginia. New portal targets are reportedly emerging. Is this the year Doeren finally breaks through?And we close with Gainey's roster — now that the NCAA Tournament is expanding to 76 teams, what does Year 1 actually look like for this group?

Send us Fan MailPack Nation — we're back at 8:30 PM and tonight we're covering it all.We start with NC State women's tennis. ACC Champions. Seven straight Sweet 16s. This week they host the Super Regional at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on May 8-9 with a trip to the Final Four in Athens on the line. We break down the matchup, the path, and whether this team can make a run at a national title.Then we shift to the men's basketball roster. Gainey has built something real — Hammond, Edmead, Evans, McNeil, Adams, Yalaho, Keene, and now Kingston Whitty as the first high school commit. But we're keeping it honest tonight. What's still missing? Is the frontcourt deep enough? Can Darius Adams bounce back from a rough freshman year? We're asking the hard questions.On the women's basketball side, Wes Moore is reloading fast. Khamil Pierre is back. Desiree Wooten just committed out of Colorado — 13.4 PPG, All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Khady Leye adds size. Two top-100 freshmen coming in. But Trygger and Jones are gone. Is this roster better, worse, or just different?And baseball heads to Stanford on Friday for the first regular season meeting ever between these programs — last time they played was the 2021 College World Series. NC State won that one 10-4. The road struggles are real this year though. Can this team finally win away from Doak when it matters?

Send us Fan MailPack Nation — we're back.Tonight we react to NC State women's tennis finding out their NCAA Tournament fate. ACC Champions. Beat the No. 1 team in the country in Cary. Mia Slama won MVP. Now they're heading to the Dance — and we break down the bracket, the seed, and how far this team can go.Then it's time to talk about the elephant in the room. Paul McNeil. Three coaching staffs. Two years of loyalty. One decision. Stay in Raleigh, chase the bag somewhere like Kentucky or Texas Tech, or take his shot at the pros. We break down every scenario and what it means for this program.Speaking of the program — Justin Gainey has built something real. Hammond. Edmead. Evans. Yalaho. Keene. Five commits with five different roles. We dig into what this roster looks like, what it still needs, and whether Gainey can build a tournament team in one portal window.We also get into the baseball road struggles — what's going wrong, what Rett Johnson is doing right, and whether the pitching can stabilize before it's too late.

Send us Fan MailThe Pack had a weekend. Let's break it all down.NC State women's tennis did something special in Cary on Sunday — the 3-seed took down No. 1 Virginia to win the ACC Championship. Second title in program history. First since 2023. Tonight we talk about how they got there, what it means, and what to expect when the NCAA Tournament bracket drops.Then we shift to the Gainey rebuild. Christian Hammond. Preston Edmead. Two commits in, nine guys out, and rumors swirling around Bishop Boswell. We're breaking down exactly what Gainey has, what he still needs, and whether he can actually build a tournament-caliber roster in one portal window.And we don't let the baseball weekend off the hook. 40 runs allowed in two games at Wake Forest is not a vibe. Rett Johnson went 5-for-5 in Game 3 to save the sweep, and Ryder Garino gave us a shutdown pen outing — but the Pack heads to Virginia Tech this week and things have to be tighter. We get into it.

Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan MailGet ready for a packed show as we break down everything happening around NC State Wolfpack!

Send us Fan MailJoin us LIVE on Tuffy Talk as we break down a massive week of news and storylines surrounding the NC State Wolfpack. There is a lot to discuss, and Wolfpack fans won't want to miss this conversation.

Send us Fan MailTune in to the latest episode of Tuffy Talk as we break down everything happening around NC State Wolfpack athletics!

Send a textWe're going LIVE to break down everything happening in the world of NC State athletics! Join the conversation as we react to the NCAA Tournament seeding and path for both the NC State Men's and Women's Basketball teams, analyze what their road through March might look like, and discuss what it will take for the Pack to make a deep run.

Send a text

Send a textIt's NC State vs. UNC and you already know — this one means MORE.Welcome to the ultimate fan-driven LIVE preview of the Tobacco Road rivalry as the NC State Wolfpack get ready to battle the North Carolina Tar Heels for bragging rights, pride, and straight-up basketball supremacy.

Send a textNC State Men's Basketball suffered a brutal, embarrassing loss to Louisville, and we're going LIVE to break it ALL down.

Send us a textWhat is the biggest question regarding NC State Baseball in 2026? What is the biggest strength for the #PACK9?  Join us to help YOU get ready for some NC State Baseball!!!

Send us a textJOIN US AS WE REACT TO THE 2ND HALF OF THE SYRACUSE GAME! Also join us as we discuss the transfer portal class for NC State Football, PLUS our thoughts on the trademark controversy!

Send us a textWhat has been the biggest get so far in the portal?  Has Men's Basketball set themselves up for a mid-season push?

Send us a textWhat is the issue with NC State Men's Basketball?  What is to come for NC State Football in the transfer portal? 

Send us a textWhat did NC State's dominant win over Memphis mean regarding how successful the 2025 season was?  Is NC State Basketball turning a corner?