Round and round we go. Where does this coaching carousel stop? Aside from Raleigh, North Carolina, no one knows.
But Philip Rivers is finalizing his deal with Wolfpack officials and already is quickly at work assembling his staff.
USA TODAY Sports has learned former NFL player Jerricho Cotchery is expected to be a candidate to join Rivers’ eventual staff at NC State.
A Birmingham, Alabama native, Cotchery starred alongside Rivers at NC State. He’s now in college coaching, serving as the passing game coordinator at NCAA Division II program North Greenville University.
Additionally, multiple individuals
with knowledge of the proceedings believe another former NC State quarterback, Jatavis Sanders, is in the mix for a front-office role with the Wolfpack.
Sanders, currently Alabama’s director of recruiting strategy, previously worked at his alma mater as director of recruiting. He also spent time as Rivers’ backup quarterback at NC State.
Current NC State tight ends coach Gavin Locklear is another intriguing potential holdover. An alum of the school, Locklear appeared in nearly 40 career games at tight end for the Wolfpack.
NFL scouts are buying stock in CJ Carr, Darian Mensah
“He made money this weekend.”
That was the assessment from an NFL scout to USA TODAY Sports about Darian Mensah, the Miami quarterback who played without Malachi Toney and still nearly engineered a three-touchdown rally at Notre Dame. That was in front of 42 credentialed NFL scouts for the game, which was the most a 25-year Notre Dame athletics veteran could remember.
But another quarterback in that game also “made money” while validating what scouts already thought of him: Notre Dame’s CJ Carr.
In fact, three personnel members from NFL franchises told USA TODAY Sports in recent days that Carr is the No. 2 quarterback on their boards, behind Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker.
“I really like Mestemaker, Carr, (Dante) Moore,” an NFL personnel executive said, noting that order. “Mensah is in there, too.”
One franchise valued Mensah over Moore, especially after this weekend, but noted that it understands the attraction to Moore “because of what he’s done in the past and his measurables.”
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers also remain potential first-round NFL Draft prospects, according to the three franchises that spoke with USA TODAY Sports.
Indiana coordinators getting interest
A key secret to Indiana football's success has been the continuity on Curt Cignetti's staff, which included bringing coordinators Bryant Haines (defense) and Mike Shanahan (offense) with him from James Madison
According to industry insiders, multiple programs are calling about the Hoosiers play-callers for head coach openings, including Baylor and Maryland.
Fresh off a national championship and what looks like a potential third trip to the College Football Playoff in three years, IU's top assistants can afford to be selective.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What I'm Hearing: Philip Rivers looking at more NC State alum for staff
