Miami defensive tackle David Blay is the latest Hurricane announced as out. Blay was downgraded to out on the game day Student-Athlete Availability Reporting update. Miami has 11 players out. Four key starters for Miami will not play against North Carolina State.
Starting running back Hollywood Smothers and tight end Justin Joly and seldom-used reserve defensive end Adrian Farrow are game-time decisions for North Carolina State. Smothers is the best offensive player for North Carolina State in 2025.
Playing in eight of the nine NC State games, Smothers leads the Wolfpack with 120 carries for 825 yards and six touchdowns and has 28 receptions for 170 yards and another score. With Smothers out two weeks ago against Georgia Tech, Jayden Scott had 24 carries for 196 yards and one TD in Smothers' place.
Joly leads North Carolina State with 36 receptions and five TD catches and is second with 365 receiving yards in 2025. Joly is arguably tougher to replace than Smothers. No other NC State TE has more than four receptions during the 2025 season.
Miami adds another starter as out. pic.twitter.com/ULgl8YJeQA
— Canes Warning (@CanesWarningFS) November 15, 2025
Ahman Moten returns for Miami at DT after missing the last two games. Justin Scott and Donta Simpson should see an increase in snaps at DT with Blay out. Miami can also rotate Rueben Bain, Akheem Mesidor and Armondo Blount to DT on passing downs.
In addition to Blay, running back Mark Fletcher Jr. is out for the second straight game, defensive back Keionte Scott is out for an indefinite period of time, starting cornerback O.J. Frederique will miss his third consecutive contest and WR Tony Johnson is out on Saturday for Miami.
North Carolina State downgraded offensive lineman Rico Jackson to out after he had been listed as questionable during the week. Jackson started for North Carolina State at guard in the past two games. North Carolina State will also be without linebacker Sean Brown and safety Brody Barnhardt, as key players who are out.