NC State Football: 3 takeaways from Week 7 victory over Pittsburgh

2. Jordan Whitehead is an incredible athlete.

Is there anything Jordan Whitehead can’t do?

Seriously, the Panthers’ dynamic junior was arguably the team’s best player on both sides of the ball.

Not either side, both sides.

In addition to being a top-flight, potential first round caliber safety for Pat Narduzzi’s defensive secondary, Whitehead also took eight carries on the offensive side of the ball while lined up at running back, the second most carries of any player on the team, and finished the game tied with Kenny Pickett for the most rushing yards by a Panther in Week 7 with 18.

And while 18 yards rushing isn’t a particularly impressive stat by any stretch of the imagination, Whitehead was a dynamic athlete out of the backfield, with multiple critical rushes for first downs, and he even turned an arrant wild cat quarterback snap into a surprisingly positive play.

And Whitehead did it all on only half of the field.

Related Story: Michigan State Football: Is Pat Narduzzi Mark Dantonio’s heir apparent?

In Week 7, Narduzzi’s squad built their entire offensive philosophy around avoiding senior defensive end Bradley Chubb, arguably the Wolfpack’s best defensive player, and spent the entire afternoon running every play to the opposite side of the line of scrimmage.

While Whitehead’s potential as an offensive ball carrier may never be fully explored as he is such a vital part of the Panther’s defense, his peppering into the Panthers’ offense philosophy is a real testament to his dynamic athleticism, and his game changing potential.

With the NFL firmly in his future, optimizing Jordan Whitehead’s athletic abilities will be essential for Pitt finding any consistency on the offensive side of the ball over the remained of the season.