SB Nation's Bill Connelly has released his early projections for the 2016 college football season, and he has NC State making a minor decline from 2015. The Wolfpack finished last season ranked 36th in S&P+ but is projected at 40th for 2016. S&P+ is a schedule-adjusted metric that takes into account several different perfromance-based factors.
The preseason projections weigh several factors--recruiting impact, returning production, and the weighted five-year performance of each team. NC State ranks pretty average-ish in those categories, at 45th, 37th, and 63rd, respectively.
Here's how NC State stacks up within the ACC (projected ranking in parentheses):
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