That overabundance of quarterback options for NC State is dwindling a bit. We finally found out last week who had won the quarterback battle to replace Mike Glennon, a third-round NFL pick for Tampa Bay. But starter Brandon Mitchell, who graduated from Arkansas and moved on to State for his final season of eligibility, was injured early in the win over Louisiana Tech. Now we’re told that another of the quarterbacks may redshirt.

Manny Stocker, a sophomore from Coatesville, Pa., earlier was in the mix to start or be the backup. ” We’re trying to redshirt Manny,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said. “If we have one more injury, we’ll have to bring him up.”

Doeren said coaches felt he needed time to develop. “I think him playing last year was premature for his growth as a player,” Doeren said of the Tom O’Brien recruit.

Mitchell, who beat out Pete Thomas for the job during training camp, broke a bone in his foot after directing N.C. State to touchdowns on its first two possessions of the season. Now Thomas, who was 15 of 27 for 212 yards and a interception in relief last week, is the man.

“We need him to not beat us,” Doeren said. “Just distribute the ball to the right people, don’t try to win the game, just don’t lose it.”

He said quarterbacks often force too many plays that they don’t have to. He wants Thomas to put the ball in the right guy’s hands. “When it’s third down, he’s going to have to make the throws we need,” Doeren said. “We’re looking forward to see him take his opportunity and do something with it.”

Thomas, a junior transfer from Colorado State, isn’t as mobile as Mitchell was so that will change the play calling a bit. “We may have to be more creative with how we do some of our run game without a mobile quarterback.,” Doeren said. “We showed that by bringing in (backup QB freshmen) Bryant Shirreffs and Josh Taylor. We have some other skilled quarterbacks that can do some things.”

Taylor is a 5-foot-11 walk-on from New Bern and, along with Shirreffs, figures to see some playing time Saturday at home against Richmond.

Another QB recruit Jacoby Brissett transferred from Florida and has to sit out this season but will have two years of eligibility.

Offensive coordinator Matt Canada said the competition at quarterback has been a positive one. “Competition has never been a bad thing,” Coach Canada said. “If you’re competing at whatever profession you’re in, if they bring somebody in to do your job, you’re going to be better. Hopefully we compete against ourselves and we all try to do that. The great players in our game do that, guys who compete every day to be better than they were. Having someone push you is always positive, so it has been a great, healthy situation for us.”