Three NC State Players Jump Ship

N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien said today that cornerback Levin Neal, kicker Nathan Frankin and wide receiver Marcus Bond had left the program.

Neal,a junior from Wilmington, was in for a total of 37 plays against Central Florida and Boston College,but his playing time had since dwindled.

Frankin began the season as the Pack's No. 1 punter, but the redshirt freshman from Wilmington averaged 31.9 yards on seven punts and had a kick blocked by Boston College. He was beaten out by senior Bradley Pierson and did not play in the last three games.

Bond, a freshman from Ahoskie, enrolled in the spring and has not played.

"They decided they did not want to be part of the football team," O'Brien said.

O'Brien said Neal approached him last week to tell him of his decision to leave. O'Brien said he tried to convince Neal to "stay with it until the end of the season before making a decision" but that Neal wanted to leave.