Sophomore receiver Bryan Underwood practiced on Wednesday and will be a game-time decision for Friday's opener against Tennessee, coach Tom O'Brien said.

Underwood underwent minor surgery on his left knee earlier this month and had been held out of practice. O'Brien did not list Underwood, who is expected to be one of the team's top receivers, on the depth chart on Monday.

Updated: 3:42 p.m.

Running back Tony Creecy will start for N.C. State against Tennessee on Friday, and linebacker Rodman Noel will not.

Those were two of the major changes to the Wolfpack's depth chart for the season-opener in Atlanta against the Volunteers. Also notably absent from the two-deep were receiver Bryan Underwood and cornerback C.J. Wilson, whose eligibility is in question by the NCAA.

N.C. State has three veteran running backs in James Washington, Tony Creecy and Mustafa Greene. Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien typically rotates two over the course of the game.

How the carries will be split up next Friday in Atlanta for the season opener against Tennessee is still to be determined O'Brien said Thursday.

Asked if there was any separation in the competition, O'Brien said, "not really."

Coach Tom O'Brien sounded optimistic sophomore receiver Bryan Underwood would return to the practice field sooner, rather than later, after recent knee surgery.

Underwood caught 16 passes for 226 yards last season and is expected to have a bigger role this season with the loss of receivers T.J. Graham and Jay Smith. O'Brien said Saturday Underwood was out indefinitely, and his status hasn't changed, but O'Brien said Tuesday night: "It's a question of when the doctors clear him to go."

N.C. State held its annual media day today. Some notes and updates on receiver Bryan Underwood, running back Mustafa Greene and safety Tim Buckley: