The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1000643
JULY 2018 ■ 121 WOLFPACK FOOTBALL had yet to announce his new school as of late June. NC State also lost redshirt sophomore guard Harrison Gee and fifth-year senior kicker Carson Wise as medical exemptions. For their remaining eligibility, they receive all the financial aid they would have re- ceived before the medical problem, but do not count against the program's scholarship limit of 85. Collins was expected to challenge to be one of the top three running backs for the Wolfpack. The former Rivals.com three- star prospect from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood High rushed 12 times for 40 yards and caught one pass for six yards in the 2018 Kay Yow Spring Game. Collins was suspended during the fall, but was still able to practice during his redshirt season. The 6-1, 200-pounder, who compiled 533 rushing yards and 324 re- ceiving yards, and scored 12 touchdowns his senior year at Armwood High, picked NC State over South Carolina, Maryland, Indiana and Minnesota. The 6-1, 220-pound Saunders recorded six tackles and two tackles for loss in the Kay Yow Spring Game and was expected to challenge Brock Miller for second-string duties at weakside linebacker. He trans- ferred to Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Dwyer High for his senior year, which is the alma mater of former NC State quarterback Ja- coby Brissett and safety Shawn Boone. Rivals.com ranked him as a three-star prospect and the No. 26 inside linebacker in the class of 2017. He picked NC State over UNC, Indiana, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Temple. The 5-11, 193-pound Valdez, who attended Orangeburg (S.C.) Orangeburg-Wilkinson High, battled injuries and a suspension dur- ing his two years at NC State. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game of the 2017 season against Marshall and finished with five tackles in 26 plays. Valdez, who went by James Valdez in high school, was ranked as the No. 14 pros- pect in South Carolina in the class of 2016 by Rivals.com, and picked NCSU over the home-state Gamecocks. The 6-3, 301-pound Gee, a prep stand- out at Burlington (N.C.) Williams High, is the son of former Wolfpack standout Mike Gee, who was an All-ACC guard in 1992. He redshirted his freshman year and didn't see any action last year. Wise was a graduate transfer kicker from Carson-Newman that was brought in to try and help solve the Wolfpack's kicking woes last year. The Blacksburg, Va., product attended Virginia Tech his freshman year before transferring to Carson-Newman. Wise won the starting job, but after go- James A. Lucas and Company, LLP Certified Public Accountants 4909 Western Boulevard, Suite 200 Raleigh, North Carolina 27606 Telephone: 919-851-4696 Serving the community since 1966 www.jalucas.com Offering a wide variety of services: Personal Corporations Accounting/Bookkeeping Small Business Non-Profit Organizations Trusts Partnerships Estate & Financial Planning Payroll Services Tax Planning Your Wolfpack Connection For Legal Services In Southeastern North Carolina THE MCGOUGAN LAW FIRM 130 Jefferson Street, Whiteville, NC 28472 T. SCOTT SESSIONS (B.S. '87) KEVIN J. BULLARD (B.A. '89) Email: scott@whitevillelaw.com Email: kevin@whitevillelaw.com WILL M. CALLIHAN (B.A. '01) Email: willcallihan@hotmail.com Telephone (910) 640-1485 Facsimile (910) 640-3132 Traffic Tickets & Personal Injury, Criminal, DWI, Worker's Comp, Nursing Home Negligence, Domestic Law, Wrongful Death, Social Security, Real Estate, & Estates WE BACK THE PACK! WWW.WHITEVILLELAW.COM