The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1013591
78 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER N C State had concluded most of its re- cruiting efforts in the 2019 class by the time preseason camp started Aug. 3. Entering the fall, the Wolfpack was down to its last few priorities, most notably land- ing a safety and a quarterback. The Pack is also in the market for linebacker help, and it will typically save a spot for the best player available. Here are some names to watch down the stretch: QUARTERBACK Relative to the rest of the class, quarter- back has been the one position that's been a struggle for NC State thus far in recruiting. One by one, the top signal-callers on the board have picked other schools, leaving the Wolfpack to evaluate high school quar- terbacks based on their senior seasons. One name that will probably be on that evaluation list is Justin Fomby from Cen- tral Gwinnett High in Lawrenceville, Ga. Fomby camped at NC State over the sum- mer, and he is a good bet to get a further look this fall. Rivals.com ranks the 6-4, 190-pounder as the No. 74 player in the state of Georgia and a three-star prospect. Fomby is a late bloomer to the quarter- back position and has not been a full-time starter yet in high school. At one point this spring, he had an offer from Missouri before the Tigers landed another quarter- back. Old Dominion and South Alabama are some of his more notable tenders enter- ing his final campaign. At the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas in Nashville that included four- star Auburn commit Bo Nix and three- star Texas A&M pledge (and one-time NC State target) Zach Calzada, Fomby took home the quarterback MVP honor. "From beginning to end, the Georgia na- tive was very consistent," Rivals.com Mid- west recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt noted. "He got his passes out on time and was able to throw receivers open throughout the day." SAFETY Three-star J.R. Walker is rated the No. 33 athlete in the country's 2019 class and the No. 18 prospect in North Carolina, and the 6-1, 200-pounder is the top priority for the Wolfpack at safety. Walker will announce his decision Oct. 13. He has transferred from Northeastern High in Elizabeth City, N.C., to Clayton (N.C.) High for his senior year, where he will be a teammate of NC State four-star defensive end commit Savion Jackson. The Pack has held the lead for Walker throughout most of the recruiting process, but South Carolina has made a strong late push and he will also officially visit North Carolina. NCSU will receive his last of- ficial visit before his decision, and that will come Sept. 22, when Marshall visits Carter-Finley Stadium. As a junior, Walker rushed 71 times for 1,019 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense, and had 73 tackles and seven interceptions in the secondary. If the Pack was to miss out on Walker, there are other options. Three-star Jamal Hill from Morrow (Ga.) High is ranked as the No. 92 player in his home state by Rivals.com. Hill has listed NC State along with Alabama, Michigan and Pittsburgh as the schools recruiting him the hardest. Three-star Treron Collins from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes High is rated the No. 48 safety nationally and the No. 89 player from Georgia. He unofficially vis- ited NC State in March, and in July he re- leased a top six that included the Wolfpack along with Louisville, Ole Miss, Tennes- see, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING What's Left In Football Recruiting Three-star target J.R. Walker is listed by Rivals.com as the No. 33 athlete nationally and North Carolina's No. 18 senior prospect. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM