The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1043000
96 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER N C State's 2019 recruiting class that is ranked No. 20 nationally by Rivals.com as of Oct. 21, can now accurately be called a star-studded group. Nine of the 17 in-state verbal commit- ments were selected to the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game to be played Dec. 15 in Spartanburg, S.C. Four-star cornerback Shyheim Battle (6-2, 170 pounds) from Rocky Mount High had 22 tackles (16 solo), including two for loss, an interception and two passes broken up through six games, all wins. He picked NC State over Clemson. Rivals.com ranks Battle as the No. 10 prospect in the state, and the No. 22 corner and No. 228 overall player in the country. Four-star defensive tackle C.J. Clark from New London's North Stanly High had 73 tackles (45 solo), five sacks, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in his first eight games, during which North Stanly was 6-2. Clark (6-3, 300 pounds) picked NC State over Georgia and North Carolina. He is ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the state, and the No. 9 defensive tackle and No. 161 overall prospect nationally by Rivals.com. Four-star defensive end Savion Jackson (6-3, 260 pounds) from Clayton High had piled up 58 tackles (31 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and four blocked kicks for a Comets team that was 6-2 entering the last week in October. Jackson picked the Pack over South Car- olina. Rivals.com regards him as the No. 5 player in the state, and the No. 9 strongside defensive end and No. 123 overall recruit in the nation. Three-star running back Zonovan Knight's season with Southern Nash High in Bailey has been interrupted frequently by weather, but in his first five games Knight (5-11, 175 pounds) had rushed 54 times for 830 yards and 10 touchdowns and had also returned two kickoffs for scores for an undefeated squad. Knight, a one- time Duke pledge, selected NCSU over Virginia Tech. He is listed as the No. 20 player in the state and the No. 28 running back nationally by Rivals.com. Three-star safety Khalid Martin (6-1, 200 pounds) from East Forsyth High in Kerners- ville, also picked the Pack over the Hokies. Martin had 56 tackles (27 solo), two stops for loss, an interception, three passes bro- ken up, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in eight games, all victories. He also had caught a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for a score. Rivals.com ranks Martin as the No. 32 recruit in the state and the No. 55 safety in the country. Three-star linebacker Jaylon Scott (6-1, 230 pounds) had 53 total stops (21 solo), including 13 tackles for loss and three sacks, and had recorded two passes broken up, a forced fumble and two blocked punts for 6-3 Shelby High. He also had a touch- down reception. Scott, who picked NC State over Duke, is rated as the No. 31 recruit in the state and the No. 41 outside linebacker in the land by Rivals.com. Three-star linebacker Drake Thomas (6-1, 235 pounds) from Heritage High in Wake Forest had 75 tackles (36 solo), three sacks, a safety, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a pick-six and two passes broken up on defense. He's also had rushed for six touchdowns for 7-1 Heritage. Thomas, who chose the Wolfpack over Clemson, is ranked as the No. 21 player in the state and the No. 23 inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com. Also selected were four-star defensive WOLFPACK FOOTBALL Nine NC State Commits Are Selected To Play In The Shrine Bowl 2018 Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 1 James Madison W, 24-13 Sept. 8 Georgia State W, 41-7 Sept. 15 West Virginia Ppd. Sept. 22 at Marshall W, 37-20 Sept. 29 Virginia W, 35-21 Oct. 6 Boston College W, 28-23 Oct. 20 at Clemson L, 41-7 Oct. 27 at Syracuse (ESPN2) 7 p.m. Nov. 3 Florida State (ABC/ESPN2) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 8 Wake Forest (ESPN) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at Louisville TBA Nov. 24 at North Carolina TBA Dec. 1 East Carolina 12 p.m. Four-star defensive end Savion Jackson is the top-rated NC State commit in the 2019 class and headlines the Shrine Bowl selections. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN