The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1113082
64 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER N C State is expected to end up with a smaller class than usual in 2020. Schools are limited to 25 signees each year, but the Wolfpack is likely to sign no more than 20. In fact, the final number could end up being in the teens. Eight players had already committed as of May 1, and NC State is rapidly meeting its needs at the skill positions. That leaves the offensive and defensive lines as the fo- cal point moving forward. Here is a break- down of where the Pack stands with those two important position groups. Offensive Line NC State has already secured a verbal commitment from three-star Ethan Lane from Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer High. Expectations are that three or four more offensive linemen could join Lane. Locally, the top target is Jonathan Adorno from Rolesville (N.C.) High. NC State was the first school to offer the 6-4, 290-pounder a scholarship. It came on the first day of NC State's spring practice March 2. Since then, Duke, North Carolina and Virginia Tech have also offered Adorno, and his recruitment could come down to a rivalry showdown between the Pack and Heels. The other in-state target to watch is An- thony Carter, a 6-4, 300-pounder at Butler High in Matthews, which is near Charlotte. He was the only underclassman offensive lineman to be named first-team All-State last season by the Associated Press. Rivals. com ranks the three-star Butler as the No. 25 junior in the state. Carter, who played last year with Pack freshman wide receiver Keyon Lesane at Butler, visited NC State earlier in the spring. He also has offers from Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina, Texas A&M and Virginia. Lane's commitment may help NC State with three-star Sean Hill from Brookwood High in Snellville, Ga. Hill shined at the Rivals Camp Series presented by adidas stop in Atlanta in April. "Hill was already known by Rivals, and he was invited for that reason, but he played above his ranking and his offer list Friday night," Rivals.com recruiting ana- lyst Chad Simmons noted. "The defensive line group was deep and strong with talent, but Hill was having success against some of the best. "He was anchoring well, he displayed balance and he was tough to move. He has some nice offers, but that list should grow in the coming weeks. He is a smart young man, he is a competitor, he took coaching well and he surprised many with his overall performance." The 6-3, 300-pound Hill also has of- fers from West Virginia, Central Florida and South Florida. He visited NC State in March the same day that Lane visited. Both were offered on that trip. Hill noted that he and Lane have played for rivals since they were in elementary school. Hill was named first-team all-re- gion for Class AAAAAA as a junior. T.J. Lawson from National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Md., also visited in March. The 6-5, 280-pounder has an offer list that belies his two-star rat- ing, with Kentucky, Louisville, NC State, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia being the noteworthy ones. Lawson told The Wolfpacker that NC State is "definitely up there" among his favorite schools, and he is good friends with incoming Pack freshman running back Jordan Houston. NC State is in the mix for three-star Ver- shon Lee (6-4, 285 pounds) from Freedom High in Woodbridge, Va. Lee is rated as the No. 28 prospect in Virginia by Rivals.com, and also has offers from Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia. Yet another prospect with a listed of- fer from NC State in the "DMV" region of D.C., Maryland and Virginia is Patrick Matan, a 6-4, 290-pounder from Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C. Louisville, Pitts- burgh, Rutgers and Syracuse have also of- fered him. Two offers that went out during the ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING The Wolfpack Is Seeking Linemen Offensive lineman Sean Hill excelled at the Rivals Camp Series presented by adidas in Atlanta in April. Hill visited and was offered by NC State in March. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM