The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/112604
2013 football recruiting issue Kenton Gibbs ��� DT Ali Kassem ��� OL Detroit Cass Tech ��� 6-2 ��� 290 pounds Stats: Recorded 51 tackles (39 solo), including 11.5 sacks, and had a pair of fumble recoveries as a senior ��� Posted 15 sacks as a junior and 16 as a sophomore. Ratings: Ranked as a three-star player, the No. 42 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 15 prospect from Michigan by Rivals.com ��� Listed as a three-star talent, the No. 41 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 14 recruit from the state by Scout.com ��� Rated the No. 14 player in Michigan by National Underclassmen and The Detroit News ��� Ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the state by High School Sports Scene ��� Regarded as a three-star player, the No. 70 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 21 recruit from the state by ESPN ��� Listed as a three-star prospect, the No. 61 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 16 player in Michigan by 247Sports. Honors/accomplishments: Helped lead Cass Tech to back-to-back Division I state titles, returning a fumble for a touchdown in the championship game his senior season ��� Picked for The Detroit News All-Metro team. Recruitment: Gibbs did not get on State���s recruiting board until after the coaching change. He had been a verbal commitment for Illinois until the fall. He decommitted and took an official visit to NCSU Jan. 18. At that point, his final four consisted of the Pack, Illinois, Pittsburgh and Michigan photo courtesy rivals.com State, but the main two were NCSU and Pitt before he picked the Pack. Recruiter of record: Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Eddie Faulkner. Dave Doeren on Gibbs: ���Kenton is a guy that went from 300 pounds to 250 pounds to increase his speed, and now he���s up to about 285. He���s a tremendous weight-room guy. I���ve coached several players out of Cass Tech, and every one of them has been tough, smart and dependable.��� Scouting report: Gibbs is a quick, pass-rushing defensive tackle who has a reputation for being an immense talent. Gibbs tried to drop weight to increase his athleticism as a senior, but reports were that he lost some of his effectiveness from when he was a more dominant force as a sophomore and junior. 2013 projection: NC State returns every defensive tackle of significance on its roster from last season, so there is not a pressing need for Gibbs. Expect him to redshirt this fall unless he proves too good to keep off the field. Cincinnati/ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y. 6-7 ��� 350 pounds Stats: Helped running back Hosey Williams rush for 1,269 yards this past season. Ratings: Considered a two-star recruit, the No. 29 junior college offensive tackle in the country and the No. 6 JUCO product from the state of New York by 247Sports ��� Coming out of Cincinnati Moeller High in 2010 was regarded as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com and the No. 152 offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN. Honors/accomplishments: Named all-conference in 2012 ��� Started seven games at right guard and four at right tackle last fall ��� Was first-team All-Greater Catholic League as a senior at Moeller. Josh Jones ��� S Walled Lake (Mich.) Western High ��� 6-2 ��� 205 pounds Stats: Defensively made 95 tackles, 53 of them solo, three sacks, five interceptions, two pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a senior ��� Also rushed 86 times for 668 yards and 19 touchdowns, and caught 18 passes for 303 yards and four more scores ��� Averaged 17.1 yards on 11 punt returns and 44.8 yards on four kickoff returns ��� Made 30 tackles and two interceptions on defense and returned three kicks for scores as a junior. Ratings: Ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect, the No. 29 safety in the country and the No. 8 player from Michigan ��� Listed by Scout.com as a three-star recruit, the No. 31 safety in the nation and the No. 11 player in the state ��� Ranked as the No. 9 prospect in Michigan by National Underclassmen ��� Rated the No. 8 recruit in the state by the Detroit Free Press ��� Regarded as a three-star prospect, the No. 59 safety in the nation and the No. 12 player in Michigan by 247Sports ��� Considered a three-star player, the 88th-best safety in the country and the 30th-best recruit in the state by ESPN ��� Rated the No. 16 player in Michigan by The Detroit News. Honors/accomplishments: Named first-team Division 1-2 All-State by photo courtesy rivals.com the Associated Press ��� Scored five first-half touchdowns (three rushing, two receiving) and intercepted a pass to help Walled Lake Western win the Division 2 district finals. Recruitment: Like Kenton Gibbs, Jones was a one-time Illinois commitment. Before pledging for the Illini, he had also committed to Toledo. In the end, he narrowed his choices to Colorado, Pittsburgh and NC State, taking visits to all three, and chose the Pack at the end of his official trip on the weekend of Jan. 25. Recruiter of record: Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Eddie Faulkner. Dave Doeren on Jones: ���Josh Jones is a big safety. He���s a contact player. Not only did he do things on defense, also as a returner on special teams and a receiver on offense. He���s 6-2 and 200 pounds.We felt like he���s a guy that can play a lot of positions for us.��� Scouting report: Jones is an impressive combination of size and athleticism. He���s a playmaker on both sides of the ball, and he has the frame to be a physical safety in the defensive backfield or an athletic linebacker at the line of scrimmage. 2013 projection: Jones is a versatile prospect who could find his way on the field this fall. Depth at safety is thin, opening the door for him if he can grasp the defense well during preseason camp. photo courtesy rivals.com Recruitment: Kassem originally enrolled at Western Michigan in 2010, but he left the school the following spring. After taking a year off, he matriculated to ASA College and saw his stock rise. Kassem took official visits to Rutgers (Jan. 25) and NC State (Feb. 1), his two finalists. After returning home from Raleigh, Kassem decided to commit to Rutgers Feb. 4, only to change his mind literally hours later and pledge for the Wolfpack. Recruiter of record: Offensive line coach Mike Uremovich. Dave Doeren on Kassem: ���Ali Kassem fills a need for us at guard. He can probably play some right tackle, but probably more of a guard for us. He comes out of Cincinnati Moeller High School; Moeller is one of the best high school programs in the Midwest, if not the country.��� Scouting report: Kassem will need to trim down by the time he arrives at NC State. He reportedly was tipping the scales at around 380 pounds when he officially visited, and the Pack would like him to get down to 350. If he does, Kassem is a tough lineman with surprising foot speed and a mean attitude on the field to top it off. 2013 projection: Kassem will compete for a starting job along the offensive line, probably at guard. The bigger question is will he be a sophomore or junior. He enrolls with two years to play two, but will petition the NCAA to be classified as a redshirt sophomore since he did not play anywhere in 2011. 36��� ������ the wolfpacker 34-36,38-40,42-43.Recruiting Bios.indd 36 2/26/13 1:15 PM