The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/112604
2013 football recruiting issue Pharoah McKever ��� WR Malcolm Means ��� S Tabor City (N.C.) South Columbus High 6-6 ��� 215 pounds Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.76 seconds and the shuttle in 4.81 seconds ��� Had a 28-inch vertical leap and did 10 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press. Stats: Totaled almost 2,500 total yards as a senior, with more than 1,000 yards both passing and rushing ��� Notched 126 tackles and six interceptions on defense ��� Completed 86 of 137 passes for 1,267 yards and 14 touchdowns, and ran for 11 scores as a junior ��� Also picked off two passes. Ratings: Listed by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect ��� Ranked by Scout.com as a three-star recruit, the No. 172 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 29 player in North Carolina ��� Rated by ESPN as a three-star prospect, the No. 132 athlete nationally and the No. 44 recruit in the state ��� Regarded by 247Sports as a three-star player, the No. 94 athlete in the country and the No. 35 prospect from the state. Richland (S.C.) Lewisville High ��� 6-2 ��� 190 pounds Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds and the shuttle in 4.29 seconds ��� Did 12 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press and had a standing broad jump of 9 feet, 9 inches. Stats: Rushed for 1,043 yards and 10 touchdowns, and caught 27 passes for 553 yards and seven scores, as a senior ��� Defensively, posted 38 tackles, including four sacks, and recorded four interceptions ��� returning two for touchdowns ��� and a fumble recovery that was also returned for a score ��� One of the pick-sixes was a state-record-tying 109 yards. Ratings: Ranked two stars by Rivals.com ��� Listed by ESPN as a threestar recruit, the No. 164 athlete in the country and the No. 22 prospect in South Carolina ��� Regarded as a three-star prospect, the No. 25 player in the state and the No. 125 athlete in the nation by 247Sports ��� Rated two stars and as the No. 131 safety nationally by Scout.com. Honors/accomplishments: Selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game, where he recorded five tackles, all assists, and broke up a pass ��� Named to the Division I-A All-State team by the Associated Press ��� First Lewisville High product to sign with an FBS team since 1997 ��� Also runs track. Recruitment: Means, through a combination of playing for a small school in South Carolina and not achieving qualifying status until December, flew under the radar. He then shined at the Shrine Bowl of the Caroliphoto courtesy rivals.com nas All-Star Game in Spartanburg, S.C., and achieved qualifying grades. NC State and UNC offered, but the Wolfpack got the jumpstart on Means and secured his commitment four days after he officially visited the weekend of Jan. 11. Recruiter of record: Running backs coach Des Kitchings. Dave Doeren on Means: ���He can really run, a long, 6-2 safety with great speed and ball skills. He was a tremendous player on offense, good with the ball in his hands, but we see him as a safety in our scheme.��� Scouting report: Means has nice size for a safety and room to grow even more. Some have compared him athletically to current Wolfpack rising senior defensive back Dontae Johnson, who has made an impact at both corner and safety for NC State. 2013 projection: Means was recruited as an athlete, but his best bet to get on the field early is at safety. Given the lack of depth at the position, Means could be a sleeper to see playing time early. photo courtesy rivals.com Honors/accomplishments: Named the region���s Defensive Player of the Year by the Wilmington Star ��� Picked for the NC Preps��� 2-A All-State team as an athlete ��� Was named all-conference as both a sophomore and a junior. Recruitment: McKever showed up at NC State���s 2012 summer camp trying to convince the Wolfpack coaches that he was athletic and skilled enough to warrant a scholarship. He did just that, showing off some natural receiving abilities, in particular, during wideout drills. NCSU offered June 11, and McKever immediately accepted. Recruiter of record: Former special teams coordinator Jerry Petercuskie. Dave Doeren on McKever: ���Pharoah is an interesting dude. He���s a 6-6, 220-pound quarterback/ receiver/safety. He can do a lot of things. He���s going to play receiver for us to start, and we���ll see where his body goes and where that puts him. He���s a big guy that can jump over people and play ���X��� for us, match up with some guys in the slot. When you have a guy that big that can run, that���s pretty important.��� Scouting report: McKever is a unique prospect. He looks more like a basketball player than football star, but he excels on the field. He���s not afraid to hit, showed some natural pass-catching skills at NCSU���s summer camp and is an above-average athlete for his size. The biggest question is figuring out where to play him. 2013 projection: Although there is a need at receiver, which is where he is likely to get his first look in college, McKever is a raw prospect. He is a good bet to redshirt while he hones his skills and settles into whatever position suits him best. Josh Mercer ��� RB Guyton (Ga.) South Effingham High ��� 5-11 ��� 190 pounds Measurables: At a Nike Combine, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and the shuttle in 4.22 seconds ��� Had a 31.7-inch vertical leap. Stats: Ran 247 times for 1,479 yards and 27 touchdowns, and hauled in 13 catches for 158 yards and two scores, as a senior ��� Rushed 192 times for 1,354 yards and 16 touchdowns, while also catching 14 passes for 200 yards and four scores, as a junior. Ratings: Ranked as a three-star prospect, the No. 53 running back nationally and the No. 76 player in Georgia by Rivals.com ��� Given three stars and listed as the No. 98 running back in the country by Scout.com ��� 247Sports rated him as three-star prospect, the No. 22 all-purpose back in the nation and the No. 66 recruit in the state ��� Regarded as a three-star talent, the No. 75 running back nationally and the No. 91 prospect in Georgia by ESPN. Honors/accomplishments: Chosen as the Offensive Player of the Year in the region by the Savannah Morning News ��� Named second-team Class AAAA All-State by the Georgia Sportswriters Association ��� Was an honorable mention Class AAAA All-State selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution ��� Picked as the 3-AAAA South Region Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches ��� Helped South Effingham reach the state playoffs for the first time in seven years and led his squad to the quarterfinals ��� Also photo courtesy rivals.com runs track, finishing sixth in the state 100-meter dash finals as a junior and third as a sophomore ��� Has personal-best times of 10.66 seconds in the 100 and 21.63 seconds in the 200. Recruitment: Mercer���s commitment came a bit out of the blue on Sept. 24. He was believed to be high on the board of both Florida and Georgia, but Mercer decided on NC State. The speedster officially visited Oct. 5 and remained firm throughout the process. Recruiter of record: Running backs coach Des Kitchings. Dave Doeren on Mercer: ���He knows he can come in and play early if he���s ready and healthy. He looks forward to that. Josh is another guy that can not only run the football, but also catch it out of the backfield.��� Scouting report: Mercer has what one recruiting analyst once called ���SEC speed.��� He���s a track star, and when he turns the corner, he can explode into the open field. He has also filled out to become a more physical runner. 2013 projection: Matt Dayes steals the thunder among the running backs in the class, but Mercer is a good bet to get on the field as well. He has the speed to be a weapon at the position. 38��� ������ the wolfpacker 34-36,38-40,42-43.Recruiting Bios.indd 38 2/26/13 1:15 PM