The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1137844
FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2019 Nailing It At the time of its signing, Rivals.com ranked the 31-player class No. 30 nation- ally. From the first team rankings by Ri- vals.com in 2002 to 2014, that was the fourth-highest-rated class for NC State. In hindsight, the production received from the 2014 group far exceeded its ranking. Of the 30 players that made it on campus, 20 would start at least one full season. That number could increase by one if defensive end Deonte Holden, granted a sixth season of eligibility, earns a starting job this fall. To have two-thirds of a class emerge as full-time starters for at least one year is a high percentage. Since 2002, only one class had a higher rate at NC State and that was the much-smaller 2002 class (14 of 19). Seven of the 13 classes between 2002 and 2014 saw less than half the signees become full-time starters. In addition to the raw numbers, the class of 2014 starters were first-stringers on teams that posted the program's first back-to-back nine-win seasons since Dick Sheridan's final two years as a head coach in 1991-92. Eight were NFL Draft picks, and another made a team's practice squad as an un- drafted free agent (Tony Adams). Ten more received at least NFL tryouts. Between 2000-13, the Pack never had more than five players picked in the draft from one recruiting class. TOP STORYLINES Sticking Together It is typical for a new head coach to enjoy some of his best recruiting success in his first full cycle. Since it's a fresh start, new coaches typically have lots of playing time to sell, high numbers of scholarships available and a blank canvas to draw a vision for the program. Between receiver Bo Hines' commit- ment on April 3, 2013 and defensive tackle Deshaywn Middleton's pledge nearly three months later on July 1, the Pack picked up 22 pledges. All but one of them held firm to the Pack. The lone exception was safety Jefferie Gibson from Gray's Creek High in Hope Mills, N.C., who flipped to Clemson. That switch happened Sept. 1, long before the 2013 season unfolded. Around the Mur- phy Center, head coach Dave Doeren likes to say the fall of 2013 is considered the lost season. NCSU went winless in the ACC and ended the year 3-9 overall after losing eight straight contests to cap the campaign. Despite those struggles, the Pack did not lose the core of its recruiting class, and only offensive lineman Terronne Prescod was even known to have visited another school (Auburn) during that time. In fact, NC State did more swiping after the season had started. Offensive lineman Tyler Jones (Mississippi State), receiver Ste- phen Louis (Central Michigan), cornerback Michael Stevens (Kansas State), cornerback Troy Vincent (Penn State) and offensive tackle Will Richardson (Virginia) were all headed elsewhere before flipping to NC State during or after the 2013 season. Unearthing Gems This was not necessarily a star-studded class, although it had headliners like four-stars Kentavius Street and Justin Jones on the de- fensive line and Germaine Pratt at linebacker. What made this class special was the raw, underappreciated talent that developed into four- and five-star players. Arguably the three best players in the class were defensive end Bradley Chubb, tight end Jaylen Samuels and center Garrett Bradbury. Only Chubb had an offer from another Power Five school among that group, and he was not highly recruited af- ter tearing his ACL as a junior in high school. Had Chubb not gone to NC State, he likely would have joined his brother, Bran- don, at Wake Forest. Current Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was a defensive coordinator at Alabama when he stopped by Chubb's high school, Hillgrove in Powder Springs, Ga., to scout talent. He still regrets overlooking Chubb. In 2017 when addressing the crowd gathered for the awarding of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Smart talked about each of the candidates and when it came time to address Chubb, he started with: "Bradley Chubb, this guy is easy to talk about be- cause he makes me look like a dumbass." Third-round draft pick B.J. Hill, who started 12 games as a rookie for the New York Giants, had an offer only from East Carolina when he showed up at NC State's summer camp. Guard/center Tony Adams, who was on the New England Patriots' practice squad when the team won another Super Bowl, showed up that same day as Hill without any offers, period. Garrett Bradbury, a two-star tight end from Charlotte, went through several position changes before settling in on the offensive line. As a senior, he was the Rimington Trophy winner as the nation's best center, a consensus All-American and the No. 18 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY PAUL STRELOW