The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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134 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER T he talent in the class of 2020 in the state of North Carolina is down compared to recent years, but that is not the fault of the Charlotte region. The Queen City boasts an impressive array of recruits with 10 of the top 30 players in The Wolfpacker's rankings hailing from Mecklenburg County and two more from neighboring Gaston County. The number of prospects originating from the Triangle, Triad and Sandhills is less than recent years. Here's a look at The Wolfpacker's top 30 players in the state. 1. DESMOND EVANS, DE Lee County High The state has a long history of lengthy, athletic defensive ends. First-round NFL Draft tal- ents like Mario Williams and Manny Lawson from NC State fit that mold, for instance. Evans appears to be the next in line. He broke onto the scene when he was a freshman and collected an offer from NC State, among others, at that point. Over the following two years, the 6-6, 240-pounder piled up 26 total sacks. As a junior, he had 12 sacks, 25 tackles for loss and 16 quar- terback hurries in 10 games. Evans has visited NC State on multiple occasions, but by mid-summer UNC ap- peared to have moved into frontrunner sta- tus. Rivals.com ranks him as a four-star talent, the top player in the state, and the No. 2 weakside defensive end and No. 41 overall prospect nationally. 2. TRENTON SIMPSON, LB Mallard Creek High Simpson has the proto- type frame and athleticism for a blue-chip linebacker prospect. At the Nike Open- ing in Charlotte in April, he checked in at a chiseled 6-3, 220 pounds and was laser- timed at 4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He also had a 4.34-second shuttle time and an impressive 37.8-inch vertical jump. The latter is proof of the explosiveness he shows on film when blitzing off the edge from his outside linebacker position. Although Simpson also had quite a bit of success running the football for Mallard Creek, defense is his future. He verbally committed to Auburn in June. Rivals.com lists Simpson as a four- star prospect, the No. 3 player in the state, and the No. 8 outside linebacker and No. 76 overall prospect overall in the country. 3. KEDRICK BINGLEY-JONES, DL Providence Day School At nearly 6-5 and pushing 270 pounds, Bingley-Jones is a physical specimen that plays mostly defensive end for Providence Day, but he will probably move inside as a pass-rushing defensive tackle in college. Last year in eight games, Bingley-Jones had 52 tackles and eight sacks. He also forced two fumbles and recorded two safe- ties. Once committed to Florida, he is now open but still made an official visit to UF in June along with Duke and UNC, and will also make one to Ohio State. Rivals.com rates Bingley-Jones as a four-star prospect, the No. 8 recruit in North Carolina, and the No. 8 strongside defensive end and No. 134 overall player in the nation. 4. MYLES MURPHY, DL Dudley High The 6-4, 260-pound Mur- phy is similar to Bingley- Jones, although he is not nearly as defined in his frame. Murphy played de- fensive end for Southwest Guilford High in High Point last year and piled up 53 tackles, 18 stops for loss and 10 sacks in 12 games. He trans- ferred to Dudley High in the offseason. Murphy's future, based on his continued growth, is likely on the interior of the de- fensive line. He has made official visits in May and June to Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, with conven- tional wisdom holding that the Gamecocks and Tar Heels are the favorites. Rivals.com ranks Murphy as a four-star player, the No. 11 prospect in the state and the No. 21 strongside defensive end in the country. 5. PORTER ROOKS, WR Myers Park High In a year where there are quite a few solid receivers in the state, Rooks tops the list. He has nice size for an outside receiver at 6-1, 190 pounds. Although he may not be a burner, he is fast enough and overall a good athlete. At the Nike Opening in Charlotte, he had a verti- cal jump of 33.9 inches. As a junior, Rooks caught 50 passes for 652 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games. He had 66 receptions for 810 yards and 11 scores as a sophomore, both years while playing for Providence Day in Char- lotte. Rooks transferred to Myers Park to be able to graduate early and enroll in the spring at NC State, where he committed in December. Rivals.com ranks Rooks as a four-star prospect, the No. 2 recruit in North Caro- lina, and the No. 9 wide receiver and No. 49 overall senior in the land. 6. JA'QURIOUS CONLEY, S Northside High Conley has the physical frame colleges are seeking in a safety, checking in at a well put together 6-2, 195 pounds. He also is very pro- ductive. Last year, Conley caught 11 passes for 290 yards and three scores, and ran 72 times for 517 yards and seven touchdowns. However, his future is on defense where he piled up 79 tackles, seven tackles for ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING The Charlotte Area Dominates The Top Players In The State The Best Of The Rest No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School College 21. Adrian Spellman DE 6-4 230 Elizabeth City Northeastern 22. Jaylen Smith DT 6-4 270 Ahoskie Hertford County NC State 23. Da'Qon Stewart WR 6-2 195 Huntersville North Mecklenburg South Carolina 24. Jhari Patterson WR 6-0 190 Asheville A.C. Reynolds 25. Devan Boykin DB 5-10 170 Jamestown Ragsdale NC State 26. D.J. Jones RB 6-0 190 Fayetteville Pine Forest North Carolina 27. Zay Peterson S/LB 6-1 200 Clayton Clayton Louisville 28. Antonio Barber WR 6-2 185 Cornelius Hough 29. Stephen Sings DE 6-4 225 Charlotte Vance 30. Cedric Gray ATH 6-2 200 Charlotte Ardrey Kell North Carolina