The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/125393
tracking the PACK N Two Commits In The Fold For Football C State has landed its first two verbal commitments for head coach Dave Doeren's first full recruiting class, and they both hail from coach Jason Estep's state-title-winning Charlotte Christian program. The first was receiver Bo Hines. The 6-1, 190-pounder caught 45 passes for 794 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior, his first full season at the position. Hines also showed off his impressive athleticism at the Best of the Midwest Combine in Indianapolis in February. He ran the 40yard dash in 4.41 seconds and was named the wide receiver MVP. Rivals.com listed him as the third-best player overall at the event. "He is extremely quick in and out of his breaks and was very effective in the short and intermediate passing game," Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt observed. Not long after that combine performance, Hines picked up offers from NC State and Nebraska. He took visits to both campuses, the latter on March 30 before committing to NCSU three days later. "I just felt like if I still wanted to go to NC State after that visit, there wasn't going to be another place that was going to change my mind," Hines explained. "The coaching staff was a great bunch dedicated to excellence and committed to winning. That's what I was looking for. "I loved everything about the school, the coaching staff and everything around there, and I felt comfortable with my decision. I look forward to being there." Tight end Garrett Bradbury, 6-3, 240 pounds, had collected early offers from Colorado State and Charlotte, but he knew that if NC State tendered, then the Pack would be his choice. State did offer in the week leading up to the Kay Yow Spring Game April 20. Bradbury and Hines were both in attendance for the scrimmage. "I had a timeline that I was going to go to the spring game … and then commit during the week and go back up there," Bradbury explained. "When I got back home I was just like, 'This is the place that I want to be.' So I called up Coach Doeren and Coach [Eddie] Faulkner and told them, 'I want to be a part of the Wolfpack family.'" Faulkner, NCSU's tight ends and fullbacks coach and special teams coordinator, is responsible for recruiting the Charlotte area for State. Bradbury, who caught 18 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns as a junior, could be a candidate to long snap on special teams, as well. Both Hines and Bradbury flew under the radar for various reasons. In the case of Bradbury, he happens to play with classmate Jeb Blazevich, a four-star tight end that committed to Georgia over Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Ole Miss on April 23. Estep acknowledged that Blazevich may have overshadowed Bradbury, but also noted the two are "different kinds of players." Wide receiver Bo Hines, a 6-1, 190-pound three-star prospect, is one of two verbal commitments NC State has picked up for the class of 2014. photo courtesy Bo hines Estep also said that Bradbury has versatility that goes beyond the tight end position. "Garrett is more of a hands-down, kind of brawler. He's a great blocker, just very physical," Estep noted. "Jeb is a little bit more finesse. Garrett also has the ability to play defensive tackle, and he's a long snapper. He's very versatile. "He is a very physical player, who has the ability to dominate when he wants to." Hines is a relative newcomer to the receiver position. "When Bo came here in middle school, he had been a quarterback all his life," Estep said. "Even up until his freshman year here on the JV team he was our starting quarterback, and we thought he was going to be competing for that job. "Then going into his sophomore year, we felt it was in Bo's best interest and the program's best interest to move him out to receiver and try to get as many touches as possible. He actually played some running back for us." Estep noted there were several reasons why they felt they should move Hines to catching passes rather than throwing them. "He has the ability to change the game with his speed; he's a good solid route-runner; and he's got good hands. We felt that if he wanted to play at the highest level in college, then he needed to make that change because he's not 6-3, 6-4. He's probably around 6-1, maybe a little bit under, and it's hard to be a big-time college quarterback at that size anymore," Estep said. "Once he understood the game and routes and responsibilities, it came pretty easy for him." Rivals.com ranks Hines as a three-star prospect. — Matt Carter 10 ■ the wolfpacker 10-12,14,16.Tracking The Pack.indd 10 4/30/13 3:50 PM