The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/141892
■ FOOTBALL recruiting NC State Commitments Highlight The Wolfpacker's Top 30 In-State Recruits By Matt Carter he state of North Carolina's 2014 high school football talent pool may be the beginning of two trends worth watching. One is the strong stable of running backs working their way up the high school ranks. Three of the top five seniors in the state are tailbacks, and both the 2015 and 2016 classes have runners earning early buzz. The second is the focus NC State has on recruiting in-state talent. Ten of the top 30 have committed to the Wolfpack, far more than any other school. In addition, NCSU is believed to be the leader for secondranked Kentavius Street, a defensive end from Greenville Rose. Here is The Wolfpacker's top 30. T 1. Running back Elijah Hood Charlotte Catholic Measurables: At the Shrine Bowl combine held at Rocky River High near Charlotte, checked in at 5-11 and 217 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds and the shuttle in 4.63 seconds, had a 37.7-inch vertical leap and did 16 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press. Stats: Rushed 278 times for 3,309 yards and 48 touchdowns as a junior. Rivals.com rankings: Five-star prospect, No. 1 recruit in North Carolina, No. 3 running back nationally and No. 13 player in the country regardless of position. Colleges: Verbally committed to Notre Dame April 28. Scouting report: Hood has a running style that would remind NC State fans of a healthy T.A. McLendon at his best. He is a powerful runner that will break tackles and then use his speed and explosion once he is free and into the open field. His 40-yard dash at the Shrine Bowl combine is impressive because times that afternoon at Rocky River High were slow. 2. Defensive end Kentavius Street Greenville Rose High Measurables: At the Rivals Challenge Series presented by Under Armour stop in Richmond, Va., measured 6-2 and 267 pounds. Stats: Recorded 93 stops, 19.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries (including one returned for a touchdown) and two blocked kicks as a junior. Rivals.com rankings: Five-star prospect, the No. 2 recruit in North Carolina, the No. 2 strongside defensive end nationally and the No. 18 overall player in country. Colleges: NC State leads Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech. Scouting report: Street combines power, speed and explosiveness off the edge, and is a terror once he sheds blocks. His long arms allow him to play taller than his measured height, and he displays a high motor. Consistency was an issue at times last year for Street, a Georgia native who was playing his first season of football at Rose. 3. Defensive tackle Lamont Gaillard Fayetteville Pine Forest High Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine held at South Johnston High in Four Oaks, N.C., was 6-3 and 316 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.28 seconds and the shuttle in 5.06 seconds, and had a standing broad jump of 6-10. Stats: Compiled 100 tackles, five stops for loss, four sacks and forced a fumble as a junior. Rivals.com rankings: Four-star prospect, the No. 10 player in the state, the No. 17 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 203 overall recruit nationally. Colleges: Georgia is believed to lead Clemson, LSU, NC State and North Carolina. Scouting report: Gaillard is a wide body in the interior that can occupy blockers and clog the middle. He also has unusual quickness off the snap and runs well for his size. His combination of power and athleticism gets him into the backfield a lot. 4. Running back Derrell Scott Havelock High Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine held at Washington (N.C.) High, measured 6‑0 (with shoes on) and 178 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds and the shuttle in 4.45 seconds, had a 9-1 standing broad jump and did 13 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press. Stats: Ran 181 times for 1,742 yards and 34 touchdowns, and caught 11 passes for 185 yards and two scores as a junior. Rivals.com rankings: Four-star talent, the No. 5 player in North Carolina, the No. 2 all-purpose back nationally and the No. 149 overall prospect in the country. Colleges: Florida State, Ohio State and South Carolina lead Florida, Miami, NC State and Notre Dame. Scouting report: In the open field, Scott uses his quickness and shiftiness to make tacklers miss — he might be the best open-field back in the state. Scott also is adept at catching passes out of the backfield. Scott does have a smallish frame, and his overall top-end speed is good but not great. His 40-yard dash time at the Shrine Bowl combine may have been slightly misleading — the hand-timed sprints were fast that afternoon. 5. Running back Donte Thomas-Williams Durham Hillside High Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine held at Washington High, checked in at 6-1.5 (with shoes on) and 220 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and the shuttle in 4.39 seconds, and did a 9-0 standing broad jump. Stats: Rushed for around 750 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. Rivals.com rankings: Four-star prospect, the No. 11 recruit in the state, the No. 24 running back nationally and the No. 211 overall player in the country. Colleges: Top four of Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame and West Virginia. Scouting report: Thomas-Williams may have the best body frame of the group of top running backs, and he combines that with great downhill speed that makes him tough to catch if he gets into the secondary. He also shows good vision and balance when running. Has played behind Khris Francis, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards each the last two seasons and signed with UNC last February, and should break out as a senior. 6. Defensive end Lorenzo Featherston Greensboro Page High Measurables: Listed at 6-7 and 215 pounds. Stats: Credited with 64 tackles, 24 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 14 sacks in eight games. Rivals.com rankings: Four-star prospect, the No. 4 recruit in North Carolina, the No. 7 weakside defensive end nationally and the No. 119 overall recruit in the country. Colleges: Top schools include Clemson, Florida, North Carolina, NC State South Carolina and Tennessee. Scouting report: Featherston is a long and lean end that is quick off the snap and can run like a deer. With added bulk, he should be a difficult assignment for offensive tackles to contain. He does have a history of injuries, including undergoing knee surgery that shortened his junior season. 7. Linebacker Chris Register Greensboro Dudley High Measurables: At the Shrine Bowl combine at Washington High, measured 6-4.5 (with shoes on) and 226 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds and the shuttle in 4.4 seconds, did a 9-0 standing broad jump and bench pressed 185 pounds 17 times. Stats: Produced 110 stops, nine tackles for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, five forced fumbles and three passes broken up as a junior. Rivals.com rankings: Three-star prospect, the No. 14 recruit in the state and the No. 22 outside linebacker nationally. Colleges: Verbally committed to Clemson in May. Scouting report: Although Register is listed as an outside linebacker by Rivals.com, he probably is best suited to play inside in college. Register has good instincts, tackles well, plays with a high motor, has good 144 ■ the wolfpacker 144-147.FB Recruiting.indd 144 7/2/13 9:58 AM