The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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10 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY ETHAN MCDOWELL B rody Barnhardt knew months ago that NC State was likely going to be his collegiate home, so shortly after he arrived on campus for an unof- ficial visit on March 31, he ended the suspense. A three-star safety as rated by On3, Barnhardt committed to the Wolf- pack during the trip and announced his decision the following week. NC State had extended its offer to Barnhardt the previous June and made him a top priority in the months that followed. Other schools tried to catch his interest; UNC made a late push, and Virginia Tech was a consistent pres- ence, as was Wisconsin. Nevertheless, the Wolfpack stood alone atop his list. When he visited Raleigh on Jan. 24, Barnhardt had his mind nearly made up. By the time the 5-foot-11, 170-pound prospect returned in March, he was ready to shut down his recruitment. "After that [January] visit, my par- ents and I really talked about it," Barn- hardt said. "I kind of knew I wanted to go there, but I just wanted to make sure before I finalized that." Barnhardt, a Charlotte native who is rated as the No. 81 safety prospect nationally and the No. 24 prospect in North Carolina in the On3 Industry Ranking, was one of five players who had joined NC State's 2024 recruiting class as of April 20. The Pack had received verbal com- mitments in March from cornerback Asaad Brown and quarterback Cedrick Bailey Jr., and on April 19 they landed running back Jayden Scott. All three of those players have received three-star ratings from On3. The first prospect to choose the Pack in the 2024 class was three-star line- backer Cannon Lewis of Huntington, W.Va., who came aboard in October. During his visit to campus in March, Barnhardt met with safeties coach Joe DeForest and let the Wolfpack assis- tant know he was ready to join the class. Shortly afterward, he informed defen- sive coordinator Tony Gibson and head coach Dave Doeren of his decision. Barnhardt said NC State stayed in contact with him throughout his re- cruitment, and the coaches' persistence made a strong impression. "After they offered me, they were consistent on texting me almost every week, just hitting me up with anything, steadly recruiting the whole time," Barnhardt said. "A lot of other schools were hit-and-miss. NC State was al- ways consistent with it." Prior to his decision, the Providence Day School standout was considering Wisconsin and UNC in addition to NC State. Brown, too, had plenty of options to sort through. Power Five programs spanning from Pennsylvania to Arizona were in pursuit, but after getting to know Doeren and nickels coach Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay, the Virginia native was confident that he had found his col- lege home. He committed on March 22, less than three weeks after taking an unofficial visit to Raleigh. "I just felt like it was the right time to do it and, with the relationship with Coach Lindsay, I wanted to be coached by him at the next level," Brown said. After visiting in early March, the 6-foot, 175-pound Brown had planned to keep his options open at least until returning for the spring game on April 8. But, seeing nothing in the interim to change his mind, he decided instead to go public with his commitment. "At the end of the day, I knew NC State was home," Brown said. "Like I told Coach Doeren, I'm not focused on other programs. I'm not going to do any other visits and I'm not going on any- more official visits. I'm locked in." During his junior season at Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake, Brown did not see many targets to his side of the field, so he embraced his role as a physical tackler in the secondary. He has since transferred to St. Michael the Archangel Catholic in Fredericksburg, where he will play as a senior before en- rolling at NC State in January. The On3 Industry Ranking has Brown as the No. 59 cornerback prospect na- T R A C K I N G THE PACK Football Class Expands With Recent Commitments A three-star safety from Charlotte, Brody Barnhardt announced his commitment on April 5, shortly after the most recent of his five unofficial visits to campus. PHOTO COURTESY ON3