The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1506671
12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY ETHAN MCDOWELL A couple of four-star North Caro- lina wide receivers highlighted NC State's midsummer recruiting haul. From early July to late August, the Wolfpack welcomed seven prospects to their 2024 recruiting contingent and one player to their 2025 class. With the ad- ditions, NC State's commitments num- bered 17 players heading into the start of the 2023 football season. The group was rated 37th in the On3 Industry Team Ranking and was seventh among ACC schools. The in-state receivers are Jonathan Paylor of Cummings High in Burlington and Terrell Anderson of Grimsley High in Greensboro. Both are considered four- star players by On3's scouts, and they've also received four stars in the On3 Indus- try Ranking, which pools the ratings of the four major recruiting websites. Paylor was the first of the two to com- mit, doing so on Aug. 4. He's the No. 170 overall prospect, No. 28 receiver nation- ally and the No. 4 prospect in North Caro- lina, per the On3 Industry Ranking. His recruitment was a back-and-forth affair in which NC State spent much of the spring attempting to overtake South Carolina, his longtime public leader. Paylor, who stands 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, had totaled 2,177 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior, numbers that helped him amass 23 schol- arship offers from Power Five schools. Three conversations toward the end of his official visit to Raleigh in mid-June helped the Wolfpack stand out. First, he talked to freshman receiver Kevin Con- cepcion, his player host. Then he met with head coach Dave Doeren again before speaking with his parents. As it turned out, he and his family were in agreement. NC State's location and coaching staff, coupled with the poten- tial for substantial playing time, made the program a good fit. "They were like, 'Jon, this is where you want to be at,'" Paylor said of his parents. Anderson joined the class on Aug. 12, choosing the Wolfpack over Michi- gan and Tennessee. Rated 376th overall, 62nd among receivers nationally and 12th in North Carolina, the 6-3, 184-pound prospect took his official visit in June and came away convinced that NC State was the right choice for him. T R A C K I N G THE THE PACK PACK Receivers Elevate NC State's 2024 Recruiting Class Jonathan Paylor amassed 2,177 all-purpose yards during his junior season at Cummings High in Burlington, N.C. He's the nation's No. 28 wide receiver in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO COURTESY JONATHAN PAYLOR 2024 Commitments Name Pos Ht Wt Rating* Home School Josh Alexander-Felton DL 6-4 240 HHH Orlando, Fla. Edgewater Terrell Anderson WR 6-3 184 HHHH Greensboro, N.C. Grimsley Cedrick Bailey Jr. QB 6-6 180 HHH Hollywood, Fla. Chaminade-Madonna Prep Jivan Baly CB 6-0 170 HHH Norcross, Ga. Meadowcreek Brody Barnhardt S 5-11 170 HHH Charlotte, N.C. Providence Day Chase Bond DL 6-4 255 HHH Massillon, Ohio Washington Asaad Brown CB 6-0 175 HHH Portsmouth, Va. Mt. Zion Prep Isiah Jones RB 5-10 190 HHH Rolesville, N.C. Rolesville Cannon Lewis LB 6-1 207 HHH Huntington, W.Va. Cabell Midland Robby Martin IOL 6-3 285 HHH Huntington, W.Va. Huntington Trent Mitchell OT 6-6 290 HHH Gastonia, N.C. Ashbrook Jonathan Paylor WR 5-9 170 HHHH Burlington, N.C. Hugh M. Cummings Ronnie Royal III Ath. 5-11 175 HHH Alexandria, Ala. Gulf Shores School Justin Terrell DL 6-2 285 HHH Rome, Ga. Rome Duke Scott RB 5-10 190 HHH Stockbridge, Ga. Stockbridge Tyler West IOL 6-5 275 HHH Andrews, N.C. Andrews Zane Williams LB 5-11 210 HHH Wake Forest, N.C. Wake Forest 2025 Commitments Gus Ritchey TE 6-3 225 HHH Pittsboro, N.C. Northwood Will Wilson QB 6-1 220 HHH Columbia, S.C. Richland Northeast * On3 ratings as of Aug. 25