The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516111
40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Smothers, a former star for Chambers High in Charlotte, and McCall, who picked Coastal Carolina as an over- looked high school recruit from Indian Trail, N.C. The former Sun Belt star will spend his sixth and final season of college football in Raleigh after throwing for 10,005 yards and 88 touchdowns while with the Chanticleers. This group of former in-state stars helped bolster a national recruiting ef- fort from the Pack that included pros- pects from Louisiana to New York. On the opposite side of the ball, the team shored up its secondary with four defensive back commits. NC State brought in a total of 12 transfers to offset 19 departures, secur- ing a class that ranks No. 3 in the ACC, trailing Louisville and Florida State. Receivers Highlight High School Class Wide receiver Terrell Anderson leads a talented group of incoming freshmen as the No. 51 recruit in the country. He is the program's highest-ranked wide receiver signee since Richard Washing- ton in 2002. The Wolfpack ended the cycle with five wide receivers signed, and four of them enrolled in January. Led by An- derson and Jonathan Paylor, both of whom received four-star grades in the On3 Industry Ranking, the first-year pass catchers add considerable talent to the Pack offense. NC State even flipped longtime UNC commit Keenan Jackson from the Tar Heels on signing day. "It got down to crunch time," Jackson said after announcing his decision. "It was time to reevaluate, and I'm glad I made the right decision." NC State signed a total of 24 high school and junior college prospects. The staff flipped four-star linebacker Elijah Groves from Kentucky, held off Miami's late push with three-star quar- terback CJ Bailey and signed a pair of four-star offensive linemen to bolster the trenches. The Pack finished the cycle ranked No. 5 in the ACC, per the On3 Industry Team Ranking, and cracked the top 30 nationally, one spot short of the pro- gram's highest standing in Doeren's tenure. ■ Justin Terrell DL 6-2 285 Fr. Rome, Ga./Rome HHH Had 43.5 tackles as a senior, including 20 for loss and 7 sacks, to go with 4 pass breakups and an interception. Tyler West OL 6-5 275 Fr. Andrews, N.C./Andrews HHHH Played both ways for Andrews but is viewed as an offensive prospect at the college level and is listed as the No. 28 interior lineman nationally by On3. Zane Williams LB 5-11 212 Fr. Wake Forest, N.C./Wake Forest HHH Finished with 96 tackles as a senior, including 24.5 for loss and 4 sacks, along with a blocked field goal and 8 pass breakups. Wyatt Wright LB 6-0 215 Jr. Bridgeville, Del./Mississippi Gulf Coast CC HHH Junior college transfer who totaled 82 tackles last season, including an 18-tackle performance against East Mississippi CC. Christian Zachary WR 6-3 178 Fr. Saint Matthews, S.C./Calhoun County HHH A three-sport athlete (football, basketball, track) who finished his high school gridiron career with 101 catches for 2,500 yards. *On3 player rating as of Feb. 14 2024 High School/Junior College Recruiting Class, cont. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Elig. Home/School Rating* Four-star prospect Terrell Anderson is the highest-rated wide receiver to sign with NC State since Richard Washington in 2002. The North Carolina native caught 64 passes for 1,114 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High. PHOTO COURTESY TERRELL ANDERSON