The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532241
36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN n the era of the transfer portal, when teams can quickly plug holes and build veteran rosters, NC State coach Dave Doeren still wants to lean on high school re- cruiting. The development-based coach thrives on finding talent and helping players reach the next level in their game. When the Wolfpack began work on its 2025 recruiting class, the goal was to pursue prospects who fit that iden- tity. Doeren and his staff cast a wide net, landing players from 10 states. Throughout their travels, the coaches kept in mind that they wanted high school talent to continue to serve as the program's foundation. "When you get into developing play- ers, which I love to do, it starts with a high school player," Doeren said on Na- tional Signing Day in December. "We went into this really wanting to get some guys that fit exactly who we are — who love not just playing football, but the process of becoming really good at the sport." That imperative led to NC State sign- ing 21 high school players and one ju- nior college prospect in the 2025 cycle, which ended Feb. 5 on the traditional signing day. The Wolfpack compiled the No. 36 high school recruiting class, as rated in the On3 Industry Team Rank- ing. With an 87.413 On3 class score, the Pack checked in at No. 6 in the ACC. NC State also signed 10 transfers during the winter window. After all, no program can afford to ignore the portal, no matter how focused it may be on the development of high school prospects. But the staff remains intent on molding the next batch of homegrown stars. "We're excited about the young men that joined the Wolfpack, really ex- cited," Doeren said. "It's a good group of guys that fit our culture." Offensive Line Reinforcements Back in December, when Doeren was discussing the 17 players who made their verbal commitments official dur- ing the early signing period, one player seemed to inspire a different kind of en- ergy: four-star interior lineman Spike Sowells of Louisville (Ky.) Male High. "He's probably one of the best cen- ters that we've been able to sign since I've been here," Doeren said. "A lot of the centers that we've recruited over the years, we've had to train how to play that position. … I'm really excited. I wish he was here today to start working." Sowells' decision was one of NC State's biggest wins of the cycle. He was being courted by several SEC programs, I HOT ON THE TRAIL NC State's Focus On Player Development Pays Off In 2025 Recruiting Cycle Offensive line coach Garett Tujague landed a coveted player when four-star offensive lineman Spike Sowells signed with NC State. Listed by On3 as the No. 162 overall prospect and No. 8 interior lineman nationally, Sowells is the highest ranked player in the Pack's class. PHOTO COURTESY SPIKE SOWELLS