The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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TRACKING THE PACK 12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Mikey Wilkins Surges In On3 Basketball Rankings NC State men's basketball signee Mikey Wilkins got his final high school season off to a strong start, with averages of 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game for Arden (N.C.) Christ School. Wilkins, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound for- ward, turned heads at the John Wall Invi- tational in late December with a 21-point, 21-rebound performance in a win over Knightdale High. In early February, he entered the top 100 of On3's rankings. The four-star recruit is now the No. 78 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle, up from his previous spot at No. 107. Wilkins also jumped to No. 16 among power forwards and No. 3 in North Caro- lina. He's even more highly rated in the On3 Industry Ranking, which takes into account the grades from all four major recruiting services, checking in at No. 67 overall, No. 12 at his position and No. 3 in his home state. For now, NC State's recruiting class consists of Wilkins and three-star guard RJ Greer of Dayton (Ohio) Archbishop Al- ter. Greer is the No. 149 player in the class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. On3 ranks NC State's class 38th in the country and eighth in the ACC, with an overall score of 90.47. The Pack has five open scholarships remaining for the 2025-26 season. Baltimore Safety Joins 2026 Football Class NC State landed its third commitment of the 2026 cycle on Feb. 3 when three- star safety Koby Sarkodie of Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore pledged to the Wolfpack. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defensive back totaled 35 tackles, including 8 for loss and a sack, and 5 passes defended during his junior campaign. Sarkodie is rated by On3 as the No. 71 safety prospect nationally and No. 20 player in Maryland. In the On3 Industry Ranking, he's listed as the nation's No. 571 overall prospect, No. 51 safety and No. 14 player in his home state. Expected to play linebacker at NC State, Sarkodie also held offers from Bos- ton College, Maryland, Penn State, Ten- nessee and Virginia Tech, among others. NC State was able to secure his com- mitment following a junior day visit to Raleigh. He had seemed to be keen on Penn State, a program he visited five times, with four of those trips taking place during the 2024 season. However, the Wolfpack was able to position itself at the top of his list after new defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot made him a priority, including a January in-home visit. Sarkodie joins three-star quarterback Jacob Smith of Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan and three-star offensive tackle Brady Sa- kowitz of Richmond (Va.) Trinity Epis- copal in the Wolfpack's 2026 recruiting class. Zac Roper, Nick Treco Added To Pack Football Staff Dave Doeren added a pair of familiar faces to his staff for the 2025 campaign. The Pack hired Zac Roper as a spe- cial teams quality control coach, while former NC State nickel back Nick Treco will serve as a graduate assistant with the defensive backs. Roper, the younger brother of offen- sive coordinator Kurt Roper, enters his second stint with the Wolfpack. He pre- viously served on Doeren's staff in 2022 as an offensive analyst, then spent two seasons as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Florida Inter- national. Treco was a walk-on who played on both sides of the ball during his five- year career at NC State. He saw most of his action on special teams and was the Pack's defensive scout team player of the year in 2022. In December, he earned his master's degree from NC State. Grayson McCall Joins Coastal Carolina Staff Quarterback Grayson McCall was forced to end his playing career in late October citing head injuries, but he was determined to stay involved in football in some capacity. On Jan. 6, McCall took the first step toward a career in coaching when he accepted a position at Coastal Carolina as an offensive analyst. After he was sidelined last fall, Mc- Call sat in on coaches' meetings and was a key figure in the development of then-freshman CJ Bailey throughout the season. At Coastal Carolina, where he enjoyed a record-setting career before heading to NC State for his final season, he will serve under Tim Beck, the former Wolf- pack offensive coordinator who is now head coach of the Chanticleers. NC State's Dave Doeren said McCall's coaching potential was evident during their time together last year. "There's just a standard of play that coaches look for, and that's where you could see where this guy's going to be a good coach," Doeren said. "He's one of those guys that you just really pull for. I'm super excited about what's next for him. He's going to be elite." — Noah Fleischman ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK Wilkins signed with NC State in November and has since risen to No. 78 in On3's ranking of the top prospects in the 2025 class. PHOTO COURTESY MIKEY WILKINS 2026 Football Commitments Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Rating* Home School Brady Sakowitz OT 6-7 285 HHH Richmond, Va. Trinity Episcopal Koby Sarkodie S 6-2 200 HHH Baltimore Milford Mill Academy Jacob Smith QB 6-3 200 HHH Pfafftown, N.C. Reagan * On3 player ratings as of Feb. 5