The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542201
10 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN N ational Signing Day used to be filled with surprises. That was the beauty of the pinnacle event in college football recruiting, but for various reasons, the drama has dimin- ished over the years. And yet, NC State still managed to pull off an unexpected flip on Dec. 3, the first day of the early signing pe- riod. Just before Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren took the podium to discuss this year's class with reporters, he and his staff succeeded in flipping edge rusher Lawrence Brown Jr. of Loganville (Ga.) Grayson. The three-star prospect had previously been committed to North Carolina. "There were some surprises in here," Doeren said with a smirk. "One of them was just announced with Lawrence Brown. He's a player that we really liked from Grayson that made a deci- sion to flip to us from our rival school. It's always great to have one of those here at the end." Brown, who missed his senior season with a torn meniscus, was the fourth flip from UNC to NC State in the past eight cycles. He was one of 27 play- ers to join the Pack this year, with its class placing 49th in the Rivals Indus- try Team Rankings following the De- cember signing period and 13th among ACC teams. All of NC State's signees received three-star grades from Rivals. T h e Wo l f p a c k 's to p - ra te d h i g h school recruit is cornerback Jordyn Best of Ridge View High in Columbia, S.C. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound pros- pect committed to NC State in July, choosing it over Boston College, Syra- cuse and Virginia Tech. Listed by Rivals as the nation's No. 96 cornerback and No. 18 prospect in South Carolina, Best shows speed as his primary asset. At the state track championships last spring, he won the Class 5A 100-meter crown in 10.52 seconds and was third in the 200 with a 21.63-second time. On offense, NC State's highest-rated signee is wide receiver Amiri Acker, T R A C K I N G THE THE PACK PACK Previously committed to North Carolina, three- star edge rusher Lawrence Brown Jr. had a change of heart and joined coach Dave Doeren's class at NC State in December. PHOTO COURTESY LAWRENCE BROWN JR. NC State Welcomes 2026 NC State Welcomes 2026 Class Class To Raleigh In December To Raleigh In December