The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543694
36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN C State coach Dave Doeren prides himself on running a program that embraces development. The transfer portal has allowed some teams to stray from that approach by bringing in large contingents of proven players for short-term rentals each season, but the Wolfpack doesn't want to be part of that trend. Instead, as the 14th-year coach put it, it's all about molding the foundation of the team with high school recruits — from the instant-impact four-star prospects to the three-stars who may need time to mature. "This is a developmental program that knows how to identify talent," Do- eren said. "It always has been since I got here and will continue to be that way." NC State's 2026 high school signing class is a prime example of how Doeren and his staff are approaching college football's new reality. The program signed 27 prep prospects in the cycle, with an eye toward building for the fu- ture with homegrown talent. Doeren's approach has enabled the Pack to win eight or more games in eight of his first 13 seasons in Raleigh, and he's not looking to change anytime soon. However, the process only works if the right players are brought into the program. "Recruiting is a lot of things now, more than it's ever been," Doeren said. "But to me, recruiting is about find- ing the right fit — where you can have a four- to five-year window to turn into the very best you can be when you face the real world after college ends, on the field and off the field, as a student and as a grown man." Doeren and his assistants are confi- dent they found what they were looking for in the 2026 cycle. Although the class placed 46th overall in the Rivals Indus- try Team Ranking — the Pack's lowest finish since it was 51st in 2022 — NC State has a track record of maximizing players' potential, and Doeren sees no reason to think that this group will be any different. "From a fan standpoint, you should care more about results than you should where we're ranked," he said. "As far as I know, UNC has ranked ahead of us in recruiting every year I've been here. Compare the records." A Hidden Gem While so many colleges around the country have started to move away from hosting high school recruiting and seven-on-seven camps, Doeren still be- lieves they have value. His thought pro- cess was validated during the recently concluded recruiting cycle. At a seven-on-seven camp last June, NC State watched Kinston (N.C.) High wideout Tyreek Copper fly around in every game he played on that summer day. The staff had been aware of him previously, but this was their first up- close view of what the NFL legacy wide- out could do. "We were like, 'Holy cow, this guy is a great athlete,'" Doeren recalled. Copper's standout day on the Wolf- pack's practice fields earned him an invi- tation to Doeren's office afterward, where he received a scholarship offer. Just days later, Copper committed to NC State. Before the Wolfpack took notice, Cop- per thought he was headed to Elon. He hadn't attended many college camps, so this was a rare opportunity for the Pack N COMING ATTRACTIONS NC State Sees A Bright Future For Its 2026 High School Class Four-star wide receiver Tyreek Copper dazzled at an NC State summer camp last June and quickly committed to the Wolfpack after receiving an offer from Dave Doeren. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS