The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197085
■ FOOTBALL recruiting Still Work To Do By Matt Carter C State may be close to filling its recruiting class in football, but Dave Doeren's staff continues to aggressively pursue seniors. Here is a breakdown of the recruiting board. N ■ Running Back The only known target at tailback is four-star Derrell Scott from Havelock (N.C.) High. Scott, who was selected to the Shrine Bowl for the Carolinas All-Star Game Dec. 21 in Spartanburg, S.C., and the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl Jan. 4 in Los Angeles, had rushed 111 times for 958 yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games in 2013. Rivals.com lists Scott as the No. 162 player in the country and No. 5 all-purpose back nationally. He is also rated as the No. 5 recruit in the state. The 5-10, 180-pounder had been expected to announce his choice Oct. 18, his birthday, but he then postponed it. South Carolina has long been Scott's leader, but he took an official visit to Tennessee Oct. 4. NC State has also been firmly in the mix with Scott, and he made an unofficial visit to UNC Oct. 17 for the Tar Heels' Thursday night game against Miami. ■ Wide Receiver NC State has been reserving room for a pair of four-star receivers in Trevion Thompson of Durham (N.C.) Hillside High and Johnnie Dixon of West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer High. The 6-2, 185-pounds Thompson has NCSU in his top six along with Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, UNC and West Virginia. Thompson told The Wolfpacker he wanted to officially visit Ohio State Oct. 25. He has unofficially been to a pair of NCSU, UNC and Clemson games this fall. Like Scott, Thompson has been picked for the Shrine Bowl and Semper Fidelis Bowl. He is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 194 player in the country, the No. 27 wide receiver in the land and the No. 8 prospect in North Carolina. The 6-0, 170-pound Dixon has taken official visits to NC State (Sept. 6), Arkansas (Sept. 14) and Ohio State (Sept. 27), and he has scheduled one to Alabama Nov. 8. Dixon was believed to be a big Miami lean, but Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Running back Derrell Scott from Havelock (N.C.) High, who is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, had rushed 111 times for 958 yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games in 2013. photo courtesy rivals.com Kynon Codrington thinks that is no longer the case. "The last time I spoke to Dixon, he said Miami is still one of the schools recruiting him the hardest," Codrington noted. "However, I think Alabama, NC State and Ohio State are higher on his list." Rivals.com lists Dixon at No. 107 in the country, and as the No. 16 wideout nationally and the No. 13 prospect from Florida. A sleeper that has emerged on the radar at receiver is Stephen Louis from West Palm Beach (Fla.) Palm Beach Lakes High. The 6-2, 190-pounder committed to Western Michigan over the summer, but a strong senior season has led to offers from NC State, Central Florida and Minnesota, among others, and Louis could take an official visit to NCSU in November. Rivals.com rates him as a two-star prospect. ■ Offensive Line The Pack is in hot pursuit of offensive tackles to help fill out the class. Two-star (but likely soon to be three-star) tackle Lukayus McNeil of Indianapolis Decatur Central took an official visit to NCSU Sept. 6. He has seen a steady rise in his stock among colleges. This fall, McNeil has picked up offers from Louisville, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Penn State, among others. The 6-7, 270-pounder has been coy about future plans, but Pack assistant coach Eddie Faulkner was at McNeil's high school game Oct. 18. He is listed by Rivals.com as the No. 14 player in Indiana. NC State made the final five of Brock Ruble, a 6-8, 320-pounder from Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic. Listed by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit, the No. 40 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 13 player from Maryland, Ruble is also considering offers from Florida State, Maryland, Ohio State and Tennessee. He is expected to wait until his senior season is over to schedule visits. His teammate, defensive end Deonte Holden, is a Wolfpack commitment. NC State is also trying to sway a couple of pledges away from other schools. George Panos, a 6-5, 310-pound three-star product of Hartland (Wis.) Arrowhead High, committed to Wisconsin in April 2012, but he took an official visit to NCSU Oct. 11. Panos, rated by Rivals.com as the No. 21 guard in the nation and No. 6 player in Wisconsin, has said his commitment remains firm to the Badgers after the State trip, but he also has not ruled out taking an official visit to Arkansas. Will Richardson of Burlington (N.C.) Cummings High committed to Virginia over NCSU and Florida State last May, but Cavaliers head coach Mike London is on the hot seat in Charlottesville, and the rumblings have Richardson keeping his options 122 ■ the wolfpacker 122-126.FB Recruiting.indd 122 10/22/13 12:04 PM