The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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42 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MATT CARTER N C State's 2014 football recruiting class that was announced Feb. 5 is not the expected final version. Linebacker Airius Moore of Beavercreek (Ohio) High will join the group in August. Moore had originally committed to In- diana in October over offers from Cincin- nati, Illinois and Marshall, but the 6-1, 220-pounder changed his pledge to NC State on National Signing Day. The reason he did not sign with NC State, yet, is because he is "blueshirt- ing," a recent trend that has developed in college football. A school, provided they did not have an in-home visit and did not host the prospect on an official visit, can enroll a recruit in August, essentially as a preferred walk-on, and then give him a scholarship at that point. Then the new addition counts toward the 25-scholar- ship limit for the next recruiting class rather than being applied to the one that just signed. Moore is familiar with NC State. He camped there last summer and has a con- nection on his high school coaching staff in former Wolfpack wide receiver Tra- main Hall. "I got a pretty good feel with the coaches when I went down there this summer," Moore acknowledged. "I feel comfortable around them." Moore said that during his contact with NCSU coaches leading up to Na- tional Signing Day, "The different things they were talking about I was really cool with." Moore expects to begin his career at NC State in an outside linebacker role, where he will help in pass coverage and against the run. As a senior, Moore recorded 74 tack- les, 3.5 sacks and an interception. He also rushed for 272 yards and six touchdowns on 53 carries. He was named second- team all-state by the Associated Press for Division I in Ohio. Rivals.com ranks Moore as a three-star recruit, the No. 27 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 39 prospect from the state of Ohio. Three Walk-Ons Will Join Roster NC State announced three players that will be preferred walk-ons. RC Brunstet- ter (6-2, 225 pounds) of Davie County High in Mocksville, N.C., was a three- year starting long snapper for Davie County and will compete for the same position with the Wolfpack. L i n e b a c k e r Ty L i n t o n . a 6 - 2 , 235-pound native of Weddington, N.C., starred at Charlotte Christian and was ranked as the No. 25 player in the state and the No. 63 outside linebacker nation- ally in the 2010 class when he signed with North Carolina. However, Linton was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 14th round of the MLB Draft the following summer, and he elected to sign for a $1.25 mil- lion bonus. After three year in the minor leagues, Linton decided to give up base- ball and return to the gridiron. A stipulation in his contract requires the Diamondbacks to pay for his tuition at NCSU, which is why Linton will be a walk-on despite his lofty prep cre- dentials. He chose to enroll at NC State rather than returning to UNC as he origi- nally planned. Linton is one of two walk-on lineback- ers Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren is welcoming. The other is Max Stoffer, a 6-3, 220-pounder from Father Ryan High in Nashville, Tenn. Stoffer notched 141 tackles and five forced fumbles as a senior en route to all-state honors. He finished his career as a three-year starter with 351 total tackles. Brunstetter and Linton enrolled at NC State this January, while Stoffer will be- gin school in the fall. ■ ■ Ranking The ACC NC State's recruiting class ended up being ranked in the top half of the ACC and third best among Atlantic Division teams. Here are various rankings by recruiting services. Soon-to-be former ACC member Maryland was listed No. 52 overall by Rivals.com, No. 61 by Scout.com, No. 43 by 247Sports.com and No. 50 by ESPN. Rivals.com (Nat.Rank) 1. Florida State (4) 2. Miami (12) 3. Clemson (13) 4. North Carolina (22) 5. Virginia Tech (24) 6. NC State (30) 7. Virginia (38) 8. Boston College (40) 9. Pittsburgh (42) 10. Louisville (43) 11. Georgia Tech (46) 12. Syracuse (50) 13. Duke (57) 14. Wake Forest (58) Scout.com 1. Florida State (3) 2. Miami (11) 3. NC State (26) 4. Clemson (28) 5. North Carolina (31) 6. Virginia Tech (36) 7. Pittsburgh (42) 8. Louisville (43) 9. Georgia Tech (47) 10. Virginia (51) 11. Syracuse (53) 12. Boston College (57) 13. Wake Forest (64) 14. Duke (67) 247Sports 1. Florida State (4) 2. Miami (12) 3. Clemson (17) 4. Virginia Tech (27) 5. North Carolina (29) 6. Virginia (32) 7. NC State (34) 8. Pittsburgh (44) 9. Louisville (47) 10. Syracuse (50) 11. Boston College (52) 12. Georgia Tech (54) 13. Duke (58) 14. Wake Forest (62) ESPN 1. Florida State (3) 2. Miami (10) 3. Clemson (12) 4. Virginia (25) 5. Virginia Tech (31) 6. North Carolina (32) 7. NC State (38) 8. Boston College (42) 9. Pittsburgh (44) 10. Duke (51) 11. Louisville (53) 12. Georgia Tech (54) 13. Syracuse (60) 14. Wake Forest (63) Pack Expecting One More In 2014 Class Beavercreek (Ohio) High linebacker Airius Moore, who switched his pledge from Indiana to NC State on National Signing Day, will of- ficially join the Pack in August. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Walk-on Ty Linton, a 6-2, 235-pound line- backer from Weddington, N.C., was rated as the No. 25 player in the state in the class of 2010, before he elected to play professional baseball. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS 42.Recruiting Class Notes.indd 42 2/25/14 3:42 PM