The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/368728
16 ■ THE WOLFPACKER N C State added four commitments to its football recruiting class over the summer, highlighted by defensive tackle Quentez Johnson from Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove High. Johnson picked NCSU over finalists Tennessee and Oregon on the Fourth of July. The 6-2, 330-pound Johnson is rated by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit, the No. 39 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 59 prospect in Georgia. He had originally committed to Miami in April before backing out a couple of weeks later. NCSU emerged as Johnson's favorite when he had a multi-day unofficial visit and camped in Raleigh in mid-June. "I think that was the deciding factor for me," he said. "Just com- ing up and actually working out with [defensive line] Coach [Ryan] Nielsen showed our bond, and I got some good work in." On July 18, three-star linebacker Riley Nicholson from Osceola High in Kissimmee, Fla., announced his decision to attend NC State over offers from Central Florida and West Virginia. The 6-0, 225-pounder is a hard hitter that had 100 tackles, including 2.5 sacks, and forced six fumbles as a junior. The Orlando Sentinel ranks Nicholson as the No. 62 player in Florida and No. 11 player in the Central Florida Super60. Just four days after Nicholson committed, NC State closed out its linebacker recruiting by picking up James Smith-Williams, a late- bloomer at Raleigh Millbrook High. The 6-4, 205-pounder wowed NC State coaches with his athleticism at its summer camp in June. Smith-Williams ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds and regis- tered a 10-foot-3 standing broad jump at NCSU. As a junior, Smith- Williams totaled 70 tackles, including 10 for loss. He also camped at and earned an offer from Boston College. In the end, though, the studious Smith-Williams — who sports an un-weighted 3.9 grade point average and 30 ACT score — chose NC State over an Ivy League education at Columbia. "My family is able to come see me at NC State," Smith-Williams said. "I grew up in this area and have seen NC State games. I am really excited about playing in front of the fans at Carter-Finley Stadium. Being from Raleigh and playing in Raleigh, the Wolfpack definitely have the best fan base." On July 26, long snapper Tyler Griffiths from Sun Valley High in Monroe, N.C., decided to accept a full scholarship from NC State over a similar option at Louisville. Long snapping guru Chris Rubio rates the 6-2, 220-pounder as the ninth-best player in the country at his position in the 2015 class. Griffiths camped at NC State in June and initially was given a preferred walk-on opportunity. In July, NCSU made it a full offer. Virginia was also expressing interest. "I took visits to both NC State and Louisville, and NC State just felt more like home to me," he noted. "The coaches and all of the people were a lot nicer. I like the location, it's not far from home — it's like three hours. If I went to Louisville, it's an eight-hour drive. NC State was just the right choice for me and my family." The four commitments give the Wolfpack 10 total in the 2015 class. NC State also got a head start on the 2016 class when of- fensive lineman Harrison Gee from Burlington (N.C.) Williams pledged on July 26. The 6-3, 260-pound Gee is the son of former NC State first-team All-ACC lineman Mike Gee. He also had an early offer from West Virginia and serious interest from UNC and Clemson. "It's just a dream come true for everybody," Gee said. "I've been dreaming of this for as long as I can remember. My mom and my dad were just trying to stay out of the way and let me make my decision, but I think deep down inside that it's what they wanted, as well." As a sophomore, Gee graded out at 98 percent and was named both all-conference and to the Greensboro News & Record all-area team. Williams head coach David Green was noted by the paper as saying that Gee "is by far the best offensive lineman he has coached." ■ Football Recruiting Class Continues To Grow TRACKING THE PACK ■ 2015 NC State Football Commitments Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Malik Douglas DE 6-4 220 Southport, N.C (South Brunswick) Tyler Griffiths LS 6-2 220 Monroe, N.C. (Sun Valley) Quentez Johnson DT 6-2 330 Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove) Austin King QB 6-2 190 Alpharetta, Ga. (Alpharetta) Jarius Morehead S 6-0 190 Gibsonville, N.C. (Eastern Guilford) Riley Nicholson LB 6-0 225 Kissimmee, Fla. (Osceola) Freddie Phillips S 6-2 195 Pelion, S.C. (Pelion) Brian Sessoms WR 5-8 165 Winston-Salem, N.C. (Carver) Phillip Walton OT 6-7 260 Charlotte (Charlotte Christian) James Smith-Williams LB 6-4 205 Raleigh (Millbrook) Rivals.com rates Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove standout Quentez John- son as a three-star recruit, the No. 39 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 59 player in the Peach State. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM