The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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26 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ 2015 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State signed five of Rivals. com's top 11 seniors in the state of North Carolina, propelling the Wolfpack to a tie for the No. 34 recruiting group in the country for the class of 2015. NC State emphasized adding playmak- ers on offense at running back and wide receiver, and signed five offensive linemen and five defensive linemen to fortify the trenches. Thirteen of the 22 signees hailed from the state of North Carolina, and the Wolf- pack also signed three players from Geor- gia, two players apiece from South Car- olina and Florida, and one recruit from Louisiana and Pennsylvania. Rivals.com ranked the haul No. 7 in the ACC, and the group known as "#Pack15" will have the expectations of helping NC State build off last year's 8-5 season, which included going 3-5 in the league. "There were too many great players leaving our state, and it was our goal and our mission to keep the best players at home," NC State third-year head coach Dave Doeren said. Garner (N.C.) High all-purpose back Nyheim Hines was the highest-ranked signee by Rivals.com, checking in at No. 94 overall in the country. Lincolnton (N.C.) High senior defensive end Darian Roseboro was six spots down at No. 100, and had been a top-50 prospect and top player in the state until the final round of rankings by Rivals.com. Durham (N.C.) Hillside left tackle Emanuel McGirt used a big senior year to rise up to No. 195 nationally. Princeton (N.C.) High running back Johnny Frasier is another signee with off-the-charts up- side and was ranked No. 215 overall in the country. Greensboro (N.C.) Southern Guilford running back Reggie Gallaspy just missed the Rivals250, but the four-star prospect is ranked as the No. 28 running back in the country after rushing for 3,318 yards and 52 touchdowns his senior year. Patience proved crucial in landing some of the players. McGirt originally picked North Carolina on June 17, Frasier verbally committed to Florida State on Aug. 11, and Roseboro picked Michigan on Aug. 29. They were three of eight signees that NC State got to change their minds. Quarterback Jakobi Meyers of Lithonia (Ga.) Arabia Mountain verbally committed to Kent State, Charlotte Olympic defensive end Emmanuel Olenga was "flipped" from East Carolina, Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Baptist defensive end Tyrone Riley from Kentucky, Bethlehem (Pa.) Catholic wide receiver Freddie Simmons from Rutgers and Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic offensive lineman Aaron Wiltz from Central Florida. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell was impressed by the closing push NC State had after experiencing a string of heart-breaking recruiting deci- sions during the summer, when the Wolf- pack finished in the top three for numerous blue-chip players. Frasier, McGirt and Roseboro were part of that tough streak. The near-misses also included center Brain Chaffin of Charlotte Christian (Stanford), quarterback Kendall Hinton of Southern Durham (Wake Forest) and defensive end Michael Burnett of Rid- geville (S.C.) Woodland, who picked Flor- ida State and eventually settled on Georgia. "In August, they were waiting for some- body to start the ball rolling," Farrell said. "A couple of kids were expected to be that guy, and Roseboro was one of them, but it didn't happen. It was sort of a dark time. There was talk they weren't going to get anybody they wanted, but they kept to it. "You have to be impressed with the way they stuck to their guns and recruited some kids they knew they had a chance with, even though they were committed." Gallaspy picked the Wolfpack on Sept. 27, rejuvenating NC State's recruiting efforts. #Pack15 The Wolfpack's 2015 Recruiting Class Is Highlighted By A Strong In-State Effort For the class of 2015, head coach Dave Doeren landed a 22-player group that was ranked tied for No. 34 in the country by Rivals.com. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN