The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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32 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ 2015 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MATT CARTER I t is unlikely that NC State will need to use as many true freshmen this fall as they did last year when 14 prospects burned their redshirts. Nevertheless, there are some incoming signees who will be on the field at some point during the 2015 season. Here are five that we predict to be on that list. Running back Johnny Frasier In 2008, Nick Saban was in his second season as Alabama's head coach, and run- ning back Glen Coffee ran for 1,383 yards and 10 touchdowns. Coffee turned pro and was drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers. A year later, Alabama running back Mark Ingram won the Heisman Trophy while rushing for 1,658 yards and 17 scores, and he was selected in the first round of the 2011 draft by the New Orleans Saints. In- gram was replaced in 2012 by Trent Rich- ardson, who ran for 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns, turned pro and was drafted third overall by the Cleveland Browns. Next for Alabama was Eddie Lacy, who ran for 1,322 yards and 17 scores. He was picked in the second round of the 2013 draft by the Green Bay Packers and went to the 2014 NFL Pro Bowl. The point being, Saban knows good run- ning backs, and he personally made the trip from Tuscaloosa, Ala., to Princeton, N.C. (population: 1,194 in the 2010 census) to visit with Frasier (5-11, 225 pounds) at Princeton High. That speaks to the poten- tial of Frasier, who verbally committed to then-defending national champion Florida State last summer before switching to NC State, spurning Saban and the Tide in the process. Long snapper Tyler Griffiths It has been a long time — four years to be exact — since NC State was left wondering who would be handling the long snapping duties in the kicking game. That is because Scott Thompson has ably manned the responsibility since he arrived on campus in the summer of 2011. Thomp- son did well enough that college football analyst Phil Steele considered him an All- American-caliber long snapper. Those are big shoes to fill, and Griffiths was brought in to compete for the role. Griffiths, 6-2, 230 pounds, brings impres- sive credentials to the table. It is not often that a high school long snapper gets one, much less two, full scholarship offers from a Power Five conference program. Not only did NCSU pursue Griffiths, so did Louisville, which joined NC State in ten- dering Griffiths. Virginia also aggressively recruited him. NC State has other candidates that could compete for the spot, including returning players Ben Grazen, a redshirt junior, and R.C. Brunstetter, a redshirt freshman, and incoming walk-on Duncan Musselwhite from New Bern (N.C.) High. Griffiths, though, may be the favorite entering pre- season camp. Running back Nyheim Hines As NC State head coach Dave Doeren noted during his National Signing Day press conference, Hines showed during his illustrious career at Garner (N.C.) High that there are many ways he can get on the field and make an impact. "He's a punt returner, kick returner, run- ning back, a receiver and also he plays the wildcat when they get into that package, so he's got five lottery tickets on our team," Doeren said. Hines even threw touchdown passes for Garner. "He's pretty proud of his arm, too, and he talks to me about that, but I'm excited to see him run the football and catch it for us," Doeren added. One area where Hines will get an op- portunity to make an instant impact is in the kick return game. NC State had a rather anemic return game in 2014. The Pack av- eraged just 3.6 yards on 17 punt returns and 18.3 yards on 36 kickoff returns. Only Syracuse's 18.2-yard kickoff return aver- age saved NC State from ranking last in the ACC in both categories. The 5-9, 186-pound Hines is a speedy playmaker who can be lethal in the open field. His speed has been on display in track and field, where he won the 4-A indoor state title in the 55-meter dash in February with a time of 6.28 seconds — the second- fastest time in the country at that point. Defensive end Darian Roseboro In Doeren's estimation, Roseboro was the top defensive prospect in the state in the 2015 class. Last year, that honor went to Greenville (N.C.) Rose High defensive end Kentavius Street. Street will be battling for a starting job this year for the Pack, and Roseboro is likely to be one of those competing with him. Regardless, expect Roseboro to be on the field. He proved during his four-year career at Lincolnton High that he is too talented not to play right away. He finished with 83 tackles for loss and 36 sacks. Roseboro also has the size (6-4, 283 pounds) and the luxury of enrolling early for spring practices in his favor. During his senior season, he additionally flashed his athleticism by rushing for 1,459 yards and 34 touchdowns as a fullback. Doeren even joked that he could get on the field on offense. "Maybe short-yardage package this year?" Doeren noted. Offensive tackle Daris Workman Junior college recruits are typically signed to make an immediate impact. Workman has that opportunity in front of him. The biggest question mark on NC State's offense next season is offensive tackle. Honorable mention All-ACC left tackle Rob Crisp and three-year starting right tackle Tyson Chandler were both seniors last season and are currently preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft. Replacing Crisp and Chandler is the top priority for offensive coordinator Matt Canada and offensive line coach Mike Ure- movich. Workman is one of four offensive tackles signed in this class, including four- star Emanuel McGirt from Durham (N.C.) Hillside High. The one advantage Workman (6-6, 280 pounds) has is two years of experience playing junior college football. Workman, a native of Greensboro, N.C., was a two-time all-conference selection at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif. ■ Names To Watch Five Players That Could Be On The Field Next Year ROSEBORO