The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/470359
MARCH 2015 ■ 33 2015 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ■ BY MATT CARTER H ere are The Wolfpacker's annual su- perlatives from the recruiting class: Biggest Get: It's tough to sepa- rate between running backs Nyheim Hines of Garner (N.C.) High and Johnny Frasier of Princeton (N.C.) High, defensive lineman Darian Roseboro of Lincolnton (N.C.) High and offensive tackle Emanuel McGirt of Durham (N.C.) Hillside. All four were highly ranked and heavily recruited. McGirt, though, is the choice even though he was rated the lowest of the four. McGirt plays a pre- mium position in left tackle and was a top priority for SEC pow- ers Georgia and LSU. Biggest Steal: Had wide re- ceiver Vernon Grier of Charlotte Mallard Creek High not picked up a late offer from NC State, he would have likely been headed to Charleston Southern. That's surprising considering Grier caught 64 passes for 1,158 yards and 14 touchdowns this season for the two-time 4-AA state champions and is fast enough to run third leg on the 4x100-meter relay team that won the 4-A state title and the New Balance Outdoor Nationals last year. Most Underrated: T.J. McCoy of Grove- land (Fla.) South Lake High is only a two-star prospect, but how many interior offensive lineman are named their district's player of the year by the area coaches. McCoy comes from good genes. He is the son of Tony Mc- Coy, who was an All-SEC defensive lineman at Florida and an eight-year NFL veteran. Potential Surprise Instant Impact: Some- body has to replace Scott Thompson, NC State's long snapper for the last four years. That's why NC State head coach Dave Do- eren called Tyler Griffiths of Monroe (N.C.) Sun Valley High one of the most important recruits in the class. Griffiths is a talented enough snapper to also have earned a full ride from Louisville. Future Pro: There is a reason why Florida State and Alabama made repeated trips to tiny Princeton, N.C., to court running back Johnny Frasier. He has a rare combination of size (5-11, 225 pounds) and speed (he's been timed at 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash) that makes him a prototype tailback. Biggest Sleeper: A lot of attention has been heaped on McGirt, but NC State aggres- sively pursued offensive tackle Aaron Wiltz from Baton Rouge (La.) Catho- lic despite his Central Florida verbal commitment. Wiltz, who also wrestles in high school, has the versatility to play guard if needed. Biggest Upside: Had defen- sive end Emmanuel Olenga played four years at Charlotte Olympic High instead of bounc- ing around between schools, he likely would have been a high- profile, nationally recruited prospect. The athletic 6-4, 240-pound end had 16 sacks as a senior. Most Intriguing: Wide re- ceiver Freddie Simmons of Bethlehem (Pa.) Catholic has a knack at ex- celling at whatever sport he competes in. He's scored more than 1,000 career points in bas- ketball and finished second in the state finals of the 300-meter hurdles last year in just his first season of track. He is also a sure-handed, tall (6-3) target. Best Playmaker: Hines scored an eye- popping 60 touchdowns as a junior and added 41 more last season, scoring in every way imaginable on offense. Late Bloomer: Offensive tackle Daris Workman went to Contra Costa Community College in San Pablo, Calif., to play basket- ball as much as anything. Two years and two all-conference mentions on the gridiron later, he is headed to NCSU to play football. Late Find: Pressed to find a quarterback after losing summer-time commitment Austin King from Alpharetta (Ga.) High in Decem- ber, the Pack did well in landing Jakobi Mey- ers from Arabia Mountain High in Lithonia, Ga. He has the combination of arm strength, athleticism and smarts that attracted offers from Florida and Wake Forest, in addition to NCSU, in January. Hardest Hitter: In his last two seasons at Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola High, linebacker Riley Nicholson forced 10 fumbles, indica- tive of his hard-hitting tackling abilities. Fastest Recruit: Football scouts and track enthusiasts across the country would pay money to see Hines and wide receiver Brian Sessoms from Winston-Salem (N.C.) Carver High in a footrace. Sessoms won the 100-me- ter and 200-meter 2-A state titles in outdoor track as a junior and was timed at less than 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash four separate times by NC State coaches during its summer camp in 2013. Future Offensive Captain: Four-star run- ning back Reggie Gallaspy of Greensboro (N.C.) Southern Guilford High may get over- shadowed by Hines and Frasier in the rank- ings, but Gallaspy was the first to commit and never wavered. Contrarily, he played an active role in getting the other two to join him in the class. Future Defensive Captain: Roseboro im- pressed observers at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas with his eagerness to compete and get into practices after initially being side- lined early in the week with a shoulder injury. Most Familiar with NC State: Probably the most frequent visitor at NC State games this fall was Charlotte Christian offensive tackle Philip Walton. He also has a former team- mate (wide receiver Bo Hines) that played at State and one (defensive tackle Garrett Brad- bury) who is currently a redshirt freshman. Most Likely To Succeed Outside Sports: Raleigh Millbrook linebacker James Smith- Williams has impressive credentials away from the field. He is an excellent student, scoring 30 on the ACT, and took the ini- tiative to start the Athletic Service Club at Millbrook. Most Inspirational: Eastern Guilford High has a legendary connection to NC State. The Holt brothers (Torry and Terrence) played there before shining in NCSU's football jer- seys. The Yow sisters (Debbie, Kay and Su- san) also attended the school. Safety Jarius Morehead is the latest from Eastern Guilford to try to leave a mark in Raleigh. ■ Odds And Ends States represented: North Carolina (13 sign- ees), Georgia (3), Florida (2), South Carolina (2), Louisiana (1) and Pennsylvania (1). Longest drive from home: According to Map- quest.com, offensive lineman Aaron Wiltz's drive from Baton Rouge, La., is 909.8 miles. Shortest drive from home: Linebacker James Smith-Williams of Raleigh Millbrook is the first hometown product to sign with the Pack under head coach Dave Doeren. Tallest: Offensive lineman Philip Walton is listed at 6-7. Heaviest: Defensive tackle Eurndraus Bryant is listed at 335 pounds. Shortest: Wide receiver Brian Sessoms is listed at 5-8. Average height and weight: 6-2.1, 235.7 pounds. Class Stars Highlighting The Brightest Of NC State's Signees Landing Durham (N.C.) Hillside standout Emanuel McGirt was huge for NC State because he plays a premium position at left tackle and was a top priority for SEC powers Georgia and LSU. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM