The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/470359
34 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER O ne of the reasons NC State athletics director Debbie Yow made the move to hire Dave Doeren as head coach of the Wolfpack's football program was to upgrade the level of recruiting. In Doeren's first two classes, he has proven up to the task. By landing four-stars Nyheim Hines, a running back from Garner (N.C.) High, and Darian Roseboro, a defensive end from Lin- colnton (N.C.) High, NC State signed a pair of Rivals.com top-100 players for the first time since 2005. Hines is ranked No. 94 and Roseboro No. 100. In 2005, running back Toney Baker (No. 39) and offensive line- man Curtis Crouch (No. 63) inked with head coach Chuck Amato. Last year, defensive end Kentavius Street from Greenville (N.C.) Rose High was ranked No. 43 by Rivals.com, giving Do- eren three top-100 signees. NC State had just two in between the Baker/Crouch class and when Doeren arrived: quarterback Mike Glennon (No. 59 in 2008) and offensive tackle Rob Crisp (No. 13 in 2010). Expanding further out to the Rivals top 250, where offensive tackle Emanuel Mc- Girt (No. 196) of Durham (N.C.) Hillside High and running back Johnny Frasier (No. 215) of Princeton (N.C.) High were rated, Doeren has signed seven in two years for NC State. From 2006-13, the Pack landed six total. NC State had not landed four in the top 250 since 2003, when Amato reeled in four top-100 recruits. Running back Reggie Gallaspy of Greens- boro (N.C.) Southern Guilford High was not ranked in the top 250, but is still considered a four-star prospect by Rivals.com. That gives NCSU eight four-star recruits in the past two years, compared to seven total be- tween 2009-13. The Rivals.com era dates back to 2002, and this is the first time in that span that NC State has ended up with four of the top 10 in North Carolina. Hines was ranked No. 3, Roseboro No. 4, McGirt No. 7 and Frasier No. 8. In Doeren's two years, that gives the Pack six in-state prospects ranked among the top 10 in the state, and nine in the top 20, ac- cording to Rivals.com. From 2006-13, NC State had signed six total top-10 in-state prospects and 13 top-20 recruits. It is also worth noting that Frasier, Gal- laspy and Hines represent the first time ever that NC State signed a trio of Rivals four- star players at one position. The recruiting numbers have justified Yow's motivation for hiring Doeren. Pack Also Announces Preferred Walk-Ons Wide receiver Chandler Belk from Win- ston-Salem (N.C.) Reagan High and line- backer Cole Nigro from Raleigh Sanderson High both were on NC State's National Sign- ing Day release as preferred walk-ons. Belk (5-11, 166 pounds) caught 68 passes for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns as a se- nior to help Reagan reach the 4-A state quar- terfinals. He was named the Forsyth County Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts. During his two-year varsity career, Belk fin- ished with 134 receptions for 2,325 yards and 26 scores. "Chandler was at our camp last summer and he was one of those guys that you just couldn't stop watching," Doeren recalled. "He did a tremendous job in the camp, and I kept telling our coaches: 'Make sure we stay on that guy.' "[Safeties] Coach [Clayton] White did a great job keeping in contact with him. He's a tremendous student and a guy that I think will help our football team. I know he's going to work hard." Nigro (6-1, 220 pounds) tallied 71 tack- les, including seven for loss, as a senior and rushed 105 times for 613 yards and five scores on offense. He had 82 tackles, includ- ing 17.5 for loss, during his junior campaign. "We had Cole in camp for a couple of years in a row, and he's a great student, a great young man," Doeren said. "I'm excited he's joining us. There's been a good tradition of local walk-ons coming here and having an impact on the program. Many of them have earned scholarships over time, and he definitely fits the mold of that." Belk and Nigro will join two walk-ons who enrolled in the spring. Linebacker Ford Howell (6-1, 243 pounds) from Memphis, Tenn., was once committed to the Pack during the summer of 2012 before switching his pledge and signing with Wake Forest. He spent one year in Winston-Salem and left for Iowa Western Community Col- lege, where he had 67 tackles while starting all 12 games and helped Iowa Western reach the NJCAA National Championship Game last season. Duncan Musselwhite (6-2, 207 pounds) was a three-year starter at center for New Bern (N.C.) High, helping the Bears win the 2012 and 2014 4-A state titles. He played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game and has joined NCSU as a potential long snapper. ■ ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Recruiting Numbers Show Impressive Accomplishments Rivals.com (Nat. Rank) 1. Florida State (3) 2. Clemson (4) 3. Virginia Tech (24) 4. Miami (26) 5. North Carolina (27) 6. Louisville (32) 7. NC State (34) 8. Georgia Tech (39) 9. Virginia (43) 10. Boston College (45) 11. Wake Forest (51) 12. Duke (60) 13. Syracuse (61) 14. Pittsburgh (69) Scout.com 1. Florida State (11) 2. Clemson (15) 3. North Carolina (24) 4. Louisville (32) 5. NC State (37) 6. Miami (38) 7. Virginia Tech (40) 8. Georgia Tech (42) 9. Syracuse (49) 10. Virginia (55) 11. Boston College (58) 12. Pittsburgh (63) 13. Wake Forest (67) 14. Duke (69) ESPN 1. Florida State (2) 2. Clemson (4) 3. Miami (23) 4. North Carolina (24) 5. Virginia Tech (25) 6. Louisville (30) 7. NC State (33) 8. Georgia Tech (41) 9. Wake Forest (42) 10. Duke (45) 11. Virginia (46) 12. Pittsburgh (48) 13. Boston College (51) 14. Syracuse (63) 247Sports 1. Florida State (3) 2. Clemson (7) 3. Miami (27) 4. North Carolina (28) 5. Virginia Tech (29) 6. NC State (30) 7. Louisville (32) 8. Georgia Tech (43) 9. Virginia (49) 10. Duke (50) 11. Wake Forest (53) 12. Boston College (60) 13. Pittsburgh (62) 14. Syracuse (64) Ranking The ACC There seems to be a pretty good consensus of where NC State's class is ranked, both within the ACC and nationally after National Signing Day. Here are the various rankings by recruiting services. Raleigh Sanderson High linebacker Cole Nigro is one of four preferred walk-ons that will be joining the Wolfpack this year. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM ■ 2015 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE