The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/592698
12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER N C State's 2016 football recruiting class has stood at 13 com- mitments since July 30, but those that are on board are en- joying big senior seasons that have been recognized by various all-star games, notably the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. This year's contest that pits the best players from North Carolina and South Carolina against each other will be played Dec. 19 in Spartanburg, S.C., at Gibbs Stadium on the campus of Wofford University. At least four players from NCSU's in-state collection of pledges will participate in the game. The offensive line, in particular, will have a heavy flavor of future Wolfpackers. State commits and offensive linemen Kollin Byers (6-4, 250 pounds) from Shelby Crest High, Harrison Gee (6-3, 275) from Burlington Williams High and Joe Sculthorpe (6-2, 285) from Hampstead Topsail High will all play for the North Carolina all-stars. "That will be a lot of fun," Gee said. "I already know most of them pretty well. It's going to be a fun time hanging out with them and getting to play with them. I'm preparing for the future." Byers has helped Crest win its first nine games of the season in its quest to repeat as the 3-A state champs, and the Chargers' Virginia-bound running back Tre Harbison had already reached 1,000 yards on the ground. Byers, who is rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com, picked NC State after getting an offer from the Pack in July. He had previously pledged to Charlotte. Sculthorpe, a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com, has helped Topsail flirt with its first winning record since 2012. The program was 5-4 after nine games, thanks to a bruising rushing attack that was averaging 234.9 yards per game on the ground. Sculthorpe has added 31 tackles, including three for loss, on defense. He picked NC State in the fall of his junior season over an early offer from East Carolina. Sculthorpe is coached by former East Carolina All-America offensive lineman Wayne Inman, and he is also an accomplished wrestler who won the 3-A state heavyweight title as a sophomore and was runner-up as a junior. Gee plays both ways for Williams, but will be a guard or cen- ter for NC State. He has helped lead the way for sophomore run- ning back Isaiah Coleman, who has rushed for more than 1,200 yards in the first 10 games of this season. Defensively, Gee has added 19 tackles, including three for loss and a sack. The Shrine Bowl is not the only honor for Gee. He was given his Semper Fidelis All-America Game jersey Oct. 23, hours before helping Williams rally to a 34-30 win at Mayodan (N.C.) McMichael High that evened Williams' record at 5-5. The Semper Fi game will be played Jan. 3 at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will be televised by FOX Sports 1. "It was a big honor for me," Gee said. "Having the whole stu- dent body there and my parents and family, everything, it's just a really big deal. I'm looking forward to it." Gee was State's first verbal commitment in the 2016 class and is rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. When he picked the Pack in July 2014, he also had an offer from West Virginia. His father, Mike Gee, was a first-team All-ACC offensive guard for the Pack in 1992. The final Pack pledge to be selected for the Shrine Bowl is linebacker Garrett Hooker from Ledford High in Thomasville, N.C. The 6-2, 230-pound Hooker is rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and picked NCSU over an offer from UNC. He has led a stifling defense for Ledford that has allowed an average of 7.7 points per game through nine contests. Ledford was 7-2 and its season high for points allowed in a game was 19. NC State has several more targets that were selected to partici- pate in the Shrine Bowl. They include five-star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from Wake Forest (N.C.) High, four-star wide receiver Diondre Overton from Greensboro (N.C.) Page, three- star safety Isaiah Stallings from Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry San- ford and two-star wide receiver Chavis Dawkins from Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes High. NC State Football Commitments Honored TRACKING THE PACK Three-star offensive guard and NC State commitment Harrison Gee of Burlington (N.C.) Williams High was invited to play in the Semper Fidelis All-America Game Jan. 3 at Carson, Calif. His father, Mike Gee, was an All-ACC guard for the Pack in 1992. PHOTO COURTESY GEE FAMILY