The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/644580
30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MATT CARTER T he Wolfpacker hands out its annual best of the bests from the recruit- ing class. Biggest Get: Four-star tight end Thaddeus Moss of Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek High is ranked as the No. 123 overall player in the country regardless of position in the 2016 class by Rivals.com. Since 2008, the farthest back the Rivals.com archives go from its Rivals250, only five NC State signees were ranked higher. Biggest Steal: Judging strictly by the of- fers three-star tight end Bryce Dixon from Green Hope High in Cary, N.C., picked up after his commitment to NCSU in July, colleges seemed to think the Wolfpack had a steal. Boise State, Miami, Tennessee and Virginia were among the schools that tried to recruit Dixon after his senior season. Most Underrated: Three-star linebacker Brock Miller's production and recruiting interest did not match his rankings. He had an astounding 65 tackles for loss and 25 sacks as a senior at John Carroll High in Port St. Lucie, Fla. After picking the Wolfpack over Virginia Tech in July, he continued to pick up offers, notably from Miami and Ole Miss. Instant Impact: Three-star prospect James Valdez from Orangeburg (S.C.) Or- angeburg-Wilkinson High could fill an im- mediate need at cornerback, and he picked the Pack over offers from Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Potential Surprise Instant Impact: At first glance, defensive tackle would not ap- pear to be a position needing an immediate contributor from the 2016 class, but three- star defensive tackle Ben "Shug" Frazier from Buford (Ga.) High may prove too good to keep off the field this fall. Future Pro: Three-star wide receiver C.J. Riley of Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Bro- ward Prep had 10 power conference offers, all intrigued by his combination of size (6-5, 188 pounds) and speed (laser-timed at 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash). He caught 40 passes for 1,047 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior in high school, and if he can translate that production to the collegiate level pro scouts will be in- terested, too. Biggest Sleeper: Three-star interior lineman Joe Sculthorpe from Hampstead (N.C.) Topsail High has an impressive pedigree. The 6-2, 290-pounder was a state heavyweight wrestling champ as a sopho- more and runner-up a year later. He was also groomed by Topsail coach Wayne In- man, a former ECU offensive lineman who is in the school's Hall of Fame. Biggest Upside: Three-star safety Isaiah Stallings from Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford High is an imposing presence at 6-4, 205 pounds. He also produced as a senior, making 159 tackles and picking off six passes. Most Intriguing: NC State long liked three-star offensive tackle Justin Chase from Great Bridge High in Chesapeake, Va. He has reportedly grown up to five inches and added 60 pounds over the past two years. Three-star offensive tackle Justin Witt from Lincoln-Way West High in New Lenox, Ill., had a similar growth spurt and enrolled early. Three-star tight end Dylan Autenrieth from Dallas (Ga.) North Pauld- ing High has the athleticism and hands to be a good receiver and physical mindset to block in the trenches. Best Playmaker: Three-star recruit JJ Givens from Atlee High in Mechanicsville, Va., excelled on both sides of the ball last year, compiling more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns receiving, and picking off seven passes on defense. Best Hands: Two-star wide receiver Daeshawn Stephens' ability to haul in dif- ficult catches for Durham (N.C.) Hillside High is what led to an offer at camp from NC State. Late Bloomer: Three-star defensive back Nick McCloud blossomed as a senior at South Pointe High in Rock Hill, S.C., reg- istering 68 tackles, six interceptions, eight passes broken up and three forced fum- bles. That led to offers from Georgia Tech, Maryland, NC State, UCLA, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. Late Find: The first clip on two-star of- fensive tackle Kendall Brown's highlight tape from his senior year at Trinity Chris- tian in Jacksonville, Fla., showed impres- sive athleticism when he had a lengthy pick-six from his defensive end position. The 6-4, 265-pounder also has a jaw-drop- ping seven-foot, one-inch wingspan. Hardest Hitter: Two-star linebacker Gar- rett Hooker from Ledford High in Thom- asville, N.C., was a tackling machine. He had 500 tackles over his final three seasons despite missing four games in his senior year with a broken bone in his foot. Future Offensive Captain(s): Four-star wide receiver Kelvin Harmon from Pal- myra (N.J.) High proved to be popular among fellow recruits on Twitter and could help establish a pipeline of New Jersey natives to NC State. Two-star offensive tackle Kollin Byers helped Crest High in Shelby, N.C., go to three straight state title games, winning the last two. Future Defensive Captain: NC State head coach Dave Doeren joked that the entire community of Danville, Va., came to his in-home visit with three-star safety Tim Kidd-Glass, who attended George Washington High. Most Familiar With NC State: This is a tie between a pair of three-star recruits: quarterback Dylan Parham from Southeast Raleigh High and interior offensive line- man Harrison Gee from Williams High in Burlington, N.C. Both were early pledges in the class and sons of NCSU grads. Gee's father, Mike, played football for the Pack. Most Likely To Succeed Outside Sports: Two-star offensive lineman Bryce Folsom from Alpharetta (Ga.) Chattahoochee High came close to attending Navy before visiting NCSU and committing. He has aspirations of going to medical school after college. Most Inspirational: A prior relation- ship between Doeren and Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge High head coach A.J. Ofodile led to the Pack getting into the mix with two-star defensive back Bryce Banks just a month before he was due to enroll early. Banks overcame a challenging upbringing to make it to college. ■ And The Award Goes To … The Best Of NC State's 2016 Class Burlington (N.C.) Williams High interior line prospect Harrison Gee's father, Mike Gee, also played football for the Wolfpack. PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL