The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER N C State has just 12 scholarship seniors on its roster going into the spring of 2016, so it will be seeking quality over quantity in the new recruiting cycle. The Pack's pre- liminary target number for the 2017 class appears to be around 16, give or take a couple. Here are some early names that have already emerged on the board. ■ Quarterbacks Hendon Hooker is a 6-4, 190-pounder from Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High, and Rivals.com rates him as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 16 junior in North Carolina and the No. 18 dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 class. Hooker has visited NC State twice unof- ficially already this offseason, attending a junior day Jan. 30 and the Wolfpack bas- ketball win over Clemson Feb. 20. South Carolina, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh have all offered since January. Last fall, Hooker completed 64.1 per- cent of his passes for 2,234 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,217 yards and 15 scores. Matt McKay is a 6-3, 175-pounder at Raleigh Wakefield High. McKay com- pleted 55.0 percent of his throws last sea- son for 2,119 yards with 22 touchdowns and 11 picks. He also rushed for 1,019 yards and 11 scores. Pittsburgh, Temple and West Virginia have also offered McKay, who is listed as the No. 29 player in the state's 2017 class by Rivals.com. He has visited NCSU for junior days on Jan. 30 and Feb. 27. ■ Running Backs NCSU already has a commitment from Marcelias Sutton, who plays at Lackawa- nna College in Scranton, Pa. Sutton origi- nally signed with NC State in 2014 when he was a senior at James Kenan High in Waxhaw, N.C. He matriculated at Lacka- wanna to improve his academic transcripts. Sutton (5-9, 180 pounds) ran 74 times for 469 yards and three scores and caught six passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in nine games as a freshman for Lackawa- nna. He also returned eight kickoffs for an average of 35.4 yards. ■ Wide Receivers NC State is likely to sign a couple in this class. The Pack was the first to of- fer Ahoskie (N.C.) Hertford County two- sport star Jaquarii Roberson. The 6-2, 160-pounder caught 66 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. He also averaged nearly 22 points and more than nine rebounds per game in basket- ball. Roberson, like Hooker, visited for a ju- nior day Jan. 30 and the Clemson hoops game Feb. 20. A day later, Dallas (Ga.) North Paulding three-star wideout Chad Terrell visited and was offered by the Pack. Terrell (6-3, 195 pounds) caught 51 passes for 826 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kansas State, South Carolina and Wake Forest are also on his offer list. Rivals.com lists him as the No. 63 junior in the Peach State. ■ Tight Ends After signing three tight ends in the 2016 class and already securing a commitment from junior Damien Darden from Pikeville (N.C.) C.B. Aycock High, the Pack could be done at the position. NCSU's tight ends roster for next fall does not feature a schol- arship senior. The 6-4, 245-pound Darden is rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 19 junior in the state and the No. 15 tight end nationally by Rivals.com. ■ Offensive Linemen NC State loaded up with seven offensive line signees in the 2016 class. That means it's likely that the position will be a lesser priority in 2017. An intriguing prospect is Case Cook, a 6-5, 290-pounder at Carrollton (Ga.) High. He is the younger brother of NCSU rising junior tight end Cole Cook and is rated as the No. 37 offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com. Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Miami, Penn State, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest have also offered him. Powerful Charlotte Mallard Creek will once again be on State's radar with a pair of offensive linemen that boast offers: Eric Douglas and T.J. Moore. The 6-4, 275-pound Douglas visited for junior day Feb. 27. He proclaims a top five of Clem- son, Florida, NC State, North Carolina and South Carolina. Rivals.com lists him No. 24 among the state's juniors. Douglas has said he wants to announce his commitment before April. The 6-6, 270-pound Moore went to State's junior day Jan. 30. He has offers from Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina, and is ranked No. 21 in the state by Rivals.com. ■ Defensive Ends After not signing a defensive end in the 2016 class, the position is a high prior- ity. There are limited options in the state NC State's Class Of 2017 Commitments Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Damien Darden TE 6-4 245 Pikeville, N.C. (C.B. Aycock) Chris Ingram DB 6-0 175 Mooresville, N.C. (Mooresville) Full Speed AHEAD Pack Gets To Work On 2017 Class Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley's Hendon Hooker, the No. 18 dual-threat quarterback nationally according to Rivals.com, has already made a pair of unofficial visits to NC State. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM