The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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62 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER T he summer months, particularly June and July, are some of the busiest in terms of commitments for football re- cruiting. In the past 10 NC State classes, an average of 6.5 of the signees verbally committed during those two months, with at least two in every group and a high of 16 in the class of 2014. The Wolfpack will not come close to matching that high total this summer, but odds are a few more additions will be added to its 2017 class, which has five verbal commitments through late April. Here are 10 prospects, in alphabetical or- der, to watch over the summer. DEFENSIVE END MARCUS BOWMAN Upper Marlboro (Md.) Frederick Douglass High NC State did not sign a single defen- sive end in the 2016 class, and that is one of the top priorities in this year's cycle. Bowman is one of the pass rushers who has shown strong interest in NCSU after the Pack ten- dered. The 6-3, 230-pounder also has offers from Iowa, Maryland, Syracuse, Marshall and Temple. The Terrapins are the current favorite, but NCSU and Syracuse are also in his top three. Rivals.com rates Bow- man the No. 18 junior from the state of Maryland. DEFENSIVE LINEMAN MATTHEW BUTLER Garner (N.C.) High Butler is a top target because he could fill a need at end or tackle, depending on how much he adds to his 6-3, 250-pound frame. He's also high on the board be- cause he is a prized prospect. Arkansas, Duke, Georgia Tech, Mary- land, Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, South Carolina, Ten- nessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have also offered him. Butler speculates that he has made about seven visits to NC State so far, and his former Garner teammate Nyheim Hines is a sophomore receiver/running back for the Pack. Add to that the fact NCSU was his first offer, and the Wolf- pack is firmly in the mix. "I feel like a decision may come before the seasons starts, but I am not exactly sure," Butler said. Rivals.com rates Butler the No. 25 class of 2017 prospect in the state. DEFENSIVE END ELIJAH CONLIFFE Hampton (Va.) High With defensive end being a high prior- ity, Conliffe is one of the top players at the position on NC State's board. The 6-4, 260-pounder has also been a frequent visitor to the Raleigh campus. "It's a good school with pretty nice people there and a nice fan base that I've seen at the games," Conliffe said. "I see [defensive line] Coach [Ryan] Nielsen as an energetic coach. He loves what he is doing and has experience in what he is coaching. That is always good." Conliffe has an impressive offer list that also includes Georgia, Iowa State, Mary- land, Miami, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, among others. The Rivals.com three-star prospect is also the No. 23-ranked strongside defen- sive end in the class of 2017 and the No. 16 overall junior in the state of Virginia. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN CASE COOK Carrollton (Ga.) High The 6-5, 290-pound Cook has a lengthy offer list. From the power five conference ranks alone, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Miami, Mis- sissippi State, NC State, Penn State, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest have ten- dered him. The Pack, though, has at least one ad- vantage: his older brother, Cole, is a junior and likely starting tight end for NC State. The younger Cook and his family were in Raleigh for the Kay Yow Spring Game on April 9. Rivals.com rates Cook as a three-star prospect, the No. 47 junior offensive tackle nationally and the No. 43 player from Georgia's 2017 class. WIDE RECEIVER EMEKA EMEZIE Waxhaw (N.C.) Marvin Ridge High The 6-3, 190-pounder has been one of the most productive re- ceivers in the state of North Carolina's prep ranks for the past two sea- sons. He caught 57 passes for 1,014 yards and nine touchdowns during his sophomore season, and followed that up by hauling in 69 recep- tions for 1,101 yards and 11 scores as a junior. NC State offered Emezie last fall, and he has made multiple unofficial visits to the school. He was hoping to get to the Kay Yow Spring Game but did not make it. Emezie acknowledged that NCSU is one of five offers that he is looking at hardest, joining Arizona State, Boston College, Mi- ami and Wake Forest. Emezie also plays basketball, and av- eraged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. Rivals.com rates him the No. 58 junior receiver in the country and No. 13 prospect from the class of 2017 in North Carolina. RUNNING BACK TAYON FLEET-DAVIS Oxon Hill (Md.) Potomac High NC State was the first to offer Fleet- Davis, a 6-0, 215-pound three-star recruit. Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Maryland, Rut- gers, Syracuse and West Virginia have since joined the list. ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Summer Watch List Three-star defensive lineman Matthew But- ler from Garner (N.C.) High is a former high school teammate of Wolfpack sophomore re- ceiver/running back Nyheim Hines. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM