The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2016 When Emmanuel Olenga was a senior at Olympic High School in Charlotte, East Carolina football coaches likely held their breath that his commitment would survive until National Signing Day. They almost made it. After his senior highlight film was de- veloped, following a campaign during which Olenga tallied 105 tackles, 16.5 sacks and five forced fumbles, NC State, Nebraska and Wake Forest all offered him a scholarship. He took an official visit to NCSU less than two weeks away from Na- tional Signing Day and announced he was switching his commitment. ECU's loss was NC State's gain. His high school coach, Keith Wilkes, told reporter Sammy Batten of The Fayette- ville Observer after his star player commit- ted to the Pirates that he believed Olenga could be a future pro. "Once he learns to play the game and gets into a strong weight-training program, it's unlimited as to what he'll be able to do," Wilkes stated. He may be proven correct if the Kay Yow Spring Game was any indication. Olenga led all players on the Red squad, which was the starters and key reserves, with six tackles, including two hits for loss. He also broke up a pass. "He's got a lot of potential," defensive line coach and run game coordinator for defense Ryan Nielsen said. "He's 270 now, a good pass rusher. He's not a guy that has played a lot of football in his career, so he needed to redshirt and get in the weight room. "He had a good spring, not a great spring but a good one, and he's com- ing along. He's a guy that wants to learn the game and be as good as he can possibly be. He's got the right mindset." Olenga can afford to be brought along at the right pace. NCSU returns junior defensive end Bradley Chubb as a starter, and Olenga is likely to serve as one of his backups. The Pack also has junior Kentavius Street and sophomore Darian Roseboro at defensive end, both of whom will battle for a starting job and have extensive experience. However, if Olenga plays close to his potential, he could force himself into getting extended reps in the fall. West Stanly High in Oakboro, N.C., is not often a must-stop on the recruiting trail for coaches. The school has not won more than three games in a season since 2010. That combined with the fact that B.J. Hill had an injury during his junior year left him as a bit of an unknown heading into his senior season. During the offseason before his final year at West Stanly, James Johnson arrived as their head coach. Johnson had previously been an assistant coach at powerful Richmond County High in Rockingham, N.C., where he had seen big-time recruits in person on an almost yearly basis. Johnson saw the potential in Hill and could only wonder what would have happened had Hill played for the Raiders instead of West Stanly. "He would have been a four-star with offers from the whole ACC and most of the SEC, no doubt," Johnson said. "There is no doubt if he had been in a program like that, he would have been a national-level recruit." Hill impressed NC State enough at summer camp to get an offer from the Wolfpack, but at a new position. The high school running back and linebacker/defen- sive end would be a defensive tackle. He enrolled early and proved to be a quick study, starting five of the final six games as a true freshman and all 13 last year. As a sophomore, Hill piled up 51 tackles, including 11 for loss and 3.5 sacks, pressured the quarterback five times and broke up three passes, tied for the most among defensive linemen. Phil Steele's 2016 College Football Pre- view recently named Hill preseason third- team All-ACC and rated him as the No. 34 draft-eligible defensive tackle in the country. "He's more of a technician," Ryan Nielsen, NCSU's defensive line coach and run game coordinator for defense, said. "He really likes the game. I think if you took football away from B.J., he wouldn't know what to do. He really likes playing the position. "He's a solid player for us. He has been. We're really working on playing more in the backfield with him and his pass rush." Defensive Newcomer To Watch EMMANUEL OLENGA, DE, R-FR. Defensive Player To Watch B.J. HILL, DT, JR. Hill was rated as the No. 34 draft-eligible defensive tackle in the country by Phil Steele's 2016 College Football Preview. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Olenga had six tackles, including two for loss, in the Kay Yow Spring Game in April. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN