The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2016 ■ 13 TRACKING THE PACK Between July 22 and July 31, NC State football was able to secure six verbal commitments, increasing its overall total to 16 for the class of 2017. Three-star linebacker Nick Smith (6-3, 215 pounds) was the first to pull the trigger, committing to NC State at the beginning of its Alpha Wolf Showcase event on July 22. The Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips standout also had offers from Arizona, Louisville, Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, Rutgers and Syracuse. He was recruited to NCSU by defensive coordinator and line- backers coach Dave Huxtable. "I built a great relationship with Coach Huxtable and the head coach, Coach [Dave] Doeren," Smith noted. Smith tallied 91 total stops, 24 tackles for loss and six sacks for a 9-4 team that reached the quarterfinals of the 8-A state playoffs. He also plays basketball and is ranked No. 8 in The Orlando Sen- tinel's Super 60 for Central Florida in the 2017 class. Hours after Smith pledged, three-star linebacker Isaiah Moore from Chesterfield (Va.) Lloyd C. Bird High and four-star wide receiver An- toine Thompson from Plant City (Fla.) High joined him while also attending the Alpha Wolf Showcase. Moore (6-2, 210 pounds) compiled 44 tackles, 13 stops for loss and four sacks last season for one of the stingiest defenses in the state of Vir- ginia. Bird started with 11 straight wins before losing 21-12 to Richmond (Va.) Heritage High in the state playoffs. In seven of the 11 victories, the defense posted a shutout. In the other four, the opposing offense scored either six or seven points. Moore was named second-team all-5-A South Region. He chose NC State over offers from Army, Kent State, Navy and Old Dominion, among others. "I just felt really comfortable with the coaching staff down there," Moore said. "I loved the campus. I loved being around there, and I had a great time at the Alpha Wolf Showcase. My family and I felt that it was the right thing to do." Thompson (6-1, 170 pounds) hauled in 30 passes for 692 yards and five touchdowns for an 11-2 team that reached the quarterfinals of the 7-A state playoffs. He was named first- team all-conference and second-team all-county by The Tampa Tribune. Rivals.com rates Thompson as the No. 40 wide receiver in the 2017 class. He is NCSU's second four-star commit, joining defensive tackle Grant Gibson from Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek High. Arizona, Central Florida, Pittsburgh, Penn State and South Florida were other offers Thompson considered. Running back Nakia Robinson (5-11, 180 pounds) was sup- posed to visit for the Alpha Wolf Showcase, but did not make it. Nevertheless, he committed a day later. "I've been researching on the school, and [wide receivers] Coach [George] McDonald has been sending me quotes and YouTube videos on the program," Robinson noted. "I felt that it would be a good fit me for me." The Miami Herald named him third-team All-Dade County for the 5-A level. He also runs hurdles in track. Robinson also had offers from Appalachian State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Idaho, Navy, Southern Miss and Utah State, among others. On July 29, three-star running back Erin Collins of Seffner (Fla.) Armwood chose NC State over offers from Indi- ana, Maryland, Minnesota and South Carolina. As a junior, Collins (6-0, 190 pounds) rushed 81 times for 688 yards (8.5 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns, while catching 17 passes for 442 yards and five scores. Armwood went 14-1 and reached the 6-A state title game before losing to Miami Central. Collins was named first-team all-conference and honorable mention all-county by The Tampa Tribune. The final pledge of the nine-day stretch came from two-star wide receiver Max Fisher of Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga. Fisher (6-3, 190 pounds) committed on July 31 over offers from Boston College, Indiana and Wake Forest. "It was clear that football meant a lot down there, and I loved the fan base and loved the coaches and the players," Fisher said. He caught around 50 passes for 750 yards and eight touch- downs despite missing the first four games of the season while recovering from thumb surgery. He was named All-District of Columbia for the 2-A level. Gonzaga went 12-2 and won D.C.'s class 2-A playoffs. Football Program Adds Six Verbal Commitments In 2017 Class Four-star prospect Antoine Thompson from Plant City (Fla.) High is rated as the No. 40 wide receiver nationally in the 2017 class by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM ■ 2017 Football Commitments Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Deslin Alexandre DE 6-5 235 Deerfield Beach, Fla. (Deerfield Beach) Jacobe Clement CB 6-1 180 Charlotte (Mallard Creek) Erin Collins RB 6-0 190 Seffner, Fla. (Armwood) Damien Darden TE 6-4 245 Pikeville, N.C. (C.B. Aycock) Emeka Emezie WR 6-3 200 Waxhaw, N.C. (Marvin Ridge) Max Fisher WR 6-3 190 Washington, D.C. (Gonzaga) Grant Gibson DT 6-1 300 Charlotte (Mallard Creek) Darius Hodge LB 6-1 250 Wake Forest, N.C. (Wake Forest) Chris Ingram CB 6-0 180 Mooresville, N.C. (Mooresville) Xavier Lyas DE 6-5 200 Plant City, Fla. (Durant) Matt McKay QB 6-4 185 Raleigh (Wakefield) Isaiah Moore LB 6-2 210 Chesterfield, Va. (Lloyd C. Bird) Nakia Robinson RB 5-11 180 Miami (Jackson) Raven Saunders LB 6-1 215 West Palm Beach, Fla. (Dwyer) Nick Smith LB 6-3 215 Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips) Antoine Thompson WR 6-1 170 Plant City, Fla. (Plant City)