The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/73006
■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Charlotte-Area Prospects Highlight The Top 30 In-State Recruits For 2013 a lot of time in Charlotte and its surround- ing areas, a region that dominates The Wolf- packer's top 30 rankings for the state. Eight of the 30 reside in Mecklenburg M County, and another three are within a short drive of the area. The class is strong at the offensive skill positions and has an intrigu- ing set of defensive ends and corners, but lacks dominating offensive lineman, inte- rior defensive linemen and linebackers. Here is The Wolfpacker's top 30. 1. WIDE RECEIVER MARQUEZ NORTH Mallard Creek High/Charlotte prospect, No. 1 recruit in North Carolina, No. 31 player in the coun- try regardless of position and No. 3 wideout nationally. Offers: Lengthy list that includes edly runs the 40-yard dash in less than 4.5 seconds. Rivals.com ranking: Four-star Measurables: Listed at 6-3, 200 pounds and report- BY MATT CARTER ost college coaches recruiting North Carolina for the 2013 class will spend who rushed for 1,435 yards and 21 touchdowns, and had 144 tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions as a junior. He projects to use his plus speed and explosive- ness at linebacker in college. 3. DEFENSIVE LINEMAN GREG GILMORE South View High/Hope Mills Measurables: Gilmore is listed at 6-4, 275 pounds. Rivals.com ranking: Four-star prospect, No. 4 on five schools: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, LSU and NC State. LSU is believed to be his favorite. Scouting report: Few linemen look the part like Gilmore, who would prefer to play defensive end in col- lege but may be more suited to line up inside. Gilmore had 79 tackles with two sacks as a junior. like the who's who list of college football. Favorites: Gilmore has focused son, Florida, Georgia, NC State, North Carolina and Ohio State. Clemson and Georgia have taken turns being his rumored leader, while both UNC and NC State have also received prominent mention. Scouting report: North has a rare combination of most of the national powers in the country. Favorites: North has mainly held a top six of Clem- 4. LINEBACKER PETER KALAMBAYI Butler High/Matthews Measurables: At the Rivals.com/VTO Sports com- size and speed that allows him to be a playmaker. He caught 39 passes for 1,022 yards for an eye-opening average of 26.2 yards per catch. Equally impressive is that 19 of his 39 receptions went for touchdowns. He also ran 18 times for 410 yards and four scores, and he returned four kickoffs, with the shortest being 89 yards, for touchdowns. 2. LINEBACKER LARENZ BRYANT Vance High/Charlotte West Mecklenburg High in Charlotte, Bryant checked in at 6-1, 202 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds and the shuttle in 4.64 seconds, had a 34.4-inch ver- tical leap and did 11 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press. Rivals.com ranking: Four-star Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine held at from across the country. Favorites: Bryant verbally committed to South Caro- prospect, No. 56 overall player in the country, No. 3 inside linebacker nationally and No. 2 recruit from North Carolina. Offers: Well over a dozen, including notable powers lina June 25. Scouting report: If Bryant were a couple of inches taller and 15 pounds heavier, he would be a good bet to be a five-star prospect. He is a dynamic two-way player prospect, No. 80 overall recruit in the nation, No. 3 player in North Carolina and No. 11 outside line- backer in the country. Offers: He had a long and impressive list of suitors. Favorites: Kalambayi verbally committed to Stanford bine measured 6-3, 229 pounds, ran the shuttle in 4.12 seconds, did a 32.2-inch vertical jump and lifted 185 pounds 19 times on the bench press. Rivals.com ranking: Four-star player from the state, No. 136 over- all recruit nationally and No. 12 strongside defensive end in the country. Offers: A lengthy list that reads one year. He has the frame and athletic abilities to be a difference-maker at tight end. at Eastern Alamance High in Mebane, N.C., Johnson checked in at 6-2, 198 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds and the shuttle in 4.47 seconds, had a 37.2-inch vertical leap and did 18 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press. Rivals.com ranking: Three-star 6. WIDE RECEIVER KEEON JOHNSON A.L. Brown High/Kannapolis Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine held prospect, No. 71 wideout nationally and No. 20 recruit in North Carolina. Offers: Duke, East Carolina, Maryland, Minnesota, June 15. NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Virginia and Wake Forest. Favorites: Johnson verbally committed to Virginia 795 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, brings size, speed and explosiveness to the receiver position. During the Shrine Bowl combine at Eastern Alamance High and the Shrine Bowl invite-only workout at West Forsyth High in Clemmons, N.C., Johnson proved to be difficult for some of the top defensive backs in the state to cover. Scouting report: Johnson, who caught 39 passes for 230-pounder, who proved during the Rivals.com/VTO combine that he could play standing up. He totaled 79 tackles, six sacks and 13 hits for loss as a junior. June 23. Scouting report: Kalambayi is a long and lean tight end in the country and No. 10 player in North Carolina, but those rankings may rise after a standout performance at the Rivals Challenge in Atlanta June 22-24. Offers: Like the other top players 5. TIGHT END JOSH MCNEIL Hillside High/Durham Measurables: Checks in at 6-5, 230 pounds. Rivals.com ranking: Four-star prospect, No. 10 Eastern Alamance High in Mebane, N.C., Crowder measured 6-2½, 330 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.39 seconds and the shuttle in 5.13 sec- onds, did a 27.6-inch vertical leap and had 27 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press. Rivals.com ranking: Four-star 7. OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TYRONE CROWDER Richmond County High/Rockingham Measurables: At a Shrine Bowl combine held at prospect, No. 236 player nationally, No. 9 offensive guard in the country and No. 8 recruit from North Carolina. Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida On film he dominates the competition. With his size and frame, he projects strictly as an interior line prospect in college. has exciting potential. He is already dominating during camps and combines despite having played football only to ECU in December only to back out a few months later, is believed to be favoring Alabama over Georgia. Scouting report: McNeil, a former basketball player, in the state, McNeil has a lengthy choice of colleges. Favorites: McNeil, who made a verbal commitment 8. QUARTERBACK CONNOR MITCH Wakefield High/Raleigh Measurables: Listed at 6-3, 210 pounds and report- five over the summer. UNC and Clemson are believed to be locks to make the list. NC State, South Carolina and Florida have also received visits, and in the case of NCSU multiple visits. Scouting report: Crowder is the state's top blocker. State, Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others. Favorites: Crowder is expected to release a final the state, No. 14 pro-style quarterback in the country and No. 245 player regardless of position in the nation. JULY 2012 ■ 137 edly runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds. Rivals.com ranking: Four-star prospect, No. 9 player in