The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/790572
36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State head coach Dave Doeren said recruiting became an easier sell for his 2017 signing class thanks to three straight winning seasons and three bowl appearances. Doeren and the Wolfpack staff can also boast about helping develop offensive lineman Joe Thuney into a Super Bowl champion and running back Matthew Dayes into a potential selection in the up- coming NFL Draft. NCSU can also show recruits how they have helped defensive end Bradley Chubb, defensive tackle B.J. Hill and offensive lineman Garrett Brad- bury become the next wave of success stories. "There are a number of players on our team that were two- and three-star recruits — Chubb, Matt Dayes, Jaylen Samuels, Joe Thuney," Doeren said. "They are all really good football players." Rivals.com ranked NC State's 20-man class No. 53 nationally and No. 10 in the ACC. The Pack was also 10th in the league for average stars per player (2.85 on a five-point basis). "They find guys that fit the mold of what they want," Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruit- ing analyst Adam Friedman said. "They may need a year before they play — they need that development [by redshirting]. They found guys that have the speed or size and improv- ing athleticism. "These are players that the NC State staff knows will be major contributors for them down the road. They'll make them bigger and stronger." The class featured seven players from the state of North Carolina, eight from Florida, two from New York, and one each from New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland. Charlotte Mallard Creek defensive tackle Grant Gibson and Plant City (Fla.) High wide receiver Antoine Thompson both re- ceived Rivals.com four-star grades. The 6-1, 295-pound Gibson checked in as the No. 8 player in North Carolina and the No. 19 defensive tackle in the country. The 6-1, 180-pound Thompson missed his senior year due to an ACL injury suffered last July, but was ranked as the No. 54 prospect in Florida and the No. 39 wide receiver nationally. Linebacker Louis Acceus of Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's Regional is another pros- pect that has a chance to play early, perhaps on special teams. The 6-0, 200-pound Ac- ceus and prep offensive line teammate Joshua Fedd-Jackson could both be future stars for the Wolfpack. "I think ratings are for signing day, and I'm not saying they aren't good to know," Doeren said. "They have nothing to do with the end result. Once they get here, or at Alabama or wherever else, what their stars are doesn't matter. They are going to need to do it all over again. That is what counts." Thompson was one of four signees that enrolled for the spring semester and can take part in practice. Raleigh Wakefield quarter- back Matt McKay, Pikeville (N.C.) C.B. Aycock tight end Damien Darden and Plant City (Fla.) Durant defensive end Xavier Lyas joined Thompson in Raleigh this January. The Wolfpack also welcomed Shelby (N.C.) Crest offensive lineman Kollin Byers, who was part of the class of 2016 but became a grayshirt. The theme of the class could be the Wolf- pack landed a group of players the coaches feel confident about down the road. Some will get the chance to play right away, but the majority are expected to redshirt. Strength and conditioning coach Dantonio Burnette will get an opportunity to work his magic, especially with the lineman on both sides of the ball. "Last year, you saw that we didn't play many freshmen," Doeren said. "There were a few like [wide receiver] Kelvin Harmon, who was just so far along we could play him. We are at a place at most positions where we feel that [we can redshirt our signees]. "If we stay injury free, you bring the guys up that you just redshirted [from the 2016 class], and you should be able to redshirt most of your new class at this point." The four prep defensive ends are perfect examples of NC State zeroing on what the coaching staff prefers. Lyas, Ibrahim Kante of Trinity-Pawling School in upstate New York and Kevince Brown of Winter Park (Fla.) High are all 6-4 or taller defensive ends. Brown is the tallest and heaviest of the group at 6-6 and 242 pounds. "We try to bring in long 6-4 to-6-6 guys that have big wingspans and can go from 220 to 300-pound type of bodies," Doeren said. Plant City (Fla.) High four-star wide receiver Antoine Thompson, who missed his senior year due to an ACL injury suffered last July, finished his prep career with 53 receptions for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM FUTURE STANDOUTS The Pack Lands Another Group Of Prospects It Can Develop Into The Next Wave Of Success Stories ■ 2017 NC State Signees Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School/Last School) Louis Acceus LB 6-0 200 Spring Valley, N.Y. (St. Joseph Regional) Adam Boselli TE 6-5 220 Ponte Vedra, Fla. (Episcopal) Kevince Brown DE 6-6 242 Winter Park, Fla. (Winter Park) Erin Collins RB 6-1 200 Plant City, Fla. (Armwood) Damien Darden* TE 6-3 250 Pikeville, N.C. (C.B. Aycock) Emeka Emezie WR 6-3 195 Waxhaw, N.C. (Marvin Ridge) Joshua Fedd-Jackson OT 6-3 336 Montvale, N.J. (St. Joseph Regional) Max Fisher WR 6-3 205 Upper Marlboro, Md. (Gonzaga College H.S.) Grant Gibson DT 6-1 295 Charlotte (Mallard Creek) Chris Ingram CB 6-0 180 Mooresville, N.C. (Mooresville) Dante Johnson DE 6-3 248 Apopka, Fla. (Wekiva) Ibrahim Kante DE 6-5 235 New York (Trinity-Pawling School) Xavier Lyas* DE 6-4 215 Plant City, Fla. (Durant) Matt McKay* QB 6-3 193 Raleigh (Wakefield) Isaiah Moore LB 6-3 220 Chester, Va. (Bird) Larrell Murchison DT 6-4 277 Elizabethtown, N.C. (E. Bladen/Louisburg College) Nakia Robinson Jr. RB 5-11 185 Miami (Miami Jackson Senior) Raven Saunders LB 6-1 215 Riviera Beach, Fla. (Dwyer) Bryson Speas OL 6-4 265 Greensboro, N.C. (Dudley) Antoine Thompson* WR 6-1 180 Plant City, Fla. (Plant City) * Early enrollee