The Wolfpacker

March 2017 Recruiting Issue

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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MARCH 2017 ■ 51 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ■ Damien Darden TIGHT END Pikeville (N.C.) C.B. Aycock High School • 6-3, 250 pounds Measurables: Has a wingspan of better than six feet and six inches. Stats: As a senior, had 32 catches for 481 yards and seven touchdowns … During his junior season, hauled in 35 receptions for 320 yards and five touchdowns on offense, and piled up 37 tackles, five stops for loss and three sacks on defense. Ratings: Rated by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect and the No. 33 player in North Carolina … Listed by Scout.com as a three-star recruit, the No. 2 tight end in the state, the No. 11 tight end in the South and the No. 47 tight end nationally … Ranked by 247Sports as a three-star talent, the No. 32 player in North Carolina and the No. 43 tight end in the country … Regarded as a three-star prospect, the No. 33 player in the state and the No. 35 tight end in the country by ESPN … Picked as as the No. 22 player in North Carolina by The Fayetteville Observer. Honors/accomplishments: Picked second-team All-State by USA Today … Named 3-A All-State by NCPreps. com … Selected first-team All-Region by The Charlotte Observer as a junior and senior … Also played basketball. Recruitment: Picked up an early offer from NC State following a strong showing at its summer camp in June 2015 … Became the second verbal commitment in the class when he pledged on July 29, 2015 … Held firm throughout his recruitment and enrolled early. Recruiter of record: Running backs coach, assistant coach for offense and recruiting coordinator Des Kitchings. Quotable: "Darden is one of my favorite guys in this class. He's just a physical beast, whether he's rushing the quarterback or catching passes. Darden just loves contact. He's not especially fast for a college tight end, but he makes up for that with great hands. Where he's really scary is coming off the edge as a defensive end. He's like a raging bull when he gets up a head of steam." — Sammy Batten of The Fayetteville Observer Dave Doeren on Darden: "We had Damien in camp for a number of years in a row and liked his size, 6-4 almost 250 pounds now. He's a guy that can play on the line of scrimmage, but also shows a good skillset catching the ball." Scouting report: Physically imposing tight end … Moves relatively well, but not a stretch-the-field type at the position … Has the versatility to potentially play defensive line. 2017 projection: NC State is fairly well stocked at tight end with every piece of the position group returning from last season, so the Pack has the luxury of likely redshirting Darden. However, his physical frame and early enrollment could enable him to play this fall if needed. Kevince Brown DEFENSIVE END Winter Park (Fla.) High School • 6-6, 242 pounds Measurables: At a Nike Camp in Orlando, Fla., in February, was 6-5, 242 pounds and ran the shuttle in 4.87 seconds, registered a vertical leap of 26.8 inches and had a power ball throw of 36.5 feet. Stats: As a senior, piled up 54 tackles, 17.5 tack - les for loss, 11.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, two passes broken up and an interception that was returned 76 yards for a touchdown … During his junior year, made 15 tack - les, six tackles for loss, three sacks, four quarter- back hurries, two fumble recoveries and a pass broken up in five games … As a sophomore, registered 53 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Ratings: Listed by Rivals.com as a two-star prospect … Rated by Scout.com as a three-star talent, the No. 21 defensive end in the Sunshine State, the No. 49 defensive end in the South and the No. 125 defensive end nationally … Ranked by 247Sports as a three-star recruit, the No. 135 player in Florida and the No. 60 weakside defensive end nationally … ESPN considered him a three-star prospect, the No. 133 player in the state and the No. 74 defensive end nationally … Re - garded by The Orlando Sentinel as the No. 23 prospect in the Central Florida region. Honors/accomplishments: Named first-team all- conference as a senior … Attended Orlando (Fla.) Chris- tian Academy before transferring to Winter Park for his senior season … Selected first-team all-district by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and named second-team all-conference as a junior … Also plays basketball. Recruitment: Reported offers from Kentucky, NC State, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse, among others … Narrowed his focus to NCSU and Pitt entering January … Committed to NC State during his official visit weekend Jan. 15 and cancelled a sched - uled trip to Pitt the following weekend. Recruiter of record: Linebackers coach and defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable. Quotable: "Coach Huxtable is a really cool guy, and he cares more about my education and me graduating and my future. I appreciate that from him." — Kevince Brown Dave Doeren on Brown: "We love his length. He's 6-6 and 240 pounds and a guy Coach Thunder [strength and conditioning coach Dantonio Burnette] can put in the weight room with his crew and continue to develop." Scouting report: Good pass rusher … Plays physical but is also a solid athlete that moves well … May be one of the more underrated prospects in the class. 2017 projection: On the surface, it is hard to imag - ine a defensive end getting playing time this fall with the Pack returning all of its defensive ends from last year's team. Brown has the size that could help him get onto the field early in the unlikely scenario that he is needed. Erin Collins RUNNING BACK Seffner (Fla.) Armwood High School • 6-1, 200 pounds Stats: As a senior, had 63 rushes for 533 yards and nine touchdowns, plus 25 catches for 324 yards and three scores in nine games … During his junior season, logged 81 carries for 688 yards and seven scores, plus had 17 catches for 442 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games … As a sophomore, tallied 36 runs for 338 yards and six touchdowns, plus eight catches for 68 yards and a score. Ratings: Listed by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect … Regarded by Scout.com as a three-star talent, the No. 17 running back in the Sunshine State, the No. 40 running back in the South and the No. 96 running back in the country … Listed by 247Sports as a three-star recruit, the No. 116 player in Florida and the No. 21 all-purpose back nationally … Rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 150 player in the state and the No. 64 running back nationally by ESPN … Ranked by The Tampa Bay Tribune as the No. 17 prospect in the region. Honors/accomplishments: Named third-team all-state for the 6-A classification as a senior … Selected honor - able mention All-Hillsborough County by The Tampa Bay Times … Helped Armwood to the state title game as a sophomore and junior, and ran for a 90-yard touchdown against Miami Central in the 2015 contest. Recruitment: Had a top five of Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, NC State and South Carolina … Wolfpack emerged as a leader after his unofficial visit to Raleigh July 18 … Verbally committed July 29. Recruiter of record: Running backs coach, assistant head coach for offense and recruiting coordinator Des Kitchings. Quotable: "I committed because when I went up there to North Carolina State, I just liked the atmosphere — it felt like home. I liked the way the coaches interacted with me and the players. I felt like I would fit in up there." — Erin Collins Dave Doeren on Collins: "Everyone we talked to in that area praises Erin's play-making abilities. … This is a young man that potentially could play early, coming in at 200 pounds at running back and coming from a pro - gram like Armwood where he played against such elite players week in and week out." Scouting report: Played in crowded backfield that included Oregon-bound option quarterback Darrian McNeal and four-star junior running back and Ohio State commit Brian Snead, who is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 18 junior in the country … Does a good job of putting his foot in the ground and accelerating through running lanes … Showed versatility as a good pass receiver. 2017 projection: NC State will clearly need a running back next season to replace NFL-bound Matt Dayes. Of all the signees, Collins may have the most open competition to get on the field as a true freshman, but he would have to really impress in preseason camp not to redshirt.

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