The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/790572
54 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Grant Gibson DEFENSIVE TACKLE Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek High School • 6-1, 295 pounds Measurables: At NC State's summer camp in June was 6-1, 293 pounds, and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.16 seconds and the shuttle in 4.8 seconds … Had a 28.3-inch vertical leap and 7-foot-11 standing broad jump … Also measured a 6-3.5 wingspan. Ratings: Ranked by Rivals.com as a four-star prospect, the No. 8 player in the state and the No. 19 defensive tackle nationally … Listed by Scout.com as a three-star per - former, the No. 3 defensive tackle in North Carolina, the No. 19 defensive tackle in the South and the No. 62 defensive tackle in the country … Rated by 247Sports as a three-star talent, the No. 17 prospect in North Carolina and the No. 38 defensive tackle in the nation … Regarded by ESPN as a three-star recruit, the No. 19 recruit in the state and the No. 10 center nationally … Hailed by The Fayetteville Observer as the No. 20 senior in the state. Honors/accomplishments: Tabbed as the area's Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2016 by Charlotte Football Awards … Named all-conference as a senior … Helped Mallard Creek win 4-AA state titles as a sopho - more and junior … Played both offensive and defensive lines for three years … Member of the national honor society … His grandfather was the first African-American student at Clemson University. Recruitment: Had a top four of Georgia Tech, NC State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech entering spring … Verbally committed to the Wolfpack March 1 … Represents fourth straight year a Mallard Creek product signed with NC State. Recruiter of record: Tight ends/fullbacks coach and special teams coordinator Eddie Faulkner. Quotable: "Gibson has excellent hands. We saw that time and time again. He took a lot of reps during the one-on-one sessions and he won the majority of them because he has great hands. He is really athletic, he moves sideways well, he's good at attacking offensive linemen to make sure he can get the outside or he has enough leverage inside. Another part of his game that we like is he's got this low center of gravity. He knows how to play with leverage, and he's got some great lower body strength." — Recruiting analyst Adam Friedman after seeing Gibson at the Rivals.com Camp Series presented by Under Armour Dave Doeren on Gibson: "Grant is not just a great player, but has incredible leader - ship ability. He is a big man and has the body type to play early. He is very developed already. He is tough and smart with a 4.2 GPA. He is a very intelligent young man." Scouting report: Athletically gifted lineman who prefers defense, but has been used more on offense in high school … Well regarded for leadership and other intan- gibles … Lacks ideal height and might project as a nose tackle. 2017 projection: NC State loses one member of its defensive line rotation from the 2016 season in departing senior Monty Nelson, but it also welcomes to the fold talented redshirt freshman Ben "Shug" Frazier. It might be tough for Gibson to get on the field this fall, which could be a blessing in disguise. He can get more tutelage while he transitions to becoming a full-time defensive tackle. Chris Ingram CORNERBACK Mooresville (N.C.) High School 6-0, 180 pounds Measurables: At the Nike Camp in Charlotte last March, was 6-0, 178 pounds and ran the shuttle in 4.58 seconds … Posted a 32.5-inch vertical leap … Has a wingspan of better than 6-foot-6. Stats: As a senior, had 53 tackles, one stop for loss, two interceptions, seven passes broken up, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery on defense, and 20 punt returns for an average of 11.5 yards … Compiled 26 tackles, an interception, 10 passes broken up and a fumble recovery as a junior … As a sophomore, notched 33 stops, one tackle for loss, three interceptions, seven passes broken up and three fumble recoveries … During his freshman season, recorded 40 tackles, an interception and 10 passes broken up. Ratings: Rated by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect, the No. 19 player in the state and the No. 46 cornerback nationally … Ranked by Scout.com as a three-star talent, the No. 1 cornerback in North Carolina, the No. 27 cornerback in the South and the No. 74 cornerback in the country … Listed by 247Sports as a three-star recruit, the No. 20 prospect in the state and the No. 44 cornerback in the nation … Regarded by ESPN as a three-star performer, the No. 26 senior in North Carolina and the No. 71 cornerback nationally … Tabbed as the No. 25 recruit in the state by The Fayetteville Observer. Honors/accomplishments: Selected for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game in Spartanburg, S.C., and made a tackle and an interception that he returned 13 yards … Picked for WSOC-TV Channel 9's "Big 22" regional team in 2016 … All- conference as a senior … Also played basketball. Recruitment: Was offered by NC State after his freshman season … Became the Wolfpack's first verbal commitment in the 2017 class with his July 2015 announce - ment … Held firm throughout his recruitment despite also having offers from Clemson, Maryland, Nebraska and North Carolina, among others. Recruiter of record: Former offensive line coach Mike Uremovich. Quotable: "Chris Ingram is consistently one of the best defensive backs for the North Carolina team. The NC State commit is a vocal leader for the secondary and has broken up a lot of passes. Quarterbacks have been having a hard time throwing passes his direction because of his length and ability to anticipate routes." — Rivals. com recruiting analyst Adam Friedman at the Shrine Bowl Dave Doeren on Ingram: "We've been recruiting him and have known his family a long time. He is a multi-sport guy." Scouting report: Long-armed corner with natural coverage abilities … Good athlete … Like practically all high school corners, needs to improve his tackling and physicality. 2017 projection: With the troubles that NC State had covering receivers last season and an open spot at one corner with the departure of longtime starter Jack Tocho, Ingram will get a chance to compete for playing time this fall although odds may favor him redshirting. Dante Johnson DEFENSIVE END Apopka (Fla.) Wekiva High School • 6-3, 248 pounds Measurables: At a Nike Camp in Orlando, Fla., last February was 6-3½, 249 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.47 seconds and the shuttle in 5.26 seconds … Had a 29.0- inch vertical leap and did a 40-foot power ball throw, one of 26 among several hun- dred to record a 40-plus foot heave. Stats: Finished his career with 104 total stops, 36 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Ratings: Listed as a two-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com … Rated by ESPN as a three-star recruit, the No. 202 player in the Sunshine State and the No. 81 defensive tackle nationally … Ranked by 247Sports as a three-star talent, the No. 270 prospect in Florida and the No. 82 strongside defensive end in the country. Honors/accomplishments: Selected second-team All-Central Florida by The Or- lando Sentinel as a senior … Picked first-team All-District by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association … Missed his junior season with a torn ACL. Recruitment: Recruitment was slow to develop after missing junior season with a knee injury … Central Florida offered during the spring of 2016, and during and after his senior season he picked up offers from Iowa State, NC State, Purdue and Tulane … Made a verbal commitment to Purdue Jan. 15, but switched his pledge to NC State just 10 days later. Recruiter of record: Linebackers coach and defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable. Quotable: "It was closer to home. They have a great education. The football program is amazing. I just felt like I would fit at NC State. It seems like home to me. I love NC State." — Dante Johnson Dave Doeren on Johnson: "He can play defensive end and defensive tackle, and finished as a captain this year as a senior. … I'm really excited about his upside. He is another long guy at 6-3, 6-3½, 250 pounds and he'll continue to get bigger." Scouting report: A bit of a tweener between defensive end and tackle … Has good punch and explosion off the snap … Might best project as a three-technique defensive tackle in college if he can gain the necessary weight. 2017 projection: The first priority will be Johnson finding his best position on the defensive line. Given NC State's veteran roster of linemen, the Pack has the luxury of likely redshirting Johnson while trying to acclimate him at a spot.