The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/85079
2012 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE DREW DAVIS EDDIE GORDON pounds, squats 515 pounds and has a 21-inch vertical leap. Honors/accomplishments: Rated by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit and Measurables: Runs the 40-yard dash in 5.4 seconds, bench presses 310 Boiling Springs (S.C.) High • 6-2 • 320 Pounds Offensive Lineman the No. 25 prospect from South Carolina … Regarded as a three-star prospect, the No. 53 offensive guard nationally and the No. 25 player in the state by ESPN … Listed as a three-star prospect and the No. 76 offensive guard in the country by Scout.com … Ranked by SuperPrep as the No. 26 player from South Carolina… Rated by 247Sports as a two-star player, the No. 22 center in the country and the No. 37 recruit from the Palmetto State … Regarded as the No. 25 prospect from the state by the Charlotte Observer … Named to the SCPrepNation.com and High School Sports Report's all-state first-teams … Selected for the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association North-South All-Star game … Picked for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal first-team all-area squad … Named one of the top five offensive linemen in the area by WYFF … Regarded at one of the top performers at the Rivals.com/VTO Showcase Camp in Rock Hill, S.C., where he won the offensive line MVP award. Stats: Graded out at 91 percent as a senior and had 21 pancake blocks … Helped team go 10-4 and reach the third com as a two-star prospect … Listed by SuperPrep as the No. 25 recruit in North Carolina … Ranked by ESPN as a three-star prospect, the No. 102 out- side linebacker nationally and the No. 47 player from North Carolina … Listed by 247Sports as a three- star prospect, the No. 106 outside linebacker in the country and the No. 44 recruit from the state … Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Cap 8 Con- ference in 2011 … Picked to WRAL's All-OT Foot- ball Team … Named to the North Raleigh News 2011 Old Reliable team … Selected as the student-athlete of the week by the Raleigh Sports Club Sept. 28 … Was also all-conference as a sophomore and junior. Stats: Averaged about 15 tackles a game and had Measurables: Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds … Has registered a 32-inch vertical leap. Honors/accomplishments: Rated by Rivals. Raleigh/Broughton High • 6-3 • 235 pounds Linebacker basketball player at North Carolina … Father was a collegiate basketball player at Lenoir-Rhyne and played professionally overseas in Greece … Has an uncle that played football at Catawba. Quotable: "Davis has the ability to get to the two interceptions as a senior … Team went 5-6 … Had around 150 tackles as a junior. Off the field: Brother Luke Davis is a walk-on Calvin Stephens played at South Carolina and for the New England Patriots … Cousins Jack Tatum (Oakland Raiders) and Sam Gash (Buffalo Bills) also played professionally … His sister Cynthia Gordon runs track at Winthrop. Quotable: "I think his biggest attributes are that he has great feet and changes directions very well. He is able to base round of the Class AAAA state playoffs. Off the field: Carries a 3.4 grade-point average in the classroom … Also participates in track and field … Uncle block pretty much everybody he's faced. He's an excellent pass protector. He moves extremely well for a 300-pound young man, and I think his future is very bright with NC State. in the spring as one of its top interior line prospects. He committed to NC State June 28, his birthday, over an offer from East Carolina. Recruiter of record: Offensive line coach Jim Bridge. Scouting report: Gordon is strictly an interior line prospect who has experience playing both guard and center in Recruitment: NC State zeroed in on Gordon, who had worked out at State's summer camps in 2009 and 2010, " — Boiling Springs head coach Bruce Clark. high school. He has been compared to NC State rising fifth-year senior Zach Allen, who has started at left guard for the past two seasons and like Gordon is also undersized height-wise. 2012 projection: Gordon is more likely to redshirt, while he figures out if he will play center or guard at NC State. XAVIER GRIFFIN Nike Football Training Camp, the fourth-fastest time at the event … Also had a 4.29-second shuttle time and 29.5-inch vertical leap at the Nike Camp. Honors/accomplishments: Regarded by Rivals.com as a two-star Measurables: Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the Baltimore Newark (Del.) High • 6-2 • 180 Pounds Wide Receiver football, demonstrating good production against the pass and run. Has the size and athleticism for the outside linebacker position at the major level of competition; his frame appears capable of handling additional bulk over time." — ESPN. Recruitment: Davis committed to Minnesota recruit and the third-best player from Delaware … Called a four-star prospect by Tom Lemming, who tabbed him the No. 1 recruit in the state and second-best receiver in the Northeast region … Ranked by SuperPrep as the No. 35 player in the Mid-Atlantic region … Listed by 247Sports as a three-star prospect, the top player from Delaware and No. 70 receiver in the country … Also tabbed the top prospect in the state by ESPN, which listed him as the No. 101 receiver in the country and a three-star player … Rated by Scout.com as a three-star recruit and the No. 166 wideout nation- ally … Named first-team all-state and all-conference as a senior. Stats: Pulled in around 30 receptions for 700 yards and seven scores as a senior … Helped team go 12-1 and last summer and seemed Big 10-bound until a little over a week before signing day. On Jan. 24, a few days after picking up a late offer from NC State, Da- vis made the switch to play for his hometown team. Recruiter of record: Defensive coordinator school linebacker, and he's a plus hitter with good instincts. Given his average speed, he will probably line up in the tackle box for NC State. 2012 projection: There may be an opening for Mike Archer. Scouting report: Davis has great size for a high reach the state's Division I title game … Caught 30 passes for 645 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior. Off the field: Also plays basketball. Quotable: "We are a wide-open, throw-the-ball, spread system that tries to use our best athletes, and Xavier is one of those guys. He jumps extremely well, and he's going to go up and get the football. I believe strongly that he has developed the ability to catch the ball with his hands. … He took it another step in becoming a complete receiver, not just a deep threat. He runs well and he runs well after he catches the football." — Newark coach Butch Simpson. Recruitment: NC State took advantage of secondary coach Mike Reed's roots as a native of the small state of Delaware to get a jumpstart on Griffin before other colleges began to take notice. Griffin visited in early June and committed to the Pack June 12. Recruiter of record: Defensive backs coach Mike Reed. Scouting report: Griffin is a playmaker that may be the sleeper of this class. He has timed well at combines early playing time at linebacker if Davis makes a quick impression during preseason camp, but odds probably favor him redshirting. 30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER and proved on the field that he has the ability to not only stretch the field vertically, but also makes plays in space. He will need to fill out his frame and become stronger. 2012 projection: There is definitely an opening for a receiver to get some playing time this fall with a strong preseason camp. Griffin is a candidate to play as a true freshman.