The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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2012 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE DAVID GRINNAGE onds at the Baltimore Nike Football Training Camp … Also had a 28.7-inch vertical leap. Honors/accomplishments: Ranked by Rivals. Measurables: Ran the 40-yard dash in 5.18 seconds and the shuttle in 5.00 sec- Newark (Del.) High • 6-5 • 240 Pounds Tight End com as a two-star prospect and the second-best player in Delaware … Listed by SuperPrep as the No. 39 recruit in the Mid-Atlantic Region … Called a three-star prospect, the No. 2 player in the state and No. 29 tight end in the country by 247Sports … Listed by Scout.com as a three-star recruit and the No. 21 tight end nationally … Regarded by ESPN as a two-star player, the third-best prospect from Delaware and the No. 84 tight end nationally … Named first- team all-state as a tight end and first-team all-conference as a defensive end in 2011. Stats: Hauled in 45 passes for 590 yards and six touchdowns as a senior … On CHARLIE HEGEDUS defense, recorded 71 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions … Helped Newark go 12-1 and reach the state finals in Division I … Caught 13 passes for 186 yards and three scores and had 34 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks, and two pass breakups as a junior. Off the field: Also plays first base in baseball. Quotable: "He's an eye-test guy. He wasn't as high on the radar of college coaches, Measurables: Was clocked at 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash at NC State's summer camp. Honors/accomplishments: Ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit … Listed by 247Sports as a three-star prospect, the No. 44 player from Georgia and the No. 92 receiver in the country … Rated a three-star player and the No. 153 wide receiver nationally by Scout. com … Regarded as a two-star prospect, the No. 146 player in Georgia and No. 208 wide receiver in the country by ESPN … Selected first-team all-state by the Georgia Sports Writ- ers Association as a senior for Class AAAAA … Played in the Cobb All-Star Senior Bowl and Georgia North-South High School All-Star Game … Picked as his team's of- fensive player of the week twice in 2011 … Named all-county by the Cobb County Touchdown Club as a junior … Caught a touchdown pass in the AT&T Junior Bowl in Jan. 2011. Stats: Had 69 receptions for 1,145 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran three Marietta, Ga./Lassiter High • 6-2 • 195 Pounds Wide Receiver but when I introduced him to coaches, you could just see the look on their faces. The comments were consistently about how impressive he looks for a young guy. He moves very well, and he catches the ball as well as anybody I've ever coached. You simply don't hear the ball go into his hands when he's catching it, even the short, hard pass. He just engulfs the ball. classes, and after missing out on a couple of targets, turned to Grinnage after he had a solid performance at its summer camp. Grinnage quickly accepted the scholarship when offered June 28. Recruiter of record: Defensive backs coach Mike Reed. Scouting report: Grinnage is an intriguing prospect. He's not the most athletic Recruitment: NC State always tries to sign at least one tight end in its recruiting " — Newark head coach Butch Simpson. Watson back in the mix after redshirting his junior season in 2011, NC State is in fairly solid shape depth-wise at tight end. Grinnage would have to beat out rising redshirt junior Anthony Talbert and rising redshirt freshman Benson Browne for that third tight end spot if he wants to play this fall. tight end, but he has good size and shows great hands on film. He's also tough and not afraid to be physical. In many ways, he invokes comparisons to NC State's outgoing three-time All-ACC tight end George Bryan. 2012 projection: With rising fifth-year senior Mario Carter returning and Asa K'HADREE HOOKER lotte ran the 40-yard dash in 5.02 seconds and the shuttle in 4.90 seconds … Had a 26-inch vertical leap and did 26 reps at 185 pounds on the bench press. Honors/accomplishments: Rated by Rivals.com as a three- Measurables: At the Rivals.com/VTO Showcase Camp in Char- Deep Run, N.C./South Lenoir High • 6-1 • 290 Pounds Defensive Tackle VTO Showcase Camp in Charlotte by Rivals.com. Stats: Credited with 18 tackles for loss and seven blocked kicks as a senior for a team that went 3-8 … Had 79 tackles, including 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks, and posted five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, a safety and five blocked kicks as a junior. Off the field: Credits former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Warren star prospect, the No. 33 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 19 player in North Carolina … Honored as an All-American by SuperPrep, which pegged him the fifth-best player in the state and 29th-best defensive lineman in the country … Named a four-star recruit and the third-best defensive lineman in North Carolina by Tom Lemming … Ranked by 247Sports as a three-star prospect, the No. 27 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 14 player from the state … Rated a three-star player and the No. 29 DT in the country by Scout.com … Picked as the No. 19 player in the state by the Charlotte Observer … Listed as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 33 recruit from North Carolina and No. 67 defensive tackle nationally by ESPN … Played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game, recording three tackles … Named to NCPreps.com's 2-A all-state team as a junior and senior … Selected as his region's defensive player of the year in 2010 … Three-time all- conference and all-region selection … Picked as a top performer at the Rivals.com/ 32 ■ THE WOLFPACKER an exciting prospect. He is a good athlete for his size and also very strong. With his combination of quickness and strength, he will be a tough force to block in the middle. 2012 projection: The defensive tackle position has some solid depth, but Hooker is talented enough that he may be able to crack the rotation. Scouting report: Hooker will need to reframe his body some, but overall he is is his first-step quickness off the ball, and every year that has improved, along with his strength, his academics in school, and the way he has handled everything." — South Lenoir head coach Kevin Wilson. Recruitment: Hooker quickly became one of NC State's top targets in the 2012 class, and he reciprocated the interest. NC State seemed to be his leader from the get-go and ultimately beat out Georgia Tech for his services. Hooker committed Aug. 5. Recruiter of record: Special teams coordinator Jerry Petercuskie. Sapp for being his biggest football inspiration. Quotable: "What the recruiters and the coaches talk about times for 30 yards as a senior, helping his team to a 10-4 record and first-ever trip to the state class AAAAA semifinals … Caught 42 passes for 675 yards and nine scores as a junior. Off the field: Also runs track, with a personal-best time in the 100 meters of 10.98 seconds and in the 200 meters of 22.84. Quotable: "This is one of those guys that has the look of a possession guy, which above-average speed and size for the position, is a good route runner and is noted for his soft hands. The only question mark may be his shiftiness. 2012 projection: As is the case with fellow receiver recruit Xavier Griffin, Hegedus has an opportunity to get early playing time with an impressive preseason camp showing. NC State's summer camp in June. Given his close relationship with teammate Niles Clark, a fellow Wolfpack commitment, it seemed natural that the Pack would be a favorite to land him. He committed to State July 27, but State had to sweat out a December offer from Central Florida, an offer from Oklahoma State two days be- fore signing day and continuous flirtations from Georgia to land Hegedus' signature. Recruiter of record: Linebackers coach Jon Tenuta. Scouting report: Hegedus has a lot of the tools to be a good receiver. He has is probably what he will be at the next level, yet he has a knack for sneaking behind coverage. He is more speedy and quick than you might think." — ESPN. Recruitment: Hegedus quickly earned an offer after a standout performance at