The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/85079
2012 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE JOSH SESSOMS Measurables: Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds and bench presses 225 pounds. Bailey, N.C./Southern Nash High • 6-3 • 185 Pounds Safety Called a four-star recruit by Tom Lem- ming … Listed as a three-star player, the No. 34 recruit in North Carolina and the No 61 safety in the country by 247Sports … Rated a three-star prospect and the No. 82 safety in the country by Scout.com … Regarded as a three-star player, the No. 90 safety nationally and the No. 49 prospect in North Carolina by ESPN … Named to the NCPreps.com 3-A All-State team … Picked for the WRAL Extra Effort Award Jan. 17, 2012. Stats: Had 79 tackles, 30 of them Honors/accomplishments: Ranked as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com … MANNY STOCKER … Has a 34-inch vertical leap. Honors/accomplishments: Ranked as a three-star Measurables: Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds and the shuttle in 4.4 seconds Coatesville (Pa.) Area High • 6-1 • 190 Pounds Quarterback player and the No. 38 recruit from Pennsylvania by Rivals. com … Selected as the No. 33 player in the state by Su- perPrep … Rated a three-star prospect, the No. 50 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 74 pro-style quarterback nationally by 247Sports … Listed as a three-star recruit and the No. 64 quarterback in the country by Scout. com … Regarded as a three-star prospect, the 51st-best player in the state and the No. 84 quarterback nationally by ESPN … Selected as the top quarterback at Under Amour's SVS East Coast Elite QB Top 25 Showcase … Named honorable mention all-area as a senior. Stats: As a senior, completed 116 of 198 passes for 1,942 yards and 20 touchdowns, solo, two interceptions, six pass break- ups and a fumble recovery as a senior … Caught two passes for 42 yards and a touchdown … Helped Southern Nash go 7-4. Off the field: Sessoms is also a standout basketball player, having been named second-team all-district as a junior while averaging 16 points and 6.1 rebounds a game … Cousin Kwamaine Battle played defensive tackle at Virginia Tech and cousin Maurice Morgan is a rising redshirt freshman receiver at NC State. Quotable: "He's got a lot of length and a nose for the ball. He's a good-sized and ran for around 300 yards and 10 more scores, leading Coatesville to a 9-3 record and the quarterfinals of the Class AAAA state playoffs … Completed 85 of 131 passes for 1,163 yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 463 yards and four scores as a junior. Off the field: Stocker graduated from high school early and enrolled at NC State in January … Also did track in high school, participating in 400-meter dash and the javelin throw … Is the oldest of six brothers. Quotable: "A lot of times when you have an under-center guy and you put him kid. He has just played basketball for so long and does that six or seven months out of the year … Once he concentrates on football and works on building his body I think he'll be 220 or 225." — Southern Nash head coach Brian Foster. Recruitment: Sessoms has been a diehard NC State fan since his youth, so it back in the gun, that's not necessarily what he does and there's a drop off. And when you take a shotgun quarterback and put him under center, he'll look a little unnatural, but I think Manny can do both. He has the arm strength to go into a pro-style offense with play action. He can make those throws on the deep outs, posts and verticals but, at the same time, he can go into the gun and read the defense while taking advantage of his speed. wise, he has all the tools. He has great size, good instincts and is unafraid as a hitter. He's also a well-respected leader at Southern Nash. 2012 projection: Given NC State's depth at safety, Sessoms will probably redshirt for the 2012 season. was little surprise that when the Wolfpack offered, the Pack became an instant fa- vorite. Despite also getting an early offer from Virginia Tech, Sessoms committed to State in mid-January of 2011 to become the first member of the Pack's 2012 class. Recruiter of record: Defensive line coach Keith Willis. Scouting report: The biggest question mark for Sessoms is his speed. Other- SHADRACH THORNTON Running Back State, but his blend of athleticism and throwing skills set him apart from the others and earned him an offer from the Wolfpack. He committed June 28 over offers from Cincinnati and Temple. Recruiter of record: Special teams coordinator Jerry Petercuskie. Scouting report: Stocker is the type of quarterback that if he pans out will give Recruitment: Stocker was one of several high profile quarterbacks to camp at NC " — Coatesville head coach Matt Ortega. opposing ACC defensive coordinators fits in the years to come. He is an above-average athlete for the position that can hurt you with his feet, but he also has nice arm strength with a soft, accurate touch. 2012 projection: NC State is set at quarterback with Mike Glennon returning for his fifth-year senior season and rising redshirt sophomore Tyler Broses backing him up. Stocker will likely redshirt this fall and then compete for the starting job when Glennon leaves. three-star prospect, the No. 50 running back in the country and the No. 65 player in Georgia … Picked as a four-star recruit by Tom Lemming … Ranked by ESPN as a three-star player, the No. 34 running back in the nation and the No. 74 recruit from Georgia … Listed as the No. 51 player in the state by SuperPrep … Regarded as a three-star player, the 52nd- best prospect in Georgia and the 43rd-best running back in the country by 247Sports … Named the Savannah Morning News Offensive Football Player of the Year in 2011 … Also named Region 2-AAAA player of the year and first-team Class AAAA all-state by the Georgia Sports Writers Association … Played in the Georgia Junior Bowl in 2011. Stats: Had 4,345 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns in his career … Rushed 243 times Ga., ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds and the shuttle in 4.32 seconds, and had a 30-inch vertical leap. Honors/accomplishments: Rated by Rivals.com as a Hinesville, Ga./Liberty County High • 6-1 • 205 Pounds Measurables: At the Rivals.com/VTO Showcase in Marietta, work ethic that is second to none. He has a true love for the game and is such a good all-around person. He can run between the tackles and has developed his speed in the last few years. He can run through you or run past you. I don't think there is a better high school running back in Georgia. Savannah Morning News. Recruitment: Thornton went on a wild ride during his recruitment. He first made " — Liberty County head coach Kirk Warner to the what he admitted was a hasty decision to commit to Kentucky. Still, despite that pledge, he took official visits to NC State, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, and then surprised observers who thought he would pick either Tech or Vandy by committing to NCSU Nov. 12. After State running backs coach Everette Sands left for South Carolina, Thornton came close to taking a late official visit to Ole Miss before firming up with the Pack. Recruiter of record: Former running backs coach Everette Sands. Scouting report: Thornton is the type of running back Tom O'Brien and Dana Bible for 1,738 yards and 17 TDs as a senior for 2-8 Liberty County … Ran 224 times for 1,213 yards and nine scores as a junior and 242 times for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore. Off the field: Also does track, competing in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and high, long and triple jumps … His personal bests include 11.32 seconds in the 100 and 23.14 seconds in the 200. 36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER have enjoyed going back to their days at Boston College. Thornton is a workhorse that will run between the tackles. He has good size and will run hard, and he's just fast enough to break away a long run every now and then. 2012 projection: Thornton will have to battle to get on the field in 2012. State returns Quotable: "Shadrach has the speed and the power, but what sets him apart is a its primary ball carriers from 2011 in rising senior James Washington and rising redshirt sophomore Tony Creecy. The key will be the health of Mustafa Greene, a sophomore who redshirted last year because of a foot injury. If he's healthy, Thornton may redshirt. Otherwise, Thornton may become the third back in the rotation.