The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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TRACKING THE PACK NC State added two new verbal commit- PACK CONTINUES TO BUILD ITS FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS ments to its recruiting class, and a member of the 2012 signees reaffirmed that he will be attending NCSU after spending at least a semester at prep school to improve his academic transcripts. Defensive lineman Desmond Owino, a native of Nairobi, Kenya, who emerged as a surprise prospect in his one season of high school football at Raleigh Sand- erson High, originally committed to UNC before switching his pledge to NC State last winter. Owino, however, had to enroll at Har- grave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., and he said that his hope is to be at NC State for the spring semester. In the mean- time, the 6-4, 260-pounder will also work on becoming a more seasoned football player. "I'd like to work on my feet because it's a weakness for me, so that's what I am trying to work on, but I am good with my hands, though," Owino noted. Owino, who is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, was listed as the No. 26 recruit in the state of North Caro- lina's 2012 recruiting class by the same recruiting service. NCSU has dipped back into Georgia for two more recruits. The Peach State has been increasingly kind to the Wolfpack since head coach Tom O'Brien arrived in 2007. The latest Georgia natives set to join O'Brien's program are receiver Kyrin Priester of Brookwood High in Snellville and running back Josh Mercer of South Effingham High in Guyton. Mercer, a 5-11, 190-pound speedster, committed to NCSU Sept. 24 over Geor- gia and Florida. Running backs/tight ends coach Des Kitchings was responsible for recruiting Mercer to NC State. "I felt like they really wanted me," Mercer noted. "I feel like I could be a great asset to the team, and I like Coach Kitchings, the running backs coach. "He came down to my game, and I just felt like they did everything right. I felt they really wanted me, and I felt wanted. That's why I made my deci- sion." Mercer ran 192 times for 1,354 yards as a junior. Through six games of his se- nior season, of which he played in five, Mercer rushed 96 times for 713 yards and 14 touchdowns. Rivals.com lists Mercer as the No. 50 running back in the 2013 class and the No. 78 recruit in the state of Georgia. Mercer has been timed as fast as 10.68 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.63 16 ■ THE WOLFPACKER No. 48 player in Georgia by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM seconds in the 200. He came in sixth as a junior in the state 4-A 100-meter finals after finishing third as a sophomore and second as a freshman. He was also fifth in the 200 his sophomore year after placing seventh the year before. Priester verbally committed Oct. 7, the last day of his official visit to NC State and less than 24 hours after seeing the Pack stun No. 3 Florida State at Carter- Finley Stadium. Although Priester is spending his senior season in Georgia, he is originally from Florida, and it's his past experience at Lake Mary (Fla.) High that helped NC ■ 2013 NC State Commitments Name Cole Blankenship Chris Burton Marcus Edmond Jerod Fernandez Chris Holmes Da'wan Hunte Jalen McDaniel Bra'Lon Cherry Hassan Childs Matt Dayes Josh Mercer Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown OL TE WR 5-11 DB RB CB LB S 6-2 6-3 Pharoah McKever WR 6-6 RB RB DL Dakwa Nichols Desmond Owino Quinton Patterson LB Kyrin Priester Tylar Reagan Patrick Roane Jack Tocho WR 6-2 OL OL DB 6-5 6-6 6-0 CB 5-10 WR 6-2 6-1 5-9 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-4 6-0 295 245 175 170 195 Weston, Fla. 170 210 190 180 190 210 185 180 260 215 185 280 290 185 Mocksville, N.C. Danville, Va. New Bern, N.C. Kissimmee, Fla. Hopkins, S.C. Lake Mary, Fla. Spotsylvania, Va. Miami Wide receiver Kyrin Priester verbally commit- ted to the Pack on Oct. 7. He is rated the No. 70 player at his position in the country and the Running back Josh Mercer, who committed to NC State on Sept. 24, is listed as the No. 50 player at his position in the 2013 class and the No. 78 recruit in Georgia by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM State secure Priester's commitment. His former teammate at Lake Mary, linebacker Jerod Fernandez, is a Wolfpack commit- ment as well. "That was another big reason, being able to play four more years with him," admitted Priester, who was recruited by NCSU secondary coach Mike Reed. The 6-2, 185-pound Priester originally committed to Georgia in April before back- ing out two months later. He then narrowed his choices down to NC State and South Carolina before settling on the Pack. "He's just got outstanding speed," Brookwood head coach Mark Crews told the Fayetteville Observer. "He gets up and goes in a hurry. "Ky reminds me a lot of a kid we have at Michigan State, Andre Sims. Andre was one of the best receivers in our state as a senior [2010] and played every snap on our state championship team. I think Ky is in the mold as far as athletic ability. "But Andre is probably 5-9, or maybe Fayetteville, N.C. Tabor City, N.C. Guyton, Ga. 5-10. So Ky has the athletic ability and quickness of a 5-10 player, but he's 6-2 and about 185 or 190 pounds." Rivals.com rates Priester as a three- Rockingham, N.C. Nairobi, Kenya* Shelby, N.C. Snellville, Ga. Fruit Cove, Fla. Hope Mills, N.C. Charlotte star prospect, the No. 70 wide receiver in the country and No. 48 player in Georgia. He caught 31 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns as a junior at Lake Mary, and in the first five games of Brookwood's season had 17 receptions for 322 yards and a pair of scores.