For the first time in Rolesville (N.C.) High junior wide receiver Noah Rogers recruitment there is a real fear now he might pick other than NC State.
Months likely remain before Rogers picks a college, but he has kept recruiting at a low-key vibe for the most part, which fits his off the field personality. He’s more of a follower than the kind of recruit who walks to the beat of his own drum. That’s why he’s become so close with his 7-on-7 teammates Lex Thomas, a NC State quarterback commit from Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage, Raleigh Millbrook junior wide receiver Nathan Leacock and new Rolesville teammate Tamarcus Cooley, a junior athlete. NC State wants all of them to join Thomas.
Ohio State is now a real threat after Rogers visited there for three days in mid-April, and might even be the present leader. Clemson and North Carolina have been constants of late, with his older brother a walk-on wide receiver for the Tar Heels. He elected to attend the UNC spring game instead of NC State’s on April 9.
That was the first time in quite some time that he didn’t go to something NC State recruiting related, and there has been concern behind the scenes that he knew he had to slow down all the connections that were forming to the Wolfpack. Call it recruiting fatigue or the downside of being the perceived leader, but sometimes players just want to freshen things up.
The appeal of Ohio State was shown during the NFL Draft. Garrett Wilson caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he went No. 10 to the New York Jets. Chris Olave caught 65 passes for 936 yards and 13 scores, and went No. 11 to the New Orleans Saints.
The best of the wide receivers is back at OSU. Jaxon Smith-Njigba snagged 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns.
That is part of Jameson Williams left Ohio State for Alabama, and he was the No. 12 pick to the Detroit Lions.
It’s also super rare for NC State and Ohio State to go head-to-head on recruits, and it might now happen the next two years. The Buckeyes have offered Rogers and class of 2024 wide receiver Jonathan Paylor of Burlington (N.C.) Cummings, and both of those players could be perceived as the “must-get prospects” on NC State’s recruiting boards in those two respective years.
The Buckeyes have landed seven players out of North Carolina since 2002, though one was a Texas product who moved to Charlotte (N.C.) Christian. The results have been clearly mixed.
The breakdown:
Running back Evan Pryor, Cornelius Hough, Class of 2021, Ranked No. 74
Pryor emerged early in his prep career in both football and track and field, and NC State offered him. He got bottled up against Charlotte Myers Park his junior, which had future NC State wide receiver Porter Rooks. But he also played very well against Charlotte Chambers High (which had a different name in 2019).
Pryor seemed to favor Penn State and UNC for a good stretch, but he picked Ohio State over North Carolina, Georgia, USC, Oklahoma and PSU.
Pryor rushed 21 times for 98 yards and a touchdown, and caught two passes for eight yards in four games last year, and redshirted for the Buckeyes.
Defensive end Jacolbe Cowan, Charlotte Providence Day, Class of 2020, Ranked No. 149
Cowan was an athletic defensive end, who also played basketball, and became an early recruiting sensation along with his then Providence Day teammate Porter Rooks, now a wide receiver at NC State. The Wolfpack offered Cowan but it never got overly serious.
Cowan claimed 35 offers in high school and took trips to numerous top programs. He picked Ohio State over Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and UNC.
Cowan had three tackles in five games played for the Buckeyes last year, and redshirted in 2020. Cowan was in the news this week for transferring back to his home state and picking North Carolina.
Defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie, Wake Forest High, Class of 2019, Unranked 3 star
McKenzie was a big, quick defensive tackle that NC State never offered because the Wolfpack felt good about getting Joshua Harris and C.J. Clark, and they did. McKenzie was able to get a lot of exposure due to playing with future NFL first-round pick Dexter Lawrence.
McKenzie had 18 offers and was ranked No. 42 overall in the state of North Carolina that class. It was surprising when Ohio State landed him, with North Carolina, Clemson, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee and Wake Forest in the mix.
McKenzie had five tackles and one forced fumble in three games last year for Ohio State. He played two games for the Buckeyes in 2019 and redshirted, and one game in 2020.
Running back Antonio Williams, New London North Stanly High, Class of 2016, Ranked No. 128
Williams, who is the cousin of NC State’s C.J. Clark and former Wolfpack player B.J. Hill, was a freshman sensation in high school. NC State struggled to get traction with him but then former assistant basketball coach Rob Moxley got him to visit because of a family connection. He was incredibly productive but not a blazer at running back.
Williams first picked North Carolina, then Wisconsin and signed with Ohio State. Williams played his first two years at Ohio State and rushed 63 times for 318 yards and three scores, and then he transferred back to his original choice North Carolina. He was behind Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, and he rushed 139 times for 826 yards and eight scores, plus 18 catches for 135 yards. Williams made the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent.
Defensive end Tyquan Lewis, Tarboro High, Class of 2013, Unranked 4 star
NC State made various charges at Lewis, but his recruitment became national with Ohio State, North Carolina, Miami (Fla.), LSU and South Carolina in the mix. He was recruited to Ohio State by future UNC interim coach Everett Withers and future Tennessee Texans coach Mike Vrabel.
Lewis easily became the most productive of the seven North Carolina products that have gone to Ohio State. He had 112 career tackles, 37 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and 23.5 sacks in four years. Lewis has played 41 games in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, getting 56 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
Outside linebacker Jamal Marcus, Durham Hillside, Class of 2012, Unranked 3 star
NC State tried off and on with Marcus, but he ultimately picked Ohio State over East Carolina, with Withers as his main recruiter. USC, Florida, Auburn, Oregon and UNC were also in the mix.
Marcus played two years before transferring to Akron. He had 27 tackles and a sack in 24 games with Ohio State (a good chunk on special teams). Marcus had 44 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 18 games at Akron.
Defensive end David Durham, Charlotte Christian, Class of 2010, Unranked 3 star
Durham committed to Ohio State while attending Austin (Texas) Westlake High, and then moved to Charlotte for his senior year. He appeared in five games at OSU and transferred to Pittsburgh. He finished with 51 career tackles and three sacks in 30 games for the Panthers.
Months likely remain before Rogers picks a college, but he has kept recruiting at a low-key vibe for the most part, which fits his off the field personality. He’s more of a follower than the kind of recruit who walks to the beat of his own drum. That’s why he’s become so close with his 7-on-7 teammates Lex Thomas, a NC State quarterback commit from Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage, Raleigh Millbrook junior wide receiver Nathan Leacock and new Rolesville teammate Tamarcus Cooley, a junior athlete. NC State wants all of them to join Thomas.
Ohio State is now a real threat after Rogers visited there for three days in mid-April, and might even be the present leader. Clemson and North Carolina have been constants of late, with his older brother a walk-on wide receiver for the Tar Heels. He elected to attend the UNC spring game instead of NC State’s on April 9.
That was the first time in quite some time that he didn’t go to something NC State recruiting related, and there has been concern behind the scenes that he knew he had to slow down all the connections that were forming to the Wolfpack. Call it recruiting fatigue or the downside of being the perceived leader, but sometimes players just want to freshen things up.
The appeal of Ohio State was shown during the NFL Draft. Garrett Wilson caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he went No. 10 to the New York Jets. Chris Olave caught 65 passes for 936 yards and 13 scores, and went No. 11 to the New Orleans Saints.
The best of the wide receivers is back at OSU. Jaxon Smith-Njigba snagged 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns.
That is part of Jameson Williams left Ohio State for Alabama, and he was the No. 12 pick to the Detroit Lions.
It’s also super rare for NC State and Ohio State to go head-to-head on recruits, and it might now happen the next two years. The Buckeyes have offered Rogers and class of 2024 wide receiver Jonathan Paylor of Burlington (N.C.) Cummings, and both of those players could be perceived as the “must-get prospects” on NC State’s recruiting boards in those two respective years.
The Buckeyes have landed seven players out of North Carolina since 2002, though one was a Texas product who moved to Charlotte (N.C.) Christian. The results have been clearly mixed.
The breakdown:
Running back Evan Pryor, Cornelius Hough, Class of 2021, Ranked No. 74
Pryor emerged early in his prep career in both football and track and field, and NC State offered him. He got bottled up against Charlotte Myers Park his junior, which had future NC State wide receiver Porter Rooks. But he also played very well against Charlotte Chambers High (which had a different name in 2019).
Pryor seemed to favor Penn State and UNC for a good stretch, but he picked Ohio State over North Carolina, Georgia, USC, Oklahoma and PSU.
Pryor rushed 21 times for 98 yards and a touchdown, and caught two passes for eight yards in four games last year, and redshirted for the Buckeyes.
Defensive end Jacolbe Cowan, Charlotte Providence Day, Class of 2020, Ranked No. 149
Cowan was an athletic defensive end, who also played basketball, and became an early recruiting sensation along with his then Providence Day teammate Porter Rooks, now a wide receiver at NC State. The Wolfpack offered Cowan but it never got overly serious.
Cowan claimed 35 offers in high school and took trips to numerous top programs. He picked Ohio State over Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and UNC.
Cowan had three tackles in five games played for the Buckeyes last year, and redshirted in 2020. Cowan was in the news this week for transferring back to his home state and picking North Carolina.
Defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie, Wake Forest High, Class of 2019, Unranked 3 star
McKenzie was a big, quick defensive tackle that NC State never offered because the Wolfpack felt good about getting Joshua Harris and C.J. Clark, and they did. McKenzie was able to get a lot of exposure due to playing with future NFL first-round pick Dexter Lawrence.
McKenzie had 18 offers and was ranked No. 42 overall in the state of North Carolina that class. It was surprising when Ohio State landed him, with North Carolina, Clemson, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee and Wake Forest in the mix.
McKenzie had five tackles and one forced fumble in three games last year for Ohio State. He played two games for the Buckeyes in 2019 and redshirted, and one game in 2020.
Running back Antonio Williams, New London North Stanly High, Class of 2016, Ranked No. 128
Williams, who is the cousin of NC State’s C.J. Clark and former Wolfpack player B.J. Hill, was a freshman sensation in high school. NC State struggled to get traction with him but then former assistant basketball coach Rob Moxley got him to visit because of a family connection. He was incredibly productive but not a blazer at running back.
Williams first picked North Carolina, then Wisconsin and signed with Ohio State. Williams played his first two years at Ohio State and rushed 63 times for 318 yards and three scores, and then he transferred back to his original choice North Carolina. He was behind Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, and he rushed 139 times for 826 yards and eight scores, plus 18 catches for 135 yards. Williams made the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent.
Defensive end Tyquan Lewis, Tarboro High, Class of 2013, Unranked 4 star
NC State made various charges at Lewis, but his recruitment became national with Ohio State, North Carolina, Miami (Fla.), LSU and South Carolina in the mix. He was recruited to Ohio State by future UNC interim coach Everett Withers and future Tennessee Texans coach Mike Vrabel.
Lewis easily became the most productive of the seven North Carolina products that have gone to Ohio State. He had 112 career tackles, 37 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and 23.5 sacks in four years. Lewis has played 41 games in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, getting 56 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
Outside linebacker Jamal Marcus, Durham Hillside, Class of 2012, Unranked 3 star
NC State tried off and on with Marcus, but he ultimately picked Ohio State over East Carolina, with Withers as his main recruiter. USC, Florida, Auburn, Oregon and UNC were also in the mix.
Marcus played two years before transferring to Akron. He had 27 tackles and a sack in 24 games with Ohio State (a good chunk on special teams). Marcus had 44 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 18 games at Akron.
Defensive end David Durham, Charlotte Christian, Class of 2010, Unranked 3 star
Durham committed to Ohio State while attending Austin (Texas) Westlake High, and then moved to Charlotte for his senior year. He appeared in five games at OSU and transferred to Pittsburgh. He finished with 51 career tackles and three sacks in 30 games for the Panthers.
