NC State is hosting another junior day this Saturday, with festivities beginning Saturday morning, leading us to believe that Saturday night's home basketball game against Virginia Tech is not part of the itinerary.
Here are some of the names that we have seen mentioned as likely visitors for the junior day (all players in 2016 class unless otherwise mentioned):
Quarterback Josh White[/URL], Marietta (Ga.) Walton High: Has a reported offer from Mississippi State, but NCSU is being very selective and methodical about recruiting the quarterback position at this point.
Quarterback Donovan Williams[/URL], Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton High: Probably better suited to be termed an "athlete." Has offers from Fordham and James Madison, but is rated No. 23 in the state of Virginia by Rivals.com.
Class of 2018 running back Ricky Slade[/URL], Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton High: Already considered one of the top running backs in the 2018 class in the country.
Tight end Sam Letton[/URL], Marietta (Ga.) Walton High: Three-star prospect reports early offers from Kentucky, NC State, Syracuse and West Virginia among others. (Although to be fair, who doesn't have a West Virginia offer?)
Tight end Stephen Omorogbe[/URL], Woodstock (Ga.) River Ridge High: The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is reputed to be a good athlete and friend of White's.
Offensive tackle Josh Ball[/URL], Fredericksburg (Va.) Stafford Senior: We get the vibe this four-star prospect is one of the top guys on NC State's board regardless of position. Will be at least his third trip to Raleigh.
Defensive end Dedrion Bacote[/URL], Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith High: Sleeper 6-foot-3, 205-pounder who is on NCSU's radar.
Defensive tackle Kyree Campbell[/URL], Woodbridge (Va.) Freedom High: Campbell is also a four-star prospect who has a lengthy and impressive offer list.
Linebacker T.J. Brunson[/URL], Columbia (S.C.) Richland Northeast: NC State was the first to offer, but South Carolina joined the last in February. He will also be visiting Florida State the following weekend.
Linebacker LaRonde Liverpool[/URL], Virginia Beach (Va.) Landstown: NC State and Virginia have both offered Liverpool, and Virginia Tech is believed to be seriously interested.
Class of 2017 linebacker Dylan Rivers[/URL], Stephens City (Va.) Sherando High: The son of an NC State alum already has early offers from Arizona, NC State, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
***
The Wolfpacker picked the brains of Rivals.com regional recruiting analysts Adam Friedman and Woody Wommack on what they thought on several members of NC State's class of 2015.
Here is what they thought:
Friedman on running back Johnny Frasier: "Johnny Frasier is a big back and downhill runner. He has impressive straight line speed for how big he is. He is more explosive than people really think going downfield. Once he gets in college and gets into a weight training program and strength and conditioning program, he'll be a lot more explosive laterally. He has incredible vision and that is one of my favorite parts of Frasier's game. After he gets into a college strength and conditioning program, he could play better than his ranking."
Friedman on running back Reggie Gallaspy: "Reggie Gallaspy is a very intriguing four-star prospect on campus. He led the state in rushing this year. He's a really tough inside runner, but has some speed to bounce it outside. He is a tough guy, competitor and never quits on a play. He isn't one to go out of bounds and he'll try to get that last hit in. He can run inside and outside, and it will be interesting to see who wins out at running back between Gallaspy, Johnny Frasier and Nyheim Hines."
Friedman on wide receiver Vernon Grier: "Vernon Grier was one of their main targets and best target this year. He's an explosive guy with great hands, who has the knack for making a catch. When you look at what NC State, one of its glaring weaknesses is at wide receiver and needing a playmaker out there. This is the kind of guy that can come up with the really big play at certain times. It's a quality pickup for them from a high school that produces a lot of talent."
Friedman on all-purpose back Nyheim Hines: "I could see Nyheim Hines getting 10-plus touches a game with special teams included next year. He is ready to step on the field, and has to make sure he understands the system. Any additional strength or bulk he can tack on to his body will help avoid injuries, and lesson the impact from the hits he is taking."
Wommack on defensive tackle Quentez Johnson: "I think Quentez Johnson was a good steal for NC State when they got him, and then hold on to him. He's at a school where all the SEC schools look at. He's a space-eater in the middle and he'll probably need some time to work on his conditioning. He'll need to shift some weight, but he could contribute by his second year on campus and be a consistent guy for them. He was key in helping recruit other kids, and they tend to gravitate toward them."
Friedman on left tackle Emanuel McGirt: "I was really impressed with McGirt at the Shrine Bowl. I've seen him play in camps and in games, and I've seen all his film. On film, he is a big guy that is almost a finesse blocker. He's aggressive when he's run-blocking but a finesse guy in pass blocking. At the Shrine Bowl, he competed a lot better against guys than I thought he would, going against Darian Roseboro, Jalen Dalton and Shy Tuttle. They were all highly rated and McGirt did well. There is a ton of room left in his frame, so he's not as strong as he is going to be. He plays with great technique and really aggressive. The guys on the sideline would talk about how he'd go past the echo of the whistle, and continue to block guys. He'd get under players skin in a good way for McGirt."
Wommack on safety Freddie Phillips: "Freddie Phillips is initially a wide receiver and has good ball skills. I like guys that start off at wide receiver and end up moving to defensive back because they take some of those skills they learned on the offensive side of the ball, and take it to defense. He is pretty athletic and is still learning how to be a safety. NC State was smart in getting him early."
Wommack on defensive end Tyrone Riley: "I liked Tyrone Riley and he could of been ranked higher. He is a long, rangy kid who kind of reminded me of Lorenzo Carter [of Georgia] the first time I saw him sophomore year. He added some weight and that kind of slowed him down and his athleticism, and things like that. It will be interesting to see how NC State uses him and gets him to bulk up. He has a huge body. I could even see him ending up at defensive tackle one day. He comes from a really small school, but you can't teach the size that he has. It just comes down for the light bulb to come on for him to use that size to his advantage on a consistent basis."
Friedman on defensive end Darian Roseboro: "I think Darian Roseboro is best served playing the defensive tackle position. He gets into that strength program, he's going to bulk up even more. He's already on campus and he's at [284]. He has great lower body strength with excellent leverage. He can take on two or three blockers and reach over them or through them and make the tackle in the backfield. He has incredible athleticism for a guy that size. He had great numbers running the ball for Lincolnton High. A guy that size and in that shape, it's tough to say he isn't going to be a playmaker in college."
Friedman on wide receiver Brian Sessoms: "NC State is looking for game-breaking players, and found an excellent one in Nyheim Hines, and Brian Sessoms could be part of that mix. He'll have to redshirt to get stronger, but when you look at how explosive he is and some of the things he can do with the ball in his hands, there will be a time he will come up big on special teams or a screen pass. He can make the catch in the flat on third down and take it to the house 60-plus yards."
Friedman on wide receiver Freddie Simmons: "Freddie Simmons is a possession guy that can make plays, and he knows how to get open."
Friedman on outside linebacker James Smith-Williams: "James Smith-Williams has a good frame and he could turn out to be one of those standup outside linebacker guys. He could also put his hand in the dirt a little bit and rush the passer. He has good athleticism, and is learning about the game, fitting into a scheme and performing his responsibilities, and those are keys for him in college."
Friedman on tackle Philip Walton: "Philip Walton has a lot of room to fill out. He's a guy that could be a serviceable tackle for sure, but he'll need to add strength and become more aggressive. I think he'll definitely put on the weight and strength, and he'll have to learn to be more aggressive and playing with proper technique."
***
The weather has played havoc with prep basketball tournaments in North Carolina this week. NC State coach Mark Gottfried was going to take the helicopter out tonight to see Kinston (N.C.) High star senior small forward Brandon Ingram, assuming Ingram's squad was able to advance to the conference title game. However, the whole conference tournament was canceled. Gottfried will likely go see him next week. It is believed that Kinston starts the playoffs Tuesday, but that is the night of NCSU playing at North Carolina.
The NCISAA state tournament was supposed to be finished up this Saturday, but instead is getting underway today. The quarterfinals take place next Thursday, semifinals Friday and title games Saturday. The title games will take place at Asheville (N.C.) School.
Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity junior point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who Rivals.com ranks No. 4 overall in the class of 2016, is the headliner for NC State's recruiting efforts. Trinity, which went 22-9 this season, received the No. 2 seed in the NCISAA 1A playoffs, and will play Raleigh Neuse Christian Academy at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Asheville Christian Academy.
Another prospect to keep an eye on down the road is Greensboro (N.C.) Day freshman wing Will Dillard. Greensboro Day plays Charlotte Latin School at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Arden (N.C.) Christ School.
This post was edited on 2/20 3:04 PM by Matt Carter
This post was edited on 2/20 2:40 PM by Matt Carter
Here are some of the names that we have seen mentioned as likely visitors for the junior day (all players in 2016 class unless otherwise mentioned):
Quarterback Josh White[/URL], Marietta (Ga.) Walton High: Has a reported offer from Mississippi State, but NCSU is being very selective and methodical about recruiting the quarterback position at this point.
Quarterback Donovan Williams[/URL], Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton High: Probably better suited to be termed an "athlete." Has offers from Fordham and James Madison, but is rated No. 23 in the state of Virginia by Rivals.com.
Class of 2018 running back Ricky Slade[/URL], Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton High: Already considered one of the top running backs in the 2018 class in the country.
Tight end Sam Letton[/URL], Marietta (Ga.) Walton High: Three-star prospect reports early offers from Kentucky, NC State, Syracuse and West Virginia among others. (Although to be fair, who doesn't have a West Virginia offer?)
Tight end Stephen Omorogbe[/URL], Woodstock (Ga.) River Ridge High: The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is reputed to be a good athlete and friend of White's.
Offensive tackle Josh Ball[/URL], Fredericksburg (Va.) Stafford Senior: We get the vibe this four-star prospect is one of the top guys on NC State's board regardless of position. Will be at least his third trip to Raleigh.
Defensive end Dedrion Bacote[/URL], Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith High: Sleeper 6-foot-3, 205-pounder who is on NCSU's radar.
Defensive tackle Kyree Campbell[/URL], Woodbridge (Va.) Freedom High: Campbell is also a four-star prospect who has a lengthy and impressive offer list.
Linebacker T.J. Brunson[/URL], Columbia (S.C.) Richland Northeast: NC State was the first to offer, but South Carolina joined the last in February. He will also be visiting Florida State the following weekend.
Linebacker LaRonde Liverpool[/URL], Virginia Beach (Va.) Landstown: NC State and Virginia have both offered Liverpool, and Virginia Tech is believed to be seriously interested.
Class of 2017 linebacker Dylan Rivers[/URL], Stephens City (Va.) Sherando High: The son of an NC State alum already has early offers from Arizona, NC State, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
***
The Wolfpacker picked the brains of Rivals.com regional recruiting analysts Adam Friedman and Woody Wommack on what they thought on several members of NC State's class of 2015.
Here is what they thought:
Friedman on running back Johnny Frasier: "Johnny Frasier is a big back and downhill runner. He has impressive straight line speed for how big he is. He is more explosive than people really think going downfield. Once he gets in college and gets into a weight training program and strength and conditioning program, he'll be a lot more explosive laterally. He has incredible vision and that is one of my favorite parts of Frasier's game. After he gets into a college strength and conditioning program, he could play better than his ranking."
Friedman on running back Reggie Gallaspy: "Reggie Gallaspy is a very intriguing four-star prospect on campus. He led the state in rushing this year. He's a really tough inside runner, but has some speed to bounce it outside. He is a tough guy, competitor and never quits on a play. He isn't one to go out of bounds and he'll try to get that last hit in. He can run inside and outside, and it will be interesting to see who wins out at running back between Gallaspy, Johnny Frasier and Nyheim Hines."
Friedman on wide receiver Vernon Grier: "Vernon Grier was one of their main targets and best target this year. He's an explosive guy with great hands, who has the knack for making a catch. When you look at what NC State, one of its glaring weaknesses is at wide receiver and needing a playmaker out there. This is the kind of guy that can come up with the really big play at certain times. It's a quality pickup for them from a high school that produces a lot of talent."
Friedman on all-purpose back Nyheim Hines: "I could see Nyheim Hines getting 10-plus touches a game with special teams included next year. He is ready to step on the field, and has to make sure he understands the system. Any additional strength or bulk he can tack on to his body will help avoid injuries, and lesson the impact from the hits he is taking."
Wommack on defensive tackle Quentez Johnson: "I think Quentez Johnson was a good steal for NC State when they got him, and then hold on to him. He's at a school where all the SEC schools look at. He's a space-eater in the middle and he'll probably need some time to work on his conditioning. He'll need to shift some weight, but he could contribute by his second year on campus and be a consistent guy for them. He was key in helping recruit other kids, and they tend to gravitate toward them."
Friedman on left tackle Emanuel McGirt: "I was really impressed with McGirt at the Shrine Bowl. I've seen him play in camps and in games, and I've seen all his film. On film, he is a big guy that is almost a finesse blocker. He's aggressive when he's run-blocking but a finesse guy in pass blocking. At the Shrine Bowl, he competed a lot better against guys than I thought he would, going against Darian Roseboro, Jalen Dalton and Shy Tuttle. They were all highly rated and McGirt did well. There is a ton of room left in his frame, so he's not as strong as he is going to be. He plays with great technique and really aggressive. The guys on the sideline would talk about how he'd go past the echo of the whistle, and continue to block guys. He'd get under players skin in a good way for McGirt."
Wommack on safety Freddie Phillips: "Freddie Phillips is initially a wide receiver and has good ball skills. I like guys that start off at wide receiver and end up moving to defensive back because they take some of those skills they learned on the offensive side of the ball, and take it to defense. He is pretty athletic and is still learning how to be a safety. NC State was smart in getting him early."
Wommack on defensive end Tyrone Riley: "I liked Tyrone Riley and he could of been ranked higher. He is a long, rangy kid who kind of reminded me of Lorenzo Carter [of Georgia] the first time I saw him sophomore year. He added some weight and that kind of slowed him down and his athleticism, and things like that. It will be interesting to see how NC State uses him and gets him to bulk up. He has a huge body. I could even see him ending up at defensive tackle one day. He comes from a really small school, but you can't teach the size that he has. It just comes down for the light bulb to come on for him to use that size to his advantage on a consistent basis."
Friedman on defensive end Darian Roseboro: "I think Darian Roseboro is best served playing the defensive tackle position. He gets into that strength program, he's going to bulk up even more. He's already on campus and he's at [284]. He has great lower body strength with excellent leverage. He can take on two or three blockers and reach over them or through them and make the tackle in the backfield. He has incredible athleticism for a guy that size. He had great numbers running the ball for Lincolnton High. A guy that size and in that shape, it's tough to say he isn't going to be a playmaker in college."
Friedman on wide receiver Brian Sessoms: "NC State is looking for game-breaking players, and found an excellent one in Nyheim Hines, and Brian Sessoms could be part of that mix. He'll have to redshirt to get stronger, but when you look at how explosive he is and some of the things he can do with the ball in his hands, there will be a time he will come up big on special teams or a screen pass. He can make the catch in the flat on third down and take it to the house 60-plus yards."
Friedman on wide receiver Freddie Simmons: "Freddie Simmons is a possession guy that can make plays, and he knows how to get open."
Friedman on outside linebacker James Smith-Williams: "James Smith-Williams has a good frame and he could turn out to be one of those standup outside linebacker guys. He could also put his hand in the dirt a little bit and rush the passer. He has good athleticism, and is learning about the game, fitting into a scheme and performing his responsibilities, and those are keys for him in college."
Friedman on tackle Philip Walton: "Philip Walton has a lot of room to fill out. He's a guy that could be a serviceable tackle for sure, but he'll need to add strength and become more aggressive. I think he'll definitely put on the weight and strength, and he'll have to learn to be more aggressive and playing with proper technique."
***
The weather has played havoc with prep basketball tournaments in North Carolina this week. NC State coach Mark Gottfried was going to take the helicopter out tonight to see Kinston (N.C.) High star senior small forward Brandon Ingram, assuming Ingram's squad was able to advance to the conference title game. However, the whole conference tournament was canceled. Gottfried will likely go see him next week. It is believed that Kinston starts the playoffs Tuesday, but that is the night of NCSU playing at North Carolina.
The NCISAA state tournament was supposed to be finished up this Saturday, but instead is getting underway today. The quarterfinals take place next Thursday, semifinals Friday and title games Saturday. The title games will take place at Asheville (N.C.) School.
Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity junior point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who Rivals.com ranks No. 4 overall in the class of 2016, is the headliner for NC State's recruiting efforts. Trinity, which went 22-9 this season, received the No. 2 seed in the NCISAA 1A playoffs, and will play Raleigh Neuse Christian Academy at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Asheville Christian Academy.
Another prospect to keep an eye on down the road is Greensboro (N.C.) Day freshman wing Will Dillard. Greensboro Day plays Charlotte Latin School at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Arden (N.C.) Christ School.
This post was edited on 2/20 3:04 PM by Matt Carter
This post was edited on 2/20 2:40 PM by Matt Carter
