ADVERTISEMENT

The Run Down Wolfpacker war room presented by FranchiseCoach.net (June 11)

Matt Carter

Diamond Wolf
Gold Member
Aug 23, 2004
73,638
37,986
113
Are you ready to put your career in your own hands? Adam Goldman can help! Adam is a member of TheWolfpacker.com and franchise veteran, having recently sold a franchise to a strategic buyer. Using his expertise, he helps others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process. Call Adam at 844-800-FRAN and put your life and career in your own hands.

Adam Goldman, Owner
FranchiseCoach.net
Email: agoldman@franchisecoach.net
DM: @FranchiseCoach


•••

As expected, football recruiting has heated up in the month of June, and here’s a position-by-position breakdown of where things appear to stand:

• Quarterbacks: NC State is obviously done here for 2022 after landing four-star MJ Morris from Carrollton (Ga.) High. The plan is to take a signal caller in every class, and now attention turns to the 2023 class. The over-and-under on how long it might take recently offered Lex Thomas from Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage High to make a verbal commitment to NC State is not very long, and for obvious reasons.

The fact is that not many colleges are going to waste much time and energy recruiting a player that many are going to treat, fairly or not, as a foregone conclusion to end up at NC State. Throw in that Thomas is yet to play his first varsity season this fall, and there’s not a lot of evaluation to go off.

NC State though really liked what it saw from Thomas, and it has always been a big fan of his and his brothers’ “it” factor. Like sophomore linebacker Drake Thomas, there is a feeling that Lex could be a bit of a ringleader when it comes to recruiting, especially in the state and more so locally, for the 2022 class.

• Running backs: Eyes are on four-star Michael Allen from Rose High in Greenville, N.C., as there is admittedly a feeling that the Wolfpack could be closing in on him. Dating back to last fall, we had sources telling us that Allen was the top running back on their board even though four-star Omarion Hampton from Cleveland High in Clayton, N.C., may be more highly rated.

NC State prizes Allen’s athleticism and big-play abilities.

• Wide receivers: We think, at the moment, the plan is to grab one receiver in the 2022 class, and the focus has been on three-star Wesley Grimes from Raleigh Millbrook. Grimes only further endeared himself to the Pack coaching staff when he agreed to work out at camp and then excelled.

There was a feeling that Wake Forest might have gained momentum with Grimes in recent weeks, but we have a sense that NC State has changed some of that recently. However, the wildcard could be if UNC or Clemson offers after private workouts at both.

If Grimes ends up elsewhere, where NC State turns is unknown. Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley’s Mehki Wall would be a logical bet.

• Tight ends: We still don’t think that tight end is a priority in this class, and the recent reported offer to Max Muehlberger from Kansas may have been a preferred walk-on variety.

• Offensive line: Yes, the priority is offensive tackle, but the challenge for NC State has been finding some good offensive tackles on the board. Recently offered junior college product JB Nelson at Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa., fit the profile of what the Wolfpack is looking for, and probably so does three-star Cason Henry from Marietta (Ga.) Walton High, but how strong NC State is in it with both of them is unknown.

That is why three-star offensive lineman Isaiah Montgomery’s decision to work out at NC State was a big one for the Pack coaches, allowing them to get a much closer, in-depth evaluation on a player who some believe is a guard and others think can be an offensive tackle. It should be noted however there has always been a sense that Pittsburgh might be a quiet favorite for Montgomery.

• Defensive line: The plan we heard was to take a pair of defensive linemen, but it’s possible to stretch it to three. Three-star Nick Campbell from Lake Minneola (Fla.) High is already in the fold, and he’s a valuable pick-up because Campbell could even project as a nose tackle down the road.

For the other spot, four-star Brandon Cleveland from Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day will be on an official visit this weekend. Whereas there was strong momentum building towards Campbell’s potential commitment last weekend, it’s probably not near that vibrant on Cleveland, a former Miami pledge. Depending on how it goes this weekend, however, there is a chance that Cleveland would be the type that NC State stretches the numbers to make work.

Three-star Davin Jackson from Sumter (S.C.) High looks like it is shaping up as a South Carolina-NC State battle. The Pack scores points for loyalty and being ahead of the game in his recruitment, but there was always a sense that the Gamecocks was the offer Jackson wanted. That said, the vibe originally from NC State was that they did not get a sense much had changed after the South Carolina offer.

Recently offered three-star Vincent Anthony Jr. from Durham (N.C.) Jordan High is probably the last of the main group of defensive linemen to watch at the moment. Duke has a head start on Anthony in this recruitment, but the Pack has quickly gained ground.

• Linebackers: It appears that NC State would make room for Xavier Simmons from Northwest Guilford High in Greensboro, N.C., at a minimum. Linebacker is a tricky position because there is an expectation that redshirt sophomore Payton Wilson and redshirt junior Isaiah Moore will be off to the NFL after this season, but that’s not a guarantee that the Pack can bake into the numbers.

• Defensive back: Jackson Vick, three-star from Southern Nash High in Bailey, N.C., is the priority at corner and the hope/expectation around Raleigh is that NC State is in a good position there.

It’s elsewhere in the secondary that there are question marks. Due to limited numbers, this is a position where the scholarship crunch may get felt. The wildcard is three-star Isaiah Crowell from Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth High. He has the family connections to the Wolfpack and comes from a high school program that NC State, head coach Dave Doeren in particular, has a lot of respect for.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
  • Member-Only Message Boards

  • Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series

  • Exclusive Highlights and Recruiting Interviews

  • Breaking Recruiting News

Log in or subscribe today