1. Rivals.com came out with its initial class of 2024 rankings this week, and positional rankings are today.
The class of 2024 is about the wide receiver position at this early stage, which has been a theme since November. The rankings showed that with five getting ranked.
Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day sophomore quarterback Jadyn Davis is the headliner at No. 4 in the class, and NC State will have to strategically pick one game during the regular season to see the contingent of talent coach Chad Grier has this season. NCAA rules allow one regular season game starting in September, and then a college coach can watch the NCHSAA or NCISAA playoffs.
4. Jadyn Davis, QB, Charlotte Providence Day
119. Jonathan Paylor, WR, Burlington Cummings
139. Cayden Jones, OLB, Arden Christ School
181. Jordan Shipp, WR, Charlotte Providence Day
204. Alex Taylor, WR, Greensboro Grimsley
207. Micah Gilbert, WR, Charlotte Christian
211. Keenan Jackson, WR, Waxhaw Cuthbertson
I took some time with Rivals.com’s national recruiting analyst and rankings director Adam Friedman on the in-state players who got ranked. The Wolfpack have offered all but Gilbert and Jackson.
On Paylor: “He’s got great track speed and we love what he can do with the ball in his hands. What he can do on the defensive side of the ball, I almost had him as an ‘athlete.’ As a receiving prospect, he creates a lot of mismatches for the defense. That is probably where his ceiling is highest right now. We are looking forward to seeing him next spring to evaluation him and get a better handle on what kind of prospect he is.”
On Jones: “He certainly checks all the boxes from a measurables standpoint. I love what he is able to do on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker. I think that is where he projects. He can certainly fly around the field on film. The competition question [at Arden Christ School], certainly lingers. He is a well-coached player with a nose for the ball and presents mismatch problems for receivers, tight ends and running backs or anyone that comes at him.”
On Shipp: “We like Jordan Shipp’s ceiling. He has the measurables to impress and will have a great quarterback throwing him the ball this year [in Davis]. Hopefully, that will show us more with where he is at in his development. His measurables this early in the process warrant his ranking.”
On Taylor: “He’s a really smooth receiver. I’m excited to see him tested this spring outside the Greensboro area. He’ll be in a more controlled environment. He just seems to find ways to get open and uses his length to his advantage. He has very sure hands and does a good job of catching the ball away from his body. This spring is a big one for Alex Taylor.”
On Gilbert: “Given the track record of his family [full of college/NFL players], ranking him and taking a chance on him as a four-star this early in the process, I think is a good bet. It will be interesting to see this spring where his development is as well. He certainly has the measurables to turn into an overwhelming talent.”
On Jackson: “He’s kind of a guy I saw early on that I’m excited about watching what he can do on a big stage. He is a measurables guy that checks all the boxes. He doesn’t have a strong offense to play in in high school [at Cuthbertson]. I think once he’s able to have a quarterback that can throw him the ball and on target with their passes, like at Rivals camp, will be beneficial to Jackson and his platform.”
2. With Davis, this is rarified air for a North Carolina prep quarterback. The state has never had a five-star quarterback since Rivals.com started in 2002, with 14 in the four-star range.
Davis will be quarterbacking a team that has NC State junior target Chris Peal, plus Shipp and Goodwin in 2024 and lineman David Sanders in 2025. Providence Day also has a high major junior linebacker (maybe two), a junior defensive tackle, sophomore free safety and freshman cornerback. No other team in the state has nine high-major prospects.
Friedman said several areas already stand out for Davis.
“I think it is where he’s at in his development at such a young age,” Friedman said. “He can make all the throws, has really good mechanics and he sees the field well. He doesn’t blow you away with statistics from early on in his high school career.”
Friedman said Davis has lived in Georgia and South Carolina in the past, but could find a home back at Providence Day.
“What we can see from him early on is such a early development from him at quarterback. He has all the finer points. We’ll see how that looks this spring, summer and fall. He’s starting from a good place.”
Davis will try to top Chris Leak as the highest rated quarterback since 2002.
Leak was No. 26 in the country in the class of 2003 at Charlotte Independence High, and went to Florida.
Current NFL quarterbacks from North Carolina include Will Grier (Dallas Cowboys) and Daniel Jones (New York Giants). Jones was a walk-on at Duke coming out of Charlotte (N.C.) Latin.
Fifty-one quarterbacks were at least a Rivals.com three-star prospect since 2002, including NC State junior commit Lex Thomas of Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage. Others past NC State signees include Matt McKay (2017), Dylan Parham (2016), Jalan McClendon (2014), Brian Taylor (2011) and Tyler Brosius (2010), who were all three-star prospects.
Past ranked quarterbacks from North Carolina:
26. Chris Leak, Class of 2003, Charlotte Independence (Florida)
46. Will Grier, Class of 2014, Davidson Day (Florida/West Virginia)
60. Jonathan Crompton, Class of 2005, Waynesvile Tuscola Senior (Tennessee)
77. Austin Kendall, Class of 2016, Waxhaw Cuthbertson (Oklahoma/West Virginia/Louisiana Tech)
88. Christian LeMay, Class of 2011, Matthews Butler (Georgia/Jacksonville State)
111. Sam Howell, Class of 2019, Monroe Sun Valley (North Carolina)
147. Drake Maye, Class of 2021, Charlotte Myers Park (North Carolina)
247. Marquise Williams, Class of 2011, Charlotte Mallard Creek (North Carolina)
248. Connor Mitch, Class of 2013, Raleigh Wakefield (South Carolina/James Madison)
3. So who didn’t get ranked in 2024 that could be close in the future?
Charlotte Catholic tight end Jack Larsen, who NC State has offered, is the next one to consider for the rankings.
Larsen was offered by NC State on June 11 during camp, and he came back for the Syracuse at NCSU game Nov. 20. The 6-3, 215-pounder is up to 15 offers — NC State, Arkansas, Charlotte, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wake Forest.
Some of those schools went through coaching changes such as Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Florida and Duke.
“Larsen is the next guy and one of the highest ranked three stars out there,” Friedman said.
A trio of wide receivers are already high major targets — Providence Day’s Channing Goodwin, Greensboro Northwest Guilford’s Trenton Cloud and Grimsley’s Terrell Anderson.
Where is the beef in the rankings? The 2024 rankings show how hard it is for a sophomore offensive lineman is to get considered for the rankings. Their bodies are changing and some are in the process of either adding weight or losing weight. Twelve tackles were ranked, along with five guards and one center. That will be changing radically over the next two years. Not single 2024 offensive lineman from North Carolina has been offered that I know of.
South Carolina has a pair of gifted guys — Dorchester (S.C.) Woodland tackle Kam Pringle is at No. 16 and Dillon (S.C.) High tackle Josiah Thompson is at No. 183. Pringle is 6-7 and 305 pounds and Thompson is 6-7 and 286 pounds, so they are physically at a different level at a young age. Thompson has already been offered by the Wolfpack.
Finding some in-state offensive lineman in the class of 2024 will be a steady process.
The class of 2024 is about the wide receiver position at this early stage, which has been a theme since November. The rankings showed that with five getting ranked.
Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day sophomore quarterback Jadyn Davis is the headliner at No. 4 in the class, and NC State will have to strategically pick one game during the regular season to see the contingent of talent coach Chad Grier has this season. NCAA rules allow one regular season game starting in September, and then a college coach can watch the NCHSAA or NCISAA playoffs.
4. Jadyn Davis, QB, Charlotte Providence Day
119. Jonathan Paylor, WR, Burlington Cummings
139. Cayden Jones, OLB, Arden Christ School
181. Jordan Shipp, WR, Charlotte Providence Day
204. Alex Taylor, WR, Greensboro Grimsley
207. Micah Gilbert, WR, Charlotte Christian
211. Keenan Jackson, WR, Waxhaw Cuthbertson
I took some time with Rivals.com’s national recruiting analyst and rankings director Adam Friedman on the in-state players who got ranked. The Wolfpack have offered all but Gilbert and Jackson.
On Paylor: “He’s got great track speed and we love what he can do with the ball in his hands. What he can do on the defensive side of the ball, I almost had him as an ‘athlete.’ As a receiving prospect, he creates a lot of mismatches for the defense. That is probably where his ceiling is highest right now. We are looking forward to seeing him next spring to evaluation him and get a better handle on what kind of prospect he is.”
On Jones: “He certainly checks all the boxes from a measurables standpoint. I love what he is able to do on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker. I think that is where he projects. He can certainly fly around the field on film. The competition question [at Arden Christ School], certainly lingers. He is a well-coached player with a nose for the ball and presents mismatch problems for receivers, tight ends and running backs or anyone that comes at him.”
On Shipp: “We like Jordan Shipp’s ceiling. He has the measurables to impress and will have a great quarterback throwing him the ball this year [in Davis]. Hopefully, that will show us more with where he is at in his development. His measurables this early in the process warrant his ranking.”
On Taylor: “He’s a really smooth receiver. I’m excited to see him tested this spring outside the Greensboro area. He’ll be in a more controlled environment. He just seems to find ways to get open and uses his length to his advantage. He has very sure hands and does a good job of catching the ball away from his body. This spring is a big one for Alex Taylor.”
On Gilbert: “Given the track record of his family [full of college/NFL players], ranking him and taking a chance on him as a four-star this early in the process, I think is a good bet. It will be interesting to see this spring where his development is as well. He certainly has the measurables to turn into an overwhelming talent.”
On Jackson: “He’s kind of a guy I saw early on that I’m excited about watching what he can do on a big stage. He is a measurables guy that checks all the boxes. He doesn’t have a strong offense to play in in high school [at Cuthbertson]. I think once he’s able to have a quarterback that can throw him the ball and on target with their passes, like at Rivals camp, will be beneficial to Jackson and his platform.”
2. With Davis, this is rarified air for a North Carolina prep quarterback. The state has never had a five-star quarterback since Rivals.com started in 2002, with 14 in the four-star range.
Davis will be quarterbacking a team that has NC State junior target Chris Peal, plus Shipp and Goodwin in 2024 and lineman David Sanders in 2025. Providence Day also has a high major junior linebacker (maybe two), a junior defensive tackle, sophomore free safety and freshman cornerback. No other team in the state has nine high-major prospects.
Friedman said several areas already stand out for Davis.
“I think it is where he’s at in his development at such a young age,” Friedman said. “He can make all the throws, has really good mechanics and he sees the field well. He doesn’t blow you away with statistics from early on in his high school career.”
Friedman said Davis has lived in Georgia and South Carolina in the past, but could find a home back at Providence Day.
“What we can see from him early on is such a early development from him at quarterback. He has all the finer points. We’ll see how that looks this spring, summer and fall. He’s starting from a good place.”
Davis will try to top Chris Leak as the highest rated quarterback since 2002.
Leak was No. 26 in the country in the class of 2003 at Charlotte Independence High, and went to Florida.
Current NFL quarterbacks from North Carolina include Will Grier (Dallas Cowboys) and Daniel Jones (New York Giants). Jones was a walk-on at Duke coming out of Charlotte (N.C.) Latin.
Fifty-one quarterbacks were at least a Rivals.com three-star prospect since 2002, including NC State junior commit Lex Thomas of Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage. Others past NC State signees include Matt McKay (2017), Dylan Parham (2016), Jalan McClendon (2014), Brian Taylor (2011) and Tyler Brosius (2010), who were all three-star prospects.
Past ranked quarterbacks from North Carolina:
26. Chris Leak, Class of 2003, Charlotte Independence (Florida)
46. Will Grier, Class of 2014, Davidson Day (Florida/West Virginia)
60. Jonathan Crompton, Class of 2005, Waynesvile Tuscola Senior (Tennessee)
77. Austin Kendall, Class of 2016, Waxhaw Cuthbertson (Oklahoma/West Virginia/Louisiana Tech)
88. Christian LeMay, Class of 2011, Matthews Butler (Georgia/Jacksonville State)
111. Sam Howell, Class of 2019, Monroe Sun Valley (North Carolina)
147. Drake Maye, Class of 2021, Charlotte Myers Park (North Carolina)
247. Marquise Williams, Class of 2011, Charlotte Mallard Creek (North Carolina)
248. Connor Mitch, Class of 2013, Raleigh Wakefield (South Carolina/James Madison)
3. So who didn’t get ranked in 2024 that could be close in the future?
Charlotte Catholic tight end Jack Larsen, who NC State has offered, is the next one to consider for the rankings.
Larsen was offered by NC State on June 11 during camp, and he came back for the Syracuse at NCSU game Nov. 20. The 6-3, 215-pounder is up to 15 offers — NC State, Arkansas, Charlotte, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wake Forest.
Some of those schools went through coaching changes such as Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Florida and Duke.
“Larsen is the next guy and one of the highest ranked three stars out there,” Friedman said.
A trio of wide receivers are already high major targets — Providence Day’s Channing Goodwin, Greensboro Northwest Guilford’s Trenton Cloud and Grimsley’s Terrell Anderson.
Where is the beef in the rankings? The 2024 rankings show how hard it is for a sophomore offensive lineman is to get considered for the rankings. Their bodies are changing and some are in the process of either adding weight or losing weight. Twelve tackles were ranked, along with five guards and one center. That will be changing radically over the next two years. Not single 2024 offensive lineman from North Carolina has been offered that I know of.
South Carolina has a pair of gifted guys — Dorchester (S.C.) Woodland tackle Kam Pringle is at No. 16 and Dillon (S.C.) High tackle Josiah Thompson is at No. 183. Pringle is 6-7 and 305 pounds and Thompson is 6-7 and 286 pounds, so they are physically at a different level at a young age. Thompson has already been offered by the Wolfpack.
Finding some in-state offensive lineman in the class of 2024 will be a steady process.
