This is the first edition of The Wolfpacker’s mock class for NC State football recruiting in 2021.
We went with 23 players, going on the low end of our projected range of 23-25 likely recruits to be signed.
QB – Four-star Aaron McLaughlin, Alpharetta (Ga.) Denmark High
NC State did recently offer another quarterback (Kai Milner from Higley High in Gilbert, Ariz.), but we don’t think that’s indicative of anything with McLaughlin. If you had asked us last summer who we thought the quarterback for NC State would be in the 2021 class, we would have said McLaughlin. Now after a commitment and decommitment to and from Auburn later, ironically that’s still the case.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound McLaughlin threw for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
RB – Three-star Trevion Cooley, Knightdale (N.C.) High
In our top 50, we have Cooley projected for Duke, and indeed if he picked tomorrow we think Cooley would end up a Blue Devil. However, Duke has been known to start strong with in-state recruits only to fade. There are reasons to think that Cooley might end up staying reasonably close to home for college as well.
Cooley (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) ran 98 times for 959 yards and 14 touchdowns in eight games last year.
RB – Three-star Caleb McDowell, Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County High
We think NC State will take two running backs in this class, and the best odds right now line up with McDowell, partially because competition is not the stiffest (Purdue likely being biggest challenge). The speedy McDowell may be smaller than the typical running back recruit at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, but he’s a known playmaker that could play a number of positions in college.
WR – Three-star Jakolbe Baldwin, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High
While Baldwin has added a couple of offers (Michigan State and Vanderbilt) since committing to NC State, we don’t see those schools as severe threats to the Wolfpack. Baldwin (6-foot, 175 pounds) caught 34 passes for 687 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games as a junior.
WR – Four-star Micah Crowell, Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth High
Our projections have NC State targeting a bigger receiver for this final wideout spot in the class, and for now the nod goes to Crowell. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Crowell missed his junior season with a torn ACL, and that may have caused some colleges to back off. That does not appear to be the case with the Wolfpack, who have fairly consistently been ranked among Crowell’s top schools along with Wake Forest.
WR – Three-star Julian Gray, Huntersville (N.C.) Hopewell High
Gray has already committed to NC State and brings speed and production to the slot. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder caught 57 passes for 1,217 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, and he has been timed at under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
TE – Three-star Charlie Browder, Fletcher (N.C.) Christ School
Our early hunch is that Browder could be a Kentucky-NC State battle depending on who else gets involved. Browder plays his high school football in the state of North Carolina, and one of his teammates (cornerback Aydan White) signed with NC State last year. However, Browder is also a Tennessee native so the SEC nostalgia may be strong. Browder has been steadily adding offers as well.
The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder hauled in 20 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season.
TE – Three-star Gunnar Greenwald, Satellite Beach (Fla.) High
With each added offer to Greenwald (now has a dozen Power Five offers), you get a little more nervous about NC State’s chances, but the Wolfpack has done a lot right with the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder. Greenwald caught 43 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns last season.
OT – Three-star Andrew Canelas, Raleigh Leesville Road High
This is partially based on how we could envision the offensive tackle board shaking out for NC State and also how the options boil down for Canelas, a 6-foot-8, 300-pounder who has been by NC State repeatedly.
OT – Three-star Jaleel Davis, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High
He’s got a teammate in Baldwin who has already committed to NC State, and we could see the Pack getting a duo from one of the best teams in the state. Davis is a 6-foot-5, 300-pounder.
OL – Two-star Thornton Gentry, Chapin (S.C.) High
We don’t think every offensive lineman is going to be an offensive tackle even though that is the focal point up front. Gentry (6-foot-5, 290 pounds) probably projects as a guard/center in college.
OT – Three-star Colby Smith, Wentworth (N.C.) Rockingham County High
He grew up a UNC fan and the Heels have long been considered the top competition for Smith, but this is another recruitment where NC State has done a lot right. Tennessee is also a potential factor, but we have a hunch the driving distance is going to be a big selling point for the local schools over the Vols. The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder is one of the more underrated prospects in the state, in our opinion.
We went with 23 players, going on the low end of our projected range of 23-25 likely recruits to be signed.
QB – Four-star Aaron McLaughlin, Alpharetta (Ga.) Denmark High
NC State did recently offer another quarterback (Kai Milner from Higley High in Gilbert, Ariz.), but we don’t think that’s indicative of anything with McLaughlin. If you had asked us last summer who we thought the quarterback for NC State would be in the 2021 class, we would have said McLaughlin. Now after a commitment and decommitment to and from Auburn later, ironically that’s still the case.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound McLaughlin threw for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
RB – Three-star Trevion Cooley, Knightdale (N.C.) High
In our top 50, we have Cooley projected for Duke, and indeed if he picked tomorrow we think Cooley would end up a Blue Devil. However, Duke has been known to start strong with in-state recruits only to fade. There are reasons to think that Cooley might end up staying reasonably close to home for college as well.
Cooley (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) ran 98 times for 959 yards and 14 touchdowns in eight games last year.
RB – Three-star Caleb McDowell, Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County High
We think NC State will take two running backs in this class, and the best odds right now line up with McDowell, partially because competition is not the stiffest (Purdue likely being biggest challenge). The speedy McDowell may be smaller than the typical running back recruit at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, but he’s a known playmaker that could play a number of positions in college.
WR – Three-star Jakolbe Baldwin, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High
While Baldwin has added a couple of offers (Michigan State and Vanderbilt) since committing to NC State, we don’t see those schools as severe threats to the Wolfpack. Baldwin (6-foot, 175 pounds) caught 34 passes for 687 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games as a junior.
WR – Four-star Micah Crowell, Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth High
Our projections have NC State targeting a bigger receiver for this final wideout spot in the class, and for now the nod goes to Crowell. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Crowell missed his junior season with a torn ACL, and that may have caused some colleges to back off. That does not appear to be the case with the Wolfpack, who have fairly consistently been ranked among Crowell’s top schools along with Wake Forest.
WR – Three-star Julian Gray, Huntersville (N.C.) Hopewell High
Gray has already committed to NC State and brings speed and production to the slot. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder caught 57 passes for 1,217 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, and he has been timed at under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
TE – Three-star Charlie Browder, Fletcher (N.C.) Christ School
Our early hunch is that Browder could be a Kentucky-NC State battle depending on who else gets involved. Browder plays his high school football in the state of North Carolina, and one of his teammates (cornerback Aydan White) signed with NC State last year. However, Browder is also a Tennessee native so the SEC nostalgia may be strong. Browder has been steadily adding offers as well.
The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder hauled in 20 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season.
TE – Three-star Gunnar Greenwald, Satellite Beach (Fla.) High
With each added offer to Greenwald (now has a dozen Power Five offers), you get a little more nervous about NC State’s chances, but the Wolfpack has done a lot right with the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder. Greenwald caught 43 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns last season.
OT – Three-star Andrew Canelas, Raleigh Leesville Road High
This is partially based on how we could envision the offensive tackle board shaking out for NC State and also how the options boil down for Canelas, a 6-foot-8, 300-pounder who has been by NC State repeatedly.
OT – Three-star Jaleel Davis, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High
He’s got a teammate in Baldwin who has already committed to NC State, and we could see the Pack getting a duo from one of the best teams in the state. Davis is a 6-foot-5, 300-pounder.
OL – Two-star Thornton Gentry, Chapin (S.C.) High
We don’t think every offensive lineman is going to be an offensive tackle even though that is the focal point up front. Gentry (6-foot-5, 290 pounds) probably projects as a guard/center in college.
OT – Three-star Colby Smith, Wentworth (N.C.) Rockingham County High
He grew up a UNC fan and the Heels have long been considered the top competition for Smith, but this is another recruitment where NC State has done a lot right. Tennessee is also a potential factor, but we have a hunch the driving distance is going to be a big selling point for the local schools over the Vols. The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder is one of the more underrated prospects in the state, in our opinion.
