This is the third edition of The Wolfpacker’s mock class for NC State football recruiting in 2021.
In the first mock class we had 23 signees, and then in the second we had 24. This time we went with 23 players, on the low side of our projected range of 23-25 likely recruits to be signed. On offense, we are currently projecting 11 players, down from 12 in the last mock class.
QB – Four-star Aaron McLaughlin, Alpharetta (Ga.) Denmark High
McLaughlin made us look good in our last mock class when he projected him to be int. He made a verbal commitment to NC State in May. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound McLaughlin threw for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
RB – Two-star Demie Sumo, Willingboro (N.J.) High
In the last mock class, we had two running backs with Caleb McDowell joining Sumo, but since then McDowell has flipped his pledge to South Carolina. This mock class we are going with one running back. Sumo is a do-it-all 6-foot, 200-pounder. In 12 games as a junior, Sumo carries 65 times for 648 yards, averaging almost 10.0 yards per rush, and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes for 430 yards and eight scores. He averaged 24.8 yards on eight kickoff returns, running one back the distance.
Defensively he had 53 tackles, including 5.5 for loss. He picked off two passes (including a pick six), recovered two fumbles and forced four loose balls.
NC State is Sumo’s lone Power Five offer with mid-majors Temple, Northern Illinois and Buffalo also chasing.
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
Crowell is another player that we had in our last mock class that proved to be smart after he committed to NC State in June.
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. As a sophomore, Crowell caught 25 passes for 511 yards and seven scores on a state-title winning team.
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. Gray is a lifelong Wolfpack fan (so he claims, at least).
TE – Three-star Charlie Browder, Fletcher (N.C.) Christ School
Tight end is a very tricky position to predict. The Seabrough twins Cedric and Fredrick are potential options here, but for now we are going with another pair, including Browder who we had in our last mock class.
Browder is a Tennessee native who 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.
The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder hauled in 20 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season. He has nine other Power Five offers.
TE — William Ford, St. Paul’s (N.C.) High
It’s always fun to take a chance at guessing at a prospect from left field. Ford fits some of what we know NC State is looking for in a tight end in this class, notably a high-twitch athlete. Ford is a 6-foot-3 target who has gotten bigger and now checks in around 215 pounds. Last year as a junior he caught 17 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns and even returned a kickoff 79 yards for a score. Thus far he has accumulated a lengthy list of mid-majors like Akron, FAU, Liberty, Old Dominion, UAB and Western Kentucky, among others. But Ford is on NC State’s radar.
OL – Three-star offensive lineman Lyndon Cooper, Carrollton (Ga.) High
Last class we had Zeek Biggers as one of five offensive linemen in the class. We’ve made a few changes, going with four linemen in this edition and dropping Biggers, who picked Georgia Tech to play defensive line, and three-star Diego Pounds from Millbrook High in Raleigh. (NC State still very much in the picture with Pounds, we should note.)
Joining the mock class if Cooper, a 6-foot-3, 315-pounder who was offered in late-May and made a virtual visit last weekend.
OT – Three-star Jaleel Davis, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High
The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder committed to NC State in May. He was included in our previous mock class.
OL – Two-star Thornton Gentry, Chapin (S.C.) High
Like Davis, Gentry was a player we had in our last mock class that made us look good by picking NC State since.
OL — Three-star Yousef Mugharbil, Murphy (N.C.) High
It will not be easy to land the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder, but Mugharbil has developed a strong relationship with NC State offensive line coach John Garrison, which is helping the Pack’s cause. Mugharbil was also in our last mock class.
In the first mock class we had 23 signees, and then in the second we had 24. This time we went with 23 players, on the low side of our projected range of 23-25 likely recruits to be signed. On offense, we are currently projecting 11 players, down from 12 in the last mock class.
QB – Four-star Aaron McLaughlin, Alpharetta (Ga.) Denmark High
McLaughlin made us look good in our last mock class when he projected him to be int. He made a verbal commitment to NC State in May. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound McLaughlin threw for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
RB – Two-star Demie Sumo, Willingboro (N.J.) High
In the last mock class, we had two running backs with Caleb McDowell joining Sumo, but since then McDowell has flipped his pledge to South Carolina. This mock class we are going with one running back. Sumo is a do-it-all 6-foot, 200-pounder. In 12 games as a junior, Sumo carries 65 times for 648 yards, averaging almost 10.0 yards per rush, and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes for 430 yards and eight scores. He averaged 24.8 yards on eight kickoff returns, running one back the distance.
Defensively he had 53 tackles, including 5.5 for loss. He picked off two passes (including a pick six), recovered two fumbles and forced four loose balls.
NC State is Sumo’s lone Power Five offer with mid-majors Temple, Northern Illinois and Buffalo also chasing.
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
Crowell is another player that we had in our last mock class that proved to be smart after he committed to NC State in June.
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. As a sophomore, Crowell caught 25 passes for 511 yards and seven scores on a state-title winning team.
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. Gray is a lifelong Wolfpack fan (so he claims, at least).
TE – Three-star Charlie Browder, Fletcher (N.C.) Christ School
Tight end is a very tricky position to predict. The Seabrough twins Cedric and Fredrick are potential options here, but for now we are going with another pair, including Browder who we had in our last mock class.
Browder is a Tennessee native who 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.
The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder hauled in 20 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season. He has nine other Power Five offers.
TE — William Ford, St. Paul’s (N.C.) High
It’s always fun to take a chance at guessing at a prospect from left field. Ford fits some of what we know NC State is looking for in a tight end in this class, notably a high-twitch athlete. Ford is a 6-foot-3 target who has gotten bigger and now checks in around 215 pounds. Last year as a junior he caught 17 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns and even returned a kickoff 79 yards for a score. Thus far he has accumulated a lengthy list of mid-majors like Akron, FAU, Liberty, Old Dominion, UAB and Western Kentucky, among others. But Ford is on NC State’s radar.
OL – Three-star offensive lineman Lyndon Cooper, Carrollton (Ga.) High
Last class we had Zeek Biggers as one of five offensive linemen in the class. We’ve made a few changes, going with four linemen in this edition and dropping Biggers, who picked Georgia Tech to play defensive line, and three-star Diego Pounds from Millbrook High in Raleigh. (NC State still very much in the picture with Pounds, we should note.)
Joining the mock class if Cooper, a 6-foot-3, 315-pounder who was offered in late-May and made a virtual visit last weekend.
OT – Three-star Jaleel Davis, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County High
The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder committed to NC State in May. He was included in our previous mock class.
OL – Two-star Thornton Gentry, Chapin (S.C.) High
Like Davis, Gentry was a player we had in our last mock class that made us look good by picking NC State since.
OL — Three-star Yousef Mugharbil, Murphy (N.C.) High
It will not be easy to land the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder, but Mugharbil has developed a strong relationship with NC State offensive line coach John Garrison, which is helping the Pack’s cause. Mugharbil was also in our last mock class.
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