Practice is only a few days old, so not a ton of news has trickled out yet, especially since there have not been much work in full pads. The first scrimmage is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 15 with a second one slated a week later.
This is the portion of camp where players’ entire day can be devoted to the task at hand. School classes start Aug. 19, at which point the time with coaches and players become restricted. On Aug. 31, NC State will go into game week mode.
As camp starts, that typically coincides with a quieter time for recruiting. There are a few storylines though worth following over the next few months:
- Who will fill out the receiver class? We are told that NCSU would like to host four-star Greenville (N.C.) Rose High wideout Cornell Powell, a soft Clemson commit, for an official visit. He has one slot left open at the moment, and NCSU is aiming for Oct. 30 as a priority official visit weekend.
Ironically, that’s when the Pack hosts Clemson. It is also open on Powell’s schedule.
- For the time being, wide receiver remains the sole position of focus on offense, but we are told that the Pack is continuing to look at offensive linemen and may take one more there as well.
- Who will emerge at defensive line? That is the one position where the Pack is most likely to unearth some new names on the recruiting board. The preference up front is to have some length and height, especially at the end position.
NC State will obviously make room for five-star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence of Wake Forest (N.C.) High at any moment’s notice. Regardless of what Lawrence does, NCSU would like to have a defensive tackle in the class.
Kobe Smith of Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer High obviously backed out of his pledge from NC State to Kentucky. We were told by one insider familiar with Archer High that the school is, in essence, SEC all the way. There is also a thought that Smith continues to hope for a bigger SEC offer like Auburn.
- NC State looks done at linebacker, but again that situation is always fluid in recruiting.
- One corner and one safety is still desired in this class, but there are three names that NC State are sitting in a decent spot with: Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola corner Carlos Becker, Kissimmee (Fla.) Gateway CB/S Henry Miller and Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford High safety Isaiah Stallings.
Our current understanding is that NC State would make room for all three should they want to come to Raleigh, and that’s not an inconceivable notion. Becker is expected to officially visit NCSU on Oct. 30.
Coming out of visits to NC State and Tennessee, there was a suspicion by multiple sources that five-star junior quarterback Hunter Johnson was within days of making his decision. Those visits were over the weekend of July 24, and it’s obviously been now approaching two weeks since then.
The vibe we get is that local forces are pushing the Notre Dame angle on Johnson, and he plans to take an unofficial visit there Aug. 15.
How is NC State hanging around here? The answer is offensive coordinator Matt Canada. He has a good relationship with Johnson’s father, and has been able to develop a good rapport with the quarterback himself.
This is the portion of camp where players’ entire day can be devoted to the task at hand. School classes start Aug. 19, at which point the time with coaches and players become restricted. On Aug. 31, NC State will go into game week mode.
***
As camp starts, that typically coincides with a quieter time for recruiting. There are a few storylines though worth following over the next few months:
- Who will fill out the receiver class? We are told that NCSU would like to host four-star Greenville (N.C.) Rose High wideout Cornell Powell, a soft Clemson commit, for an official visit. He has one slot left open at the moment, and NCSU is aiming for Oct. 30 as a priority official visit weekend.
Ironically, that’s when the Pack hosts Clemson. It is also open on Powell’s schedule.
- For the time being, wide receiver remains the sole position of focus on offense, but we are told that the Pack is continuing to look at offensive linemen and may take one more there as well.
- Who will emerge at defensive line? That is the one position where the Pack is most likely to unearth some new names on the recruiting board. The preference up front is to have some length and height, especially at the end position.
NC State will obviously make room for five-star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence of Wake Forest (N.C.) High at any moment’s notice. Regardless of what Lawrence does, NCSU would like to have a defensive tackle in the class.
Kobe Smith of Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer High obviously backed out of his pledge from NC State to Kentucky. We were told by one insider familiar with Archer High that the school is, in essence, SEC all the way. There is also a thought that Smith continues to hope for a bigger SEC offer like Auburn.
- NC State looks done at linebacker, but again that situation is always fluid in recruiting.
- One corner and one safety is still desired in this class, but there are three names that NC State are sitting in a decent spot with: Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola corner Carlos Becker, Kissimmee (Fla.) Gateway CB/S Henry Miller and Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford High safety Isaiah Stallings.
Our current understanding is that NC State would make room for all three should they want to come to Raleigh, and that’s not an inconceivable notion. Becker is expected to officially visit NCSU on Oct. 30.
***
Coming out of visits to NC State and Tennessee, there was a suspicion by multiple sources that five-star junior quarterback Hunter Johnson was within days of making his decision. Those visits were over the weekend of July 24, and it’s obviously been now approaching two weeks since then.
The vibe we get is that local forces are pushing the Notre Dame angle on Johnson, and he plans to take an unofficial visit there Aug. 15.
How is NC State hanging around here? The answer is offensive coordinator Matt Canada. He has a good relationship with Johnson’s father, and has been able to develop a good rapport with the quarterback himself.
