Here are some updates and thoughts with a week before signing day (Dec. 18):
Momentum seems to be on NC State’s side. Even Kentucky insiders have gone from thinking that Adams was a solid Wildcats lean to now believing that it could be a 50-50 battle with NC State. UK has already had an in-home with Adams this week, and NC State's is expected shortly.
Adams will announce his decision on Dec. 18. The Wildcats, like NC State, seem intent on adding one more offensive lineman in its class. It is hosting touted junior college prospect Jeremy Flax on an official visit this weekend. Flax is considered an Auburn lean, however.
NC State, by the way, has been exploring junior college players on the offensive line as well, which we mentioned in a previous War Room (along with looking at JC defensive backs, which turned out to be Justin Harrington - more on him later). The Pack has also explored at least one junior college defensive end, but that has not progressed yet.
It’s disconcerting when a commitment takes a visit to a school (Nebraska) and then proceeds to seemingly bring the entire family for that school’s in-home visit after the official visit follow-up.
The good news is NC State is scheduled to have Payne in for an official visit this weekend, and it’s not entirely clear that Nebraska is ready to sign Payne next week. There are some indications that the Cornhuskers would prefer Payne wait until February. There might be something to that as head coach Scott Frost may not have been on Payne's in-home, and the dead period starts next Monday (after his NC State visit).
Payne has some importance for NC State. As we noted before, under the 3-3-5 formation, it is essentially an end, a nose and a three-technique defensive tackle (if we understand it correctly). Payne and incoming freshman Davin Vann are well-suited for the three-technique position, probably more-so Vann as he gets stronger. As is redshirted freshman C.J. Clark, provided he gets and stays healthy.
Otherwise the roster might be a little thin there, although it’s possible that redshirt sophomore Ibrahim Kante, who has some experience playing three technique in the 4-man front, and freshman Savion Jackson, who is a bigger defensive end in the 260-270-pound range, could fit there, too.
Nose tackle is another position which we think will get a strong look going forward. NC State returns Val Martin and Alim McNeill from that position from a year ago and adds Joshua Harris, who redshirted. That’s all it has however, and Martin and Harris both missed time last year with injuries. Martin will also be a senior next year. We mentioned previously how Luis Medina from Chattooga High in Summerville, Ga. as a possible candidate on that front.
There is also at least one prospect committed to another school that is a possibility.
Logic would indicate NC State should be in a good position here, but it’s going to depend probably on if Pierre-Louis will sign in a week or not. If he does, he almost certainly is picking NC State. If not, then he is probably keeping the door open for other colleges. He has picked up offers from Central Florida, Louisville and UAB in the fall, but there are no indications Pierre-Louis will be visiting any of those schools this weekend, and as we noted above the dead period starts Monday.
Incidentally, if Pierre-Louis does end up at NC State, he would be the third sure-fire sub-4.5 second 40-yard dash player in the class, joining receivers Anthony Smith and Chris Scott. It’s also possible that defensive back pledges Devan Boykin and Aydan White and receiver commit Jalen Coit could fall into that category, making this one of the faster group of skill players to sign with NC State in a while.
We have picked up a sense that Harrington is legitimately intrigued by returning to Raleigh to play for the hometown school, but the pull of playing for a perennial college football playoffs contender in Oklahoma is, at the moment, probably stronger.
So the question is there a way NC State can get around the Sooners? Oklahoma does have a couple of top defensive back targets in the high school ranks that it appears to be in good shape with, but we have not heard any indications that it would affect their pursuit of Harrington.
He is supposed to visit Oklahoma State this weekend, which we suspect has no love lost for Oklahoma. Perhaps the Cowboys can help NC State muddy up the waters for the Sooners?
It has nothing to do with next week's signing day, but it’s interesting how McLaughlin made an unofficial visit to NC State during the fall despite his commitment to Auburn. It is our belief that the Pack was runner-up to the Tigers last summer, with Arkansas also strongly in the mix.
Well, offensive coordinator Chad Morris was hired by Auburn this week. Why is that significant? Morris had a good relationship with McLaughlin, presumably, when Morris was head coach at Arkansas. However, Morris’ son Chandler is a well-regarded dual-threat QB in the 2020 class.
Auburn is known to seek two QB signees in the 2020 class. It has one already and for a while has been trying to make inroads on UNC commit Jacoby Criswell, but there does not seem to be much traction on Criswell. Chandler Morris was committed to Arkansas before his father’s firing. Would he now be likely to end up at Auburn? And if so, does that influence McLaughlin?
Momentum seems to be on NC State’s side. Even Kentucky insiders have gone from thinking that Adams was a solid Wildcats lean to now believing that it could be a 50-50 battle with NC State. UK has already had an in-home with Adams this week, and NC State's is expected shortly.
Adams will announce his decision on Dec. 18. The Wildcats, like NC State, seem intent on adding one more offensive lineman in its class. It is hosting touted junior college prospect Jeremy Flax on an official visit this weekend. Flax is considered an Auburn lean, however.
NC State, by the way, has been exploring junior college players on the offensive line as well, which we mentioned in a previous War Room (along with looking at JC defensive backs, which turned out to be Justin Harrington - more on him later). The Pack has also explored at least one junior college defensive end, but that has not progressed yet.
It’s disconcerting when a commitment takes a visit to a school (Nebraska) and then proceeds to seemingly bring the entire family for that school’s in-home visit after the official visit follow-up.
The good news is NC State is scheduled to have Payne in for an official visit this weekend, and it’s not entirely clear that Nebraska is ready to sign Payne next week. There are some indications that the Cornhuskers would prefer Payne wait until February. There might be something to that as head coach Scott Frost may not have been on Payne's in-home, and the dead period starts next Monday (after his NC State visit).
Payne has some importance for NC State. As we noted before, under the 3-3-5 formation, it is essentially an end, a nose and a three-technique defensive tackle (if we understand it correctly). Payne and incoming freshman Davin Vann are well-suited for the three-technique position, probably more-so Vann as he gets stronger. As is redshirted freshman C.J. Clark, provided he gets and stays healthy.
Otherwise the roster might be a little thin there, although it’s possible that redshirt sophomore Ibrahim Kante, who has some experience playing three technique in the 4-man front, and freshman Savion Jackson, who is a bigger defensive end in the 260-270-pound range, could fit there, too.
Nose tackle is another position which we think will get a strong look going forward. NC State returns Val Martin and Alim McNeill from that position from a year ago and adds Joshua Harris, who redshirted. That’s all it has however, and Martin and Harris both missed time last year with injuries. Martin will also be a senior next year. We mentioned previously how Luis Medina from Chattooga High in Summerville, Ga. as a possible candidate on that front.
There is also at least one prospect committed to another school that is a possibility.
Logic would indicate NC State should be in a good position here, but it’s going to depend probably on if Pierre-Louis will sign in a week or not. If he does, he almost certainly is picking NC State. If not, then he is probably keeping the door open for other colleges. He has picked up offers from Central Florida, Louisville and UAB in the fall, but there are no indications Pierre-Louis will be visiting any of those schools this weekend, and as we noted above the dead period starts Monday.
Incidentally, if Pierre-Louis does end up at NC State, he would be the third sure-fire sub-4.5 second 40-yard dash player in the class, joining receivers Anthony Smith and Chris Scott. It’s also possible that defensive back pledges Devan Boykin and Aydan White and receiver commit Jalen Coit could fall into that category, making this one of the faster group of skill players to sign with NC State in a while.
We have picked up a sense that Harrington is legitimately intrigued by returning to Raleigh to play for the hometown school, but the pull of playing for a perennial college football playoffs contender in Oklahoma is, at the moment, probably stronger.
So the question is there a way NC State can get around the Sooners? Oklahoma does have a couple of top defensive back targets in the high school ranks that it appears to be in good shape with, but we have not heard any indications that it would affect their pursuit of Harrington.
He is supposed to visit Oklahoma State this weekend, which we suspect has no love lost for Oklahoma. Perhaps the Cowboys can help NC State muddy up the waters for the Sooners?
It has nothing to do with next week's signing day, but it’s interesting how McLaughlin made an unofficial visit to NC State during the fall despite his commitment to Auburn. It is our belief that the Pack was runner-up to the Tigers last summer, with Arkansas also strongly in the mix.
Well, offensive coordinator Chad Morris was hired by Auburn this week. Why is that significant? Morris had a good relationship with McLaughlin, presumably, when Morris was head coach at Arkansas. However, Morris’ son Chandler is a well-regarded dual-threat QB in the 2020 class.
Auburn is known to seek two QB signees in the 2020 class. It has one already and for a while has been trying to make inroads on UNC commit Jacoby Criswell, but there does not seem to be much traction on Criswell. Chandler Morris was committed to Arkansas before his father’s firing. Would he now be likely to end up at Auburn? And if so, does that influence McLaughlin?
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