NC State is hosting defensive lineman Ibrahim Kante from Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, N.Y., on an official visit this weekend.
As we noted on the board previously this week, strong indications are that Kante is a good bet to commit to the Wolfpack while on his visit.
Prior to the NCSU offer this week, Kante had suggested that he would pick either Temple or NC State. Once he was offered, he switched a visit to Temple this weekend with the one to Raleigh. We learned this week he has two uncles that live in Raleigh.
Kante is technically being recruited as a defensive end, but the expectation is the 6-foot-5, 245-pound could also grow into a defensive tackle. Part of Kante’s intrigue is his 7-3 wingspan.
If Kante commits as projected, then recruiting will just about be done for the 2017 class. If past strategy holds, NC State will be looking for another defensive lineman (probably an end), hold a spot for offensive tackle Zalon’Tae Hillery, a soft commit to Miami from Brunswick (Ga.) Glynn Academy, and continue to look for a kicker.
As we noted on the board, Wofford grad transfer David Marvin may be hard to pull away from UNC given his family connections to the school (father played soccer and mother ran track), but he is visiting Georgia this weekend after seeing NC State and UNC last week.
As for the other defensive line spot, if the Pack decides to continue to pursue one, the only known targets we know about are Bobby Roundtree from Largo (Fla.) High and four-star Aaron Sterling from Stone Mountain (Ga.) Tucker High.
We are told both have personalities that make it tough to get a read on them, although conventional wisdom has held that South Carolina is a heavy favorite on Sterling, a one-time Alabama commit. Roundtree will visit Indiana the weekend of Jan. 27 and then wants to announce on signing day.
We have closed the book on the top prospects list for the year with the 2017 class given that so few known targets are on the board. That said, here is a bit of a glimpse looking ahead into the 2018 class.
NC State is currently projected to have 16 scholarship seniors in 2017. You usually add close to five to that number to get a feel for how many NCSU will take, which means the Pack heads into the recruiting cycle with a target number that could approach 20, a little larger than years past.
Quarterback: The most immediate attention will be on Greenville (N.C.) D.H. Conley’s Holton Ahlers, who would like to decide by the end of the month. It’s a battle between the chance to play power conference football at NCSU versus staying and being a hometown hero at East Carolina. NC State was once a heavy favorite, but it may now be too close to call. The other signal caller we are watching closely is four-star Dakereon Joyner from North Charleston (S.C.) Fort Dorchester, who for now, appears to be a South Carolina-NCSU battle.
Running back: Most of the names have been on the in-state backs, but one to watch is Christian Turner from Buford (Ga.) High. NC State participated in a satellite camp at Buford last year and has built a strong relationship with Turner. The same high school produced Wolfpack rising redshirt freshman defensive tackle Ben “Shug” Frazier, whom we are told is a popular figure in his hometown.
Receiver: After signing six receivers in the last two classes and having just one senior on the roster (Jumichael Ramos), we wonder if this will be a big priority in 2018.
Tight end: Similar to receiver. The plan was originally to bring in one tight end in 2017, but Adam Boselli ended up being too good for the coaches to pass up. Thus they have inked four tight ends now in the last two recruiting cycles.
Offensive line: From an in-state perspective, Avery Jones at Havelock (N.C.) High has long been on NC State’s radar. One out of state player to watch is Jake Kradel from Butler (Pa.) High. He has reported a State offer and came to a game this past fall for an unofficial visit. Syracuse has also offered him.
Look for NC State to recruit more tackle-type players under offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, who believes he can teach players to be interior linemen. However, there are exceptions like Charlotte (N.C.) Harding’s Jovaughn Gwyn, whom NC State and Wake Forest have offered.
Defensive end: NC State recently offered Joseph Boletepeli from Raleigh Millbrook, an intriguing athlete. With so many defensive linemen leaving on next year’s team, the Pack will be able to sell potential immediate playing time.
Defensive tackle: We suspect NC State will look to add at least a couple here, with as noted before, potential early playing time to sell. One early name to watch is Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day’s Elijah Brown. NC State and Wake Forest have offered. Landing Brown could be a good start to building what would be an important pipeline to Providence Day, which has several very promising young prospects set to emerge, notably in the 2020 class.
Linebacker: The Pack has done a good job at getting Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange High standout Payton Wilson on campus multiple times since last summer and expect him to continue being a top priority, but the competition will be strong there. After signing four in 2017, this could be similar to the receiver and tight end positions on offense.
Cornerback: Despite his early commitment to UNC, we are told recruiting is not done for D.J. Crossen from Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High. NC State will also make it a high priority to hold onto De’Von Graves from Appomattox (Va.) County High, who is getting heavy pressure form Virginia Tech after a breakout junior season. Keeping Graves in the fold will not be easy.
Safety: NC State is not signing any, it appears, in 2017 so look for at least a couple this time. Two local guys are Javon Terry from Wake Forest (N.C.) High and Nate Thompson from Sanford (N.C.) Southern Lee. Both have early NC State offers. Terry’s teammate, John Jiles, is an intriguing free safety.
As we noted on the board previously this week, strong indications are that Kante is a good bet to commit to the Wolfpack while on his visit.
Prior to the NCSU offer this week, Kante had suggested that he would pick either Temple or NC State. Once he was offered, he switched a visit to Temple this weekend with the one to Raleigh. We learned this week he has two uncles that live in Raleigh.
Kante is technically being recruited as a defensive end, but the expectation is the 6-foot-5, 245-pound could also grow into a defensive tackle. Part of Kante’s intrigue is his 7-3 wingspan.
If Kante commits as projected, then recruiting will just about be done for the 2017 class. If past strategy holds, NC State will be looking for another defensive lineman (probably an end), hold a spot for offensive tackle Zalon’Tae Hillery, a soft commit to Miami from Brunswick (Ga.) Glynn Academy, and continue to look for a kicker.
As we noted on the board, Wofford grad transfer David Marvin may be hard to pull away from UNC given his family connections to the school (father played soccer and mother ran track), but he is visiting Georgia this weekend after seeing NC State and UNC last week.
As for the other defensive line spot, if the Pack decides to continue to pursue one, the only known targets we know about are Bobby Roundtree from Largo (Fla.) High and four-star Aaron Sterling from Stone Mountain (Ga.) Tucker High.
We are told both have personalities that make it tough to get a read on them, although conventional wisdom has held that South Carolina is a heavy favorite on Sterling, a one-time Alabama commit. Roundtree will visit Indiana the weekend of Jan. 27 and then wants to announce on signing day.
•••
We have closed the book on the top prospects list for the year with the 2017 class given that so few known targets are on the board. That said, here is a bit of a glimpse looking ahead into the 2018 class.
NC State is currently projected to have 16 scholarship seniors in 2017. You usually add close to five to that number to get a feel for how many NCSU will take, which means the Pack heads into the recruiting cycle with a target number that could approach 20, a little larger than years past.
Quarterback: The most immediate attention will be on Greenville (N.C.) D.H. Conley’s Holton Ahlers, who would like to decide by the end of the month. It’s a battle between the chance to play power conference football at NCSU versus staying and being a hometown hero at East Carolina. NC State was once a heavy favorite, but it may now be too close to call. The other signal caller we are watching closely is four-star Dakereon Joyner from North Charleston (S.C.) Fort Dorchester, who for now, appears to be a South Carolina-NCSU battle.
Running back: Most of the names have been on the in-state backs, but one to watch is Christian Turner from Buford (Ga.) High. NC State participated in a satellite camp at Buford last year and has built a strong relationship with Turner. The same high school produced Wolfpack rising redshirt freshman defensive tackle Ben “Shug” Frazier, whom we are told is a popular figure in his hometown.
Receiver: After signing six receivers in the last two classes and having just one senior on the roster (Jumichael Ramos), we wonder if this will be a big priority in 2018.
Tight end: Similar to receiver. The plan was originally to bring in one tight end in 2017, but Adam Boselli ended up being too good for the coaches to pass up. Thus they have inked four tight ends now in the last two recruiting cycles.
Offensive line: From an in-state perspective, Avery Jones at Havelock (N.C.) High has long been on NC State’s radar. One out of state player to watch is Jake Kradel from Butler (Pa.) High. He has reported a State offer and came to a game this past fall for an unofficial visit. Syracuse has also offered him.
Look for NC State to recruit more tackle-type players under offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, who believes he can teach players to be interior linemen. However, there are exceptions like Charlotte (N.C.) Harding’s Jovaughn Gwyn, whom NC State and Wake Forest have offered.
Defensive end: NC State recently offered Joseph Boletepeli from Raleigh Millbrook, an intriguing athlete. With so many defensive linemen leaving on next year’s team, the Pack will be able to sell potential immediate playing time.
Defensive tackle: We suspect NC State will look to add at least a couple here, with as noted before, potential early playing time to sell. One early name to watch is Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day’s Elijah Brown. NC State and Wake Forest have offered. Landing Brown could be a good start to building what would be an important pipeline to Providence Day, which has several very promising young prospects set to emerge, notably in the 2020 class.
Linebacker: The Pack has done a good job at getting Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange High standout Payton Wilson on campus multiple times since last summer and expect him to continue being a top priority, but the competition will be strong there. After signing four in 2017, this could be similar to the receiver and tight end positions on offense.
Cornerback: Despite his early commitment to UNC, we are told recruiting is not done for D.J. Crossen from Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High. NC State will also make it a high priority to hold onto De’Von Graves from Appomattox (Va.) County High, who is getting heavy pressure form Virginia Tech after a breakout junior season. Keeping Graves in the fold will not be easy.
Safety: NC State is not signing any, it appears, in 2017 so look for at least a couple this time. Two local guys are Javon Terry from Wake Forest (N.C.) High and Nate Thompson from Sanford (N.C.) Southern Lee. Both have early NC State offers. Terry’s teammate, John Jiles, is an intriguing free safety.
