NC State is up to seven verbal commitments, and head coach Dave Doeren noted on signing day in February that the Pack will take a full class of 25 prospects. With that in mind, here is an updated (and full) mock class:
Quarterback Devin Leary, Sicklerville (N.J.) Timber Creek High: There was a lot of consternation last week when word got out that Penn State reached out to Leary. Although Leary never formally announced an offer from the Nittany Lions, some do believe that he got one. Nevertheless, as of this point, most indications are that NC State still has a solid commitment from Leary. One source thought the whole situation was overblown a bit and coming mainly from New Jersey/Penn State sources who assumed that Leary would jump at the chance to play for the Nittany Lions.
Running back/athlete Ricky Person, Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage High: Ever since committing for NC State, Person has been pretty active in recruiting for the Wolfpack.
Running back/athlete Trent Pennix, Raleigh Sanderson High: His commitment became official last week, and although the Pack is listing him as an athlete in the class for now we expect him to get his first shot at running back. For the time being, we believe that NCSU is content with going with the duo of Person and Pennix as the running back options in this class.
Receiver Devin Carter, Clayton (N.C.) High: Carter is somewhat like Pennix in that both were lifelong NC State fans who did not take long to jump on a Wolfpack offer.
Receiver Jasiah Provillon, Irvington (N.J.) High: We must admit, we would be mildly surprised if Provillon does not verbally commit to NC State when he comes down for an unofficial visit later this month.
Tight end Messiah Swinson, Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran High: We think Swinson essentially made up his mind on NC State earlier in the spring when he visited unofficially and was offered. A repeat trip could seal the deal with him.
H-back Daevon Robinson, Medford (N.J.) Shawnee High: We understand that the Pack is looking to bring in just one tight end in the class, but the follow-up question that we don’t know the answer to yet is would an H-back qualify as a tight end or is that separate? If it is separate, we could see Robinson taking that H-back spot. The Pack may make room for him regardless.
Offensive tackle Gabriel Gonzalez, Mebane (N.C.) Eastern Alamance High: The question could be will Gonzalez get a UNC offer this weekend after their “Freak Show” showcase event? There are some who believe that he covets a UNC offer and would jump on it. The Heels under Larry Fedora have been reluctant to recruit in-state talent outside of the no-brainers and are often late in offering some good players as a result. Would that cost them with Gonzalez if they do eventually offer?
Offensive tackle Kahric Belle, North Miami Beach (Fla.) High: The fact that he and his coaches made the long drive speaks volumes about the interest level he has in NC State. A lot will depend on how hard Florida pushes.
Offensive guard Jovaughn Gwyn, Charlotte (N.C.) Harding High: Gwyn is an example of what we talked about earlier with Gonzalez. UNC probably could have had him earlier in the process with an offer since we understand he grew up a bit of a UNC fan, but their late offer was NCSU’s gain as the Pack was the first to offer. Duke and South Carolina offer the stiffest competition. NC State would love for Gwyn to make his decision sooner rather than later.
Defensive end Joseph Boletepeli, Raleigh Millbrook High: He's yet another UNC offer that did not come until well after others. A few sources at NC State have long felt that Boletepeli was a solid NC State lean, but he is also a patient recruit that is going to be wiling to let the recruiting process play out.
Defensive end Devin Hayes, Orlando (Fla.) Jones: Hayes tweeted he would be making a decision soon, and word is he’s on his way to Raleigh for a camp this weekend.
Defensive end Lancine Turay, Irvington (N.J.) High: This is a bit of a reach at this point, but given how well NC State has recruited in the New Jersey/New York region the past few years we could see the momentum carrying towards Turay as well.
Defensive lineman Alim McNeill, Raleigh Sanderson High: This looks like a NC State/UNC battle at the moment, and McNeill is the type that probably has all sides feeling good about their chances. We know this: he is good friends with Pennix and he is not shy about expressing his love for the Pack on twitter.
Defensive tackle Elijiah Brown, Charlotte Providence Day: His recruitment has played out somewhat quietly lately so it’s hard to get a full read on where he stands, and we do not discount Wake Forest with this recruitment.
Defensive tackle Jordan Davis, Charlotte Mallard Creek: It would not be a NC State recruiting class without a Mallard Creek prospect in it. Multiple people we talked with earlier in the spring felt really good about NC State’s chances with Davis.
Linebacker Braelen Oliver, Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County High: We have been trading texts with him since his visits and will hopefully have an interview with him over the weekend, but there are some who believe that Oliver is a NC State lean at the moment.
Linebacker Eriq Gilyard, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity: We expect NC State to target two linebackers in this class, and we know that they covet Alan Tisdale at Greensboro (N.C.) Page, but we suspect Tisdale is Virginia Tech bound.
Cornerback De’Von Graves, Appomattox (Va.) County High: While some on the boards may have been skeptical, we do believe his recent re-affirmation of his commitment to NC State was sincere and satisfied the coaches.
Cornerback Derek Gainous, Miami (Fla.) Senior High: This is one that NC State could land quickly if/when he visits.
Cornerback Jamari Brown, Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely High: He reportedly had a very good visit to NC State recently, and the Pack has offered. Louisville could be a threat, but the Cards also have a tendency to throw out offers and figure it out later.
Safety Malik Dunlap, Charlotte Harding High: There are some in Charlotte who think with a healthy season Dunlap’s stock could blow up.
Safety Cameron Jonas, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Dwyer High: As we noted last week in the War Room, it appears that Jonas’ recruitment is trending in a nice direction for the Pack. The question will be how patient will Jonas be?
Safety Nate Thompson, Sanford (N.C.) Southern Lee High: Probably a reach on our part because Duke appears to be the favorite here, but we think NCSU’s persistence could get rewarded in the end.
Kicker Chris Dunn, Lexington (N.C.) North Davidson High: Long-time Pack commitment could enroll early.
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It is also worth noting that Tennessee sophomore safety transfer Stephen Griffin is a good possibility for the Wolfpack. We understand that Griffin and NCSU are making sure he can clear admissions at this point. The 6-2, 205-pound Charlotte native would have three seasons to play two.
We would also not rule out a punter to groom to replace A.J. Cole, who will be a senior next fall.
Quarterback Devin Leary, Sicklerville (N.J.) Timber Creek High: There was a lot of consternation last week when word got out that Penn State reached out to Leary. Although Leary never formally announced an offer from the Nittany Lions, some do believe that he got one. Nevertheless, as of this point, most indications are that NC State still has a solid commitment from Leary. One source thought the whole situation was overblown a bit and coming mainly from New Jersey/Penn State sources who assumed that Leary would jump at the chance to play for the Nittany Lions.
Running back/athlete Ricky Person, Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage High: Ever since committing for NC State, Person has been pretty active in recruiting for the Wolfpack.
Running back/athlete Trent Pennix, Raleigh Sanderson High: His commitment became official last week, and although the Pack is listing him as an athlete in the class for now we expect him to get his first shot at running back. For the time being, we believe that NCSU is content with going with the duo of Person and Pennix as the running back options in this class.
Receiver Devin Carter, Clayton (N.C.) High: Carter is somewhat like Pennix in that both were lifelong NC State fans who did not take long to jump on a Wolfpack offer.
Receiver Jasiah Provillon, Irvington (N.J.) High: We must admit, we would be mildly surprised if Provillon does not verbally commit to NC State when he comes down for an unofficial visit later this month.
Tight end Messiah Swinson, Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran High: We think Swinson essentially made up his mind on NC State earlier in the spring when he visited unofficially and was offered. A repeat trip could seal the deal with him.
H-back Daevon Robinson, Medford (N.J.) Shawnee High: We understand that the Pack is looking to bring in just one tight end in the class, but the follow-up question that we don’t know the answer to yet is would an H-back qualify as a tight end or is that separate? If it is separate, we could see Robinson taking that H-back spot. The Pack may make room for him regardless.
Offensive tackle Gabriel Gonzalez, Mebane (N.C.) Eastern Alamance High: The question could be will Gonzalez get a UNC offer this weekend after their “Freak Show” showcase event? There are some who believe that he covets a UNC offer and would jump on it. The Heels under Larry Fedora have been reluctant to recruit in-state talent outside of the no-brainers and are often late in offering some good players as a result. Would that cost them with Gonzalez if they do eventually offer?
Offensive tackle Kahric Belle, North Miami Beach (Fla.) High: The fact that he and his coaches made the long drive speaks volumes about the interest level he has in NC State. A lot will depend on how hard Florida pushes.
Offensive guard Jovaughn Gwyn, Charlotte (N.C.) Harding High: Gwyn is an example of what we talked about earlier with Gonzalez. UNC probably could have had him earlier in the process with an offer since we understand he grew up a bit of a UNC fan, but their late offer was NCSU’s gain as the Pack was the first to offer. Duke and South Carolina offer the stiffest competition. NC State would love for Gwyn to make his decision sooner rather than later.
Defensive end Joseph Boletepeli, Raleigh Millbrook High: He's yet another UNC offer that did not come until well after others. A few sources at NC State have long felt that Boletepeli was a solid NC State lean, but he is also a patient recruit that is going to be wiling to let the recruiting process play out.
Defensive end Devin Hayes, Orlando (Fla.) Jones: Hayes tweeted he would be making a decision soon, and word is he’s on his way to Raleigh for a camp this weekend.
Defensive end Lancine Turay, Irvington (N.J.) High: This is a bit of a reach at this point, but given how well NC State has recruited in the New Jersey/New York region the past few years we could see the momentum carrying towards Turay as well.
Defensive lineman Alim McNeill, Raleigh Sanderson High: This looks like a NC State/UNC battle at the moment, and McNeill is the type that probably has all sides feeling good about their chances. We know this: he is good friends with Pennix and he is not shy about expressing his love for the Pack on twitter.
Defensive tackle Elijiah Brown, Charlotte Providence Day: His recruitment has played out somewhat quietly lately so it’s hard to get a full read on where he stands, and we do not discount Wake Forest with this recruitment.
Defensive tackle Jordan Davis, Charlotte Mallard Creek: It would not be a NC State recruiting class without a Mallard Creek prospect in it. Multiple people we talked with earlier in the spring felt really good about NC State’s chances with Davis.
Linebacker Braelen Oliver, Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County High: We have been trading texts with him since his visits and will hopefully have an interview with him over the weekend, but there are some who believe that Oliver is a NC State lean at the moment.
Linebacker Eriq Gilyard, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity: We expect NC State to target two linebackers in this class, and we know that they covet Alan Tisdale at Greensboro (N.C.) Page, but we suspect Tisdale is Virginia Tech bound.
Cornerback De’Von Graves, Appomattox (Va.) County High: While some on the boards may have been skeptical, we do believe his recent re-affirmation of his commitment to NC State was sincere and satisfied the coaches.
Cornerback Derek Gainous, Miami (Fla.) Senior High: This is one that NC State could land quickly if/when he visits.
Cornerback Jamari Brown, Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely High: He reportedly had a very good visit to NC State recently, and the Pack has offered. Louisville could be a threat, but the Cards also have a tendency to throw out offers and figure it out later.
Safety Malik Dunlap, Charlotte Harding High: There are some in Charlotte who think with a healthy season Dunlap’s stock could blow up.
Safety Cameron Jonas, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Dwyer High: As we noted last week in the War Room, it appears that Jonas’ recruitment is trending in a nice direction for the Pack. The question will be how patient will Jonas be?
Safety Nate Thompson, Sanford (N.C.) Southern Lee High: Probably a reach on our part because Duke appears to be the favorite here, but we think NCSU’s persistence could get rewarded in the end.
Kicker Chris Dunn, Lexington (N.C.) North Davidson High: Long-time Pack commitment could enroll early.
***
It is also worth noting that Tennessee sophomore safety transfer Stephen Griffin is a good possibility for the Wolfpack. We understand that Griffin and NCSU are making sure he can clear admissions at this point. The 6-2, 205-pound Charlotte native would have three seasons to play two.
We would also not rule out a punter to groom to replace A.J. Cole, who will be a senior next fall.
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