The verbal commitment last weekend of defensive end Joe Babros, who attends hometown Saddlebrook Community College in Mission Viejo, Calif., fills a need for the Wolfpack.
It’s no secret that starters Bradley Chubb and Kentavius Street will be leaving the end position after their senior season, and junior Darian Roseboro might have an eye on the NFL Draft if he plays well enough throughout the season, especially in light of the difficult news last Saturday of his father passing away.
That would leave redshirt sophomore James Smith-Williams as the most experience option, and even if Roseboro returns (which is probably more likely than not, but not a given), NC State still has question marks with the depth behind Smith-Williams and Roseboro.
Redshirt sophomore Tyrone Riley has not seen the field much at all this fall after getting some reps during his rookie season. NC State signed three defensive ends in the 2017 explicitly for the purpose of being better situated for the 2018 season, but one of them, Kevince Brown, has already been dismissed from the team. Of the three, Brown was most physically ready to play as well.
Redshirting freshmen Xavier Lyas and Ibrahim Kante were both developmental prospects, although the early returns from Lyas, based on scuttlebutt, have been pretty good. Both however need to get considerably stronger. Lyas has also been suspended this season, and likely won’t have a long rope moving forward.
Thus, sources we spoke with last week indicated that getting an older, more mature defensive end from the junior college ranks became a priority this fall, which explained the pursuit of Babros. Defensive line coach Kevin Patrick led the way on Babros, and that commitment really escalated in September after Babros’ first few games this season for Saddlebrook.
That game tape must have impressed college scouts, because Babros also picked up offers from Iowa State and North Texas around the same timeframe. Colorado State and Nevada had offered him over the summer.
At this point, we think NC State is down to one last spot for a defensive lineman, with the spotlight for the moment on Joseph Boletepeli from Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage, but the spot may not be held for him even though the staff feels that Boletepeli has tremendous upside.
We believe that defensive end Lance Turay from Irvington (N.J.) High will likely take an official visit to NC State with his teammate and committed three-star receiver Jasiah Provillon.
NC State could take two more defensive lineman if either Boletepeli or Turay were to beat three-star Alim McNeill to the punch, because McNeill will have a spot waiting on him regardless. McNeill is expected to officially visit NC State in December.
It is also a given that NC State will continue to pursue at least one more linebacker, and we learned that was a topic of planned discussion this week for the coaching staff. Four-star Eriq Gilyard from Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian has already officially visited NC State and is set to announce Oct. 22. He will see his other finalist, UCF, this weekend.
NC State has to decide if it is all in on Gilyard or does it want to see what three-star Keshon Artis from Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith might want to do after taking official visits to Virginia Tech (Oct. 28) and NC State (Nov. 5).
There is also the looming matter of four-star UNC commit Payton Wilson from Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange. Wilson has maintained communications and even reached out to schools in September, but at the moment it appears that NC State is the one that has moved farthest among those that could poach him away from Chapel Hill.
Wilson is expected to be an early grad so anything that happened would have to materialize in the next couple of months.
The wildcard is Fa’Najae Gotay from North Fort Myers (Fla.) High, a name that has long been on NC State’s recruiting board, but not a lot of information has been out on him.
With junior Riley Nicholson’s retirement from football, NC State is down to just five returning scholarship linebackers. A sixth for sure will be added. The space though is tight to add any more unless NCSU strikes out with the two offensive linemen and/or two defensive back prospects on the board.
On the offensive line, four-star Jovaughn Gwyn from Charlotte Harding and three-star Kahric Belle from North Miami Beach High lead the way. At defensive back, it is Gotay’s teammate, three-star Joe Wilkins from North Fort Myers and three-star Kendall Williamson from Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood High, who could be options.
With six more recruits expected to be signed, the layout appears to be one defensive lineman, one linebacker, one defensive back, one offensive lineman and best player available (McNeill holds that spot at the moment). That would leave one more spot, which could go for a linebacker, but may also be used for a defensive lineman (NC State probably could use another defensive tackle on the roster) or another best player available, which would make room for four-star defensive tackle Jordan Davis from Charlotte Mallard Creek.
It’s no secret that starters Bradley Chubb and Kentavius Street will be leaving the end position after their senior season, and junior Darian Roseboro might have an eye on the NFL Draft if he plays well enough throughout the season, especially in light of the difficult news last Saturday of his father passing away.
That would leave redshirt sophomore James Smith-Williams as the most experience option, and even if Roseboro returns (which is probably more likely than not, but not a given), NC State still has question marks with the depth behind Smith-Williams and Roseboro.
Redshirt sophomore Tyrone Riley has not seen the field much at all this fall after getting some reps during his rookie season. NC State signed three defensive ends in the 2017 explicitly for the purpose of being better situated for the 2018 season, but one of them, Kevince Brown, has already been dismissed from the team. Of the three, Brown was most physically ready to play as well.
Redshirting freshmen Xavier Lyas and Ibrahim Kante were both developmental prospects, although the early returns from Lyas, based on scuttlebutt, have been pretty good. Both however need to get considerably stronger. Lyas has also been suspended this season, and likely won’t have a long rope moving forward.
Thus, sources we spoke with last week indicated that getting an older, more mature defensive end from the junior college ranks became a priority this fall, which explained the pursuit of Babros. Defensive line coach Kevin Patrick led the way on Babros, and that commitment really escalated in September after Babros’ first few games this season for Saddlebrook.
That game tape must have impressed college scouts, because Babros also picked up offers from Iowa State and North Texas around the same timeframe. Colorado State and Nevada had offered him over the summer.
At this point, we think NC State is down to one last spot for a defensive lineman, with the spotlight for the moment on Joseph Boletepeli from Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage, but the spot may not be held for him even though the staff feels that Boletepeli has tremendous upside.
We believe that defensive end Lance Turay from Irvington (N.J.) High will likely take an official visit to NC State with his teammate and committed three-star receiver Jasiah Provillon.
NC State could take two more defensive lineman if either Boletepeli or Turay were to beat three-star Alim McNeill to the punch, because McNeill will have a spot waiting on him regardless. McNeill is expected to officially visit NC State in December.
•••
It is also a given that NC State will continue to pursue at least one more linebacker, and we learned that was a topic of planned discussion this week for the coaching staff. Four-star Eriq Gilyard from Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian has already officially visited NC State and is set to announce Oct. 22. He will see his other finalist, UCF, this weekend.
NC State has to decide if it is all in on Gilyard or does it want to see what three-star Keshon Artis from Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith might want to do after taking official visits to Virginia Tech (Oct. 28) and NC State (Nov. 5).
There is also the looming matter of four-star UNC commit Payton Wilson from Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange. Wilson has maintained communications and even reached out to schools in September, but at the moment it appears that NC State is the one that has moved farthest among those that could poach him away from Chapel Hill.
Wilson is expected to be an early grad so anything that happened would have to materialize in the next couple of months.
The wildcard is Fa’Najae Gotay from North Fort Myers (Fla.) High, a name that has long been on NC State’s recruiting board, but not a lot of information has been out on him.
With junior Riley Nicholson’s retirement from football, NC State is down to just five returning scholarship linebackers. A sixth for sure will be added. The space though is tight to add any more unless NCSU strikes out with the two offensive linemen and/or two defensive back prospects on the board.
On the offensive line, four-star Jovaughn Gwyn from Charlotte Harding and three-star Kahric Belle from North Miami Beach High lead the way. At defensive back, it is Gotay’s teammate, three-star Joe Wilkins from North Fort Myers and three-star Kendall Williamson from Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood High, who could be options.
With six more recruits expected to be signed, the layout appears to be one defensive lineman, one linebacker, one defensive back, one offensive lineman and best player available (McNeill holds that spot at the moment). That would leave one more spot, which could go for a linebacker, but may also be used for a defensive lineman (NC State probably could use another defensive tackle on the roster) or another best player available, which would make room for four-star defensive tackle Jordan Davis from Charlotte Mallard Creek.
Last edited:
