NC State has verbal commitments from:
Tight end Dylan Autenrieth, Dallas (Ga.) North Paulding High
Offensive lineman Kollin Byers, Shelby (N.C.) Crest High
Offensive tackle Justin Chase, Chesapeake (Va.) Great Bridge High
Athlete Bryce Dixon, Cary (N.C.) Green Hope High
Offensive lineman Bryce Folsom, Alpharetta (Ga.) Chattahoochee High
Defensive tackle Ben Frazier, Buford (Ga.) High
Guard/center Harrison Gee, Burlington (N.C.) Williams High
Safety Tim Glass, Danville (Va.) Lynchburg Liberty Christian Academy
Linebacker Garrett Hooker, Thomasville (N.C.) Ledford High
Linebacker Brock Miller, Ft. Pierce (Fla.) John Carroll High
Quarterback Dylan Parham, Southeast Raleigh High
Wide receiver C.J. Riley, Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep
Guard/center Joe Sculthorpe, Hampstead (N.C.) Topsail High
Safety Isaiah Stallings, Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford High
Wide receiver Daeshawn Stephens, Durham (N.C.) Hillside High
Cornerback James Valdez, Orangeburg (S.C.) Wilkinson High
Offensive tackle Justin Witt, New Lenox (Ill.) Lincoln-Way West High
Here is a list of the top 15 prospects on NC State’s recruiting board in order of our opinion of the likelihood that NC State will land the recruit.
It does not reflect the opinion of NC State’s football staff and is for discussion purposes only.
1. Wide receiver Chavis Dawkins, Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes High
We were told that NC State running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Des Kitchings was at Byrnes High this week. The big question is what is Dawkins waiting for? His senior season ended last Friday. Could it be a South Carolina offer? There were sign this week that the Gamecocks are at a minimum sniffing around. It will be something worth watching over the next week. Dawkins had a huge senior season with well over 1,000 yards receiving. If Dawkins has a great week at the Shrine Bowl, we could see South Carolina jumping into the mix.
Previous ranking: 2
Prediction: NC State
2. Defensive back Nick McCloud, Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe High
South Carolina sure does seem to be sending McCloud smoke signals that an offer would be forthcoming after his state title game this weekend. That could change things a lot. If it does not come, then it is very possible he could commit to NC State next week. The Gamecocks appear likely to be hiring Ellis Johnson, perhaps as a linebackers coach but at a minimum in some capacity. As one source told us, “Ellis Johnson gets who Ellis Johnson wants in Rock Hill.” That combined with some talented younger players at South Pointe, it would not surprise us if that offer comes from S.C.
Previous ranking: 1
Prediction: NC State
3. Athlete Rico Dowdle, Asheville (N.C.) A.C. Reynolds High
Dowdle was added to the Shrine Bowl roster this week so we hope to have an update on him next week. He made an official visit to NC State this past weekend. Wake Forest is also in the mix, but SEC schools South Carolina and Tennessee are looming as wildcards.
Previous ranking: 4
Prediction: NC State
4. Defensive back Henry Miller, Kissimmee (Fla.) Gateway High
An update in the Orlando Sentinel provided some clarity for the Miller situation. He will officially visit Pittsburgh this weekend, which is in his top three with Rutgers and NC State. Given the situation at Rutgers, one could more realistically say it is down to NC State and Pitt. We think the Pack is in a good spot prior to the Pitt trip.
Previous ranking: 5
Prediction: NC State
5. Cornerback Carlos Becker, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola High
Osceola is playing in the state title game this weekend, and we think Becker has been putting off recruiting while focusing on the playoff run. Becker has listed NC State and Kentucky as his top two, and he stated his mom prefers NCSU. However, Florida State looms here. Becker has had an offer from FSU throughout the process, but lately seems to be showing more interest in it.
Previous ranking: 6
Prediction: NC State
6. Tight end Thad Moss, Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek High
Mallard Creek is playing in the state title Saturday, and then we expect Moss will use January to nail down his recruitment. Our guess is he will take official visits to NC State and UCLA. Arizona State and Texas A&M are also in the mix. A lot of people around Mallard Creek likes NC State’s chances.
Previous ranking: 8
Prediction: NC State
7. Defensive back Bryce Banks, Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge High
We are expecting a decision literally any moment from Banks. He wanted to take a few days after his Illinois official visit to digest everything. Last week we felt good about the Pack’s chances. As of this writing, we might lean slightly towards Illinois but it’s a 50/05 call.
Previous ranking: 3
Prediction: NC State/Illinois (previously just NC State)
8. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Wake Forest (N.C.) High
As one person said, Lawrence does not talk recruiting with many people: not friends around school or even his coaches. The feeling is that his recruitment is centered around himself and his mother, so almost everything is speculation with Lawrence. That is our way of saying everyone should take what they hear or read from “sources” with a grain of salt. There just aren’t many sources that know around Lawrence. That caveat thrown out there: The growing vibe from behind the scenes is that as expected Lawrence is not going to venture far from home for college. Thus insiders at Alabama, Florida and Ohio State are not high on their chances. Clemson gets a lot of votes as his likely choice from those guys. That is hard to disregard, but how much of that is national perception that top-ranked Clemson would get a five-star over NC State? Lawrence’s actions suggest that NC State still has a very real shot, especially if shows up for an official visit. We can say this: Lawrence’s personality is the type that he would not go on an official visit to just give a school a chance or out of courtesy. He is the type that if he knew what he was going to do, he would just go ahead and announce it.
Previous ranking: 9
Prediction: Clemson/NC State
9. Wide receiver DeVontres Dukes, Tampa (Fla.) Wharton High
If Dawkins gets a South Carolina offer or waits until January to get one, we suspect NCSU is going to move on Dukes at that point. Both sides clearly like each other. The Pack did an in-home with Dukes last week. If it does not work out with NCSU, we suspect Dukes is going to end up at Marshall.
Previous ranking: 10
Prediction: Marshall/NC State (previously just Marshall)
10. Wide receiver Diondre Overton, Greensboro (N.C.) Page High
There are two schools of thoughts on Overton, who will announce on Jan. 3. One is that the Tigers are a lock. The other is that NC State has made things interesting with Overton and it is 50/50 between the Pack and Tigers. Our guess is it is in between. Overton might not be a lock, but they are solid (to heavy) favorites.
Previous ranking: 13
Prediction: Clemson
Tight end Dylan Autenrieth, Dallas (Ga.) North Paulding High
Offensive lineman Kollin Byers, Shelby (N.C.) Crest High
Offensive tackle Justin Chase, Chesapeake (Va.) Great Bridge High
Athlete Bryce Dixon, Cary (N.C.) Green Hope High
Offensive lineman Bryce Folsom, Alpharetta (Ga.) Chattahoochee High
Defensive tackle Ben Frazier, Buford (Ga.) High
Guard/center Harrison Gee, Burlington (N.C.) Williams High
Safety Tim Glass, Danville (Va.) Lynchburg Liberty Christian Academy
Linebacker Garrett Hooker, Thomasville (N.C.) Ledford High
Linebacker Brock Miller, Ft. Pierce (Fla.) John Carroll High
Quarterback Dylan Parham, Southeast Raleigh High
Wide receiver C.J. Riley, Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep
Guard/center Joe Sculthorpe, Hampstead (N.C.) Topsail High
Safety Isaiah Stallings, Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford High
Wide receiver Daeshawn Stephens, Durham (N.C.) Hillside High
Cornerback James Valdez, Orangeburg (S.C.) Wilkinson High
Offensive tackle Justin Witt, New Lenox (Ill.) Lincoln-Way West High
Here is a list of the top 15 prospects on NC State’s recruiting board in order of our opinion of the likelihood that NC State will land the recruit.
It does not reflect the opinion of NC State’s football staff and is for discussion purposes only.
1. Wide receiver Chavis Dawkins, Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes High
We were told that NC State running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Des Kitchings was at Byrnes High this week. The big question is what is Dawkins waiting for? His senior season ended last Friday. Could it be a South Carolina offer? There were sign this week that the Gamecocks are at a minimum sniffing around. It will be something worth watching over the next week. Dawkins had a huge senior season with well over 1,000 yards receiving. If Dawkins has a great week at the Shrine Bowl, we could see South Carolina jumping into the mix.
Previous ranking: 2
Prediction: NC State
2. Defensive back Nick McCloud, Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe High
South Carolina sure does seem to be sending McCloud smoke signals that an offer would be forthcoming after his state title game this weekend. That could change things a lot. If it does not come, then it is very possible he could commit to NC State next week. The Gamecocks appear likely to be hiring Ellis Johnson, perhaps as a linebackers coach but at a minimum in some capacity. As one source told us, “Ellis Johnson gets who Ellis Johnson wants in Rock Hill.” That combined with some talented younger players at South Pointe, it would not surprise us if that offer comes from S.C.
Previous ranking: 1
Prediction: NC State
3. Athlete Rico Dowdle, Asheville (N.C.) A.C. Reynolds High
Dowdle was added to the Shrine Bowl roster this week so we hope to have an update on him next week. He made an official visit to NC State this past weekend. Wake Forest is also in the mix, but SEC schools South Carolina and Tennessee are looming as wildcards.
Previous ranking: 4
Prediction: NC State
4. Defensive back Henry Miller, Kissimmee (Fla.) Gateway High
An update in the Orlando Sentinel provided some clarity for the Miller situation. He will officially visit Pittsburgh this weekend, which is in his top three with Rutgers and NC State. Given the situation at Rutgers, one could more realistically say it is down to NC State and Pitt. We think the Pack is in a good spot prior to the Pitt trip.
Previous ranking: 5
Prediction: NC State
5. Cornerback Carlos Becker, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola High
Osceola is playing in the state title game this weekend, and we think Becker has been putting off recruiting while focusing on the playoff run. Becker has listed NC State and Kentucky as his top two, and he stated his mom prefers NCSU. However, Florida State looms here. Becker has had an offer from FSU throughout the process, but lately seems to be showing more interest in it.
Previous ranking: 6
Prediction: NC State
6. Tight end Thad Moss, Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek High
Mallard Creek is playing in the state title Saturday, and then we expect Moss will use January to nail down his recruitment. Our guess is he will take official visits to NC State and UCLA. Arizona State and Texas A&M are also in the mix. A lot of people around Mallard Creek likes NC State’s chances.
Previous ranking: 8
Prediction: NC State
7. Defensive back Bryce Banks, Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge High
We are expecting a decision literally any moment from Banks. He wanted to take a few days after his Illinois official visit to digest everything. Last week we felt good about the Pack’s chances. As of this writing, we might lean slightly towards Illinois but it’s a 50/05 call.
Previous ranking: 3
Prediction: NC State/Illinois (previously just NC State)
8. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Wake Forest (N.C.) High
As one person said, Lawrence does not talk recruiting with many people: not friends around school or even his coaches. The feeling is that his recruitment is centered around himself and his mother, so almost everything is speculation with Lawrence. That is our way of saying everyone should take what they hear or read from “sources” with a grain of salt. There just aren’t many sources that know around Lawrence. That caveat thrown out there: The growing vibe from behind the scenes is that as expected Lawrence is not going to venture far from home for college. Thus insiders at Alabama, Florida and Ohio State are not high on their chances. Clemson gets a lot of votes as his likely choice from those guys. That is hard to disregard, but how much of that is national perception that top-ranked Clemson would get a five-star over NC State? Lawrence’s actions suggest that NC State still has a very real shot, especially if shows up for an official visit. We can say this: Lawrence’s personality is the type that he would not go on an official visit to just give a school a chance or out of courtesy. He is the type that if he knew what he was going to do, he would just go ahead and announce it.
Previous ranking: 9
Prediction: Clemson/NC State
9. Wide receiver DeVontres Dukes, Tampa (Fla.) Wharton High
If Dawkins gets a South Carolina offer or waits until January to get one, we suspect NCSU is going to move on Dukes at that point. Both sides clearly like each other. The Pack did an in-home with Dukes last week. If it does not work out with NCSU, we suspect Dukes is going to end up at Marshall.
Previous ranking: 10
Prediction: Marshall/NC State (previously just Marshall)
10. Wide receiver Diondre Overton, Greensboro (N.C.) Page High
There are two schools of thoughts on Overton, who will announce on Jan. 3. One is that the Tigers are a lock. The other is that NC State has made things interesting with Overton and it is 50/50 between the Pack and Tigers. Our guess is it is in between. Overton might not be a lock, but they are solid (to heavy) favorites.
Previous ranking: 13
Prediction: Clemson
