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Linebacker Garrett Hooker made it official today and committed to run with the Wolfpack.  We caught up with him tonight and wanted to get his take on what led him to make this decision.  While Hooker listed a variety of reasons for his commitment, relationships were at the top of his list.

“I knew when I was at camp at State on Thursday that I was going to commit.  It’s all love down there.  It’s fun.  Everyone’s so close,” Hooker said. “I know a lot of the guys that are on the team already.  I know Emanuel Olenga, Nyheim Hines, Woody Cornwell and Reggie Gallaspy.  Reggie is one of my best friends.  In fact, Reggie and Woody and I played pop warner football together as kids.  It feels like family down there.  It feels like home.”

Hooker also said that he wanted to go somewhere close to home so his parents could come and see him play.  When he left NC State on Thursday, he told his mom that he was going to commit.

“There’s nothing more I could want, so I just went ahead and called them, because West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Clemson were all close to offering me, but I have been to all of those schools, and I knew I wanted to go to State, so I just went ahead and pulled it.” said Hooker

This wasn’t the first time that the NC State coaching staff laid their eyes on Hooker.  The coaching staff realized last summer that this kid could hit, but their greatest concern was whether or not he follow a receiver in a pass drop.

“Last year I went to camp at NC State.  They had already watched my film, and they knew that I could play the run, and that I could tackle.  But at last years camp I ran a 5.0 40-yard dash,” Hooker said. “So they didn’t know if I could play in space or pass drops, so they didn’t offer me last year.  But I went to camp this year and ran a 4.76, a 4.3 shuttle and did pretty good in one-on-one drills.  Obviously a lot had changed and they offered me.”

The coaching staff has plans for Hooker to play the “Mike backer” position when he arrives.

Hooker already switched roles from recruit to recruiter before he even committed.  Before he left camp last Thursday, he asked Coach White who he should be going after.

“I’ve already started recruiting.  I knew after I left Raleigh on Thursday that I was going to go to State.  From that point on, Coach White was telling me the guys they are going after like Diondre Overton, Cornell Powell, Dexter Lawrence.  I’ve been hitting them up…I’ve been camping with these guys for years.  I’m going to try to get these guys down to State and do something big down here.  NC State is getting top notch guys…guys like Darian Roseboro.  This program is going up.  We’re trying to win championships down in Raleigh.

 

 

 

 

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Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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Football Recruiting

3-Star LB Jaiden Braker Locks In Official Visit to NC State

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April 18, 2024

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3-Star 2025 Linebacker Jaiden Braker (6’4″/210) has locked in his Official Visit to NC State for June 19-21.

The Wolfpack offered Braker on April 2nd, and he also holds offers from Utah, South Carolina, SMU, Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Cal, Cincinnati, Indiana, BYU, Liberty and others.

Last year, Braker had 48 tackles and 4 tackles for loss for South Gwinnett (Snellville, GA)

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Football Recruiting

Top-30 Prospect WR Aaron Gregory Visited NC State Today

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1 day ago

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April 16, 2024

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2026 4-Star Wide Receiver Aaron Gregory (6’2″/170) took an unofficial visit to NC State today.

He was visiting with his Douglas County teammate Jordan Carter.

Gregory is a Top-30 overall prospect nationally in the 2026 recruiting class, with Rivals ranking him 20th. ON3 and 247Sports both rank him as the #2 Wide Receiver in the class, and 247Sports ranks him as the #2 player in the state of Georgia.

He holds offers from NC State, Georgia, Alabama, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, UNC, Auburn, FSU, Duke, Tennessee, Ohio St., LSU, Miami, USC, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Mississippi St., Florida, Texas, Texas A&M, Colorado, Arkansas, Boston College, Penn St., Ole Miss, West Virginia, SMU, Oregon, Oklahoma, Indiana, Pitt, Cal, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame and others.

This past season, Gregory had 41 receptions for 795 yards and 8 touchdowns for Douglas County.

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Football Recruiting

Top-10 2026 Prospect DE Jordan Carter Visited NC State Today

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April 16, 2024

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4-Star 2026 Defensive End Jordan Carter (6’3″/235) took an unofficial visit to NC State today.

Carter holds offers from NC State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, West Virginia, SMU, UCF, Georgia Tech, USC, Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and others.

Rivals ranks him as the #10 overall player nationally in the 2026 recruiting class, and the #2 Defensive End. ON3 ranks him as the #1 player in the state of Georgia.

This past season at Douglas County, Carter had 84 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks.

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Football Recruiting

4-Star 2025 S Jordan Young Locks in Official Visit to NC State

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2 days ago

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April 16, 2024

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4-Star 2025 Safety Jordan Young (6’0″/170) has locked in his Official Visit to NC State for June 19-21.

Young also has Official Visits scheduled to Clemson (May 31), FSU (June 14), and Tennessee (June 21).

All 4 recruiting databases rank Young as a Top-200 prospect nationally in the 2025 recruiting class, with ESPN, 247Sports and ON3 ranking him in the Top-35. 247Sports ranks him as the #29 overall player nationally, the #2 Safety and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Back in December, Young shared his Top-13, which included NC State, Clemson, Tennessee, Florida St., South Carolina, Notre Dame, Miami, Penn St., Alabama, USC, LSU, Texas and UNC.

While Michigan isn’t in the Top-13, they offered him most recently, and he took an unofficial visit there yesterday.

This past season, Young had 66 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 1 interception and 3 pass breakups for Monroe High School. On the offensive side of the ball, he had 34 receptions for 812 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Young is planning to announce his commitment on October 12th.

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