Last night 4-star 2016 linebacker Elysee Mbem-Bosse (Ellenwood, GA) revealed his Top 5 schools, and NC State was one of the teams that made the cut. When Mbem-Bosse revealed his Top 7 back in June, NC State wasn’t on his list. Something must have happened for the Wolfpack to move up his list like this, so I talked with Mbem-Bosse last night to figure out what it was.
“NC State is a really good school. They have some really great coaches. I have a great relationship with them, and with some of the players there too. One of my former defensive tackles, Quentez Johnson, plays at NC State,” said Mbem-Bosse. “I think what really changed things was the visit I took up there. I realized what kind of place it was…the atmosphere. Getting to sit down face-to-face with the coaches again.”
Mbem-Bosse also gave me a little bit of insight on the reasons for including the other four schools in his Top 5.
Wake Forest
“Wake Forest is a great school. They have amazing academics,” said Mbem-Bosse. “They were actually the first school that offered me, before all of these other offers started coming in.”
Michigan
“Growing up I always watched Michigan football because they were so big back then,” said Mbem-Bosse. “I would say they have the biggest program and fanbase in all of college.”
USC
“USC has an amazing facility. I was up there this summer, and had a great time,” said Mbem-Bosse. “I loved hanging with the coaches and the players. I loved the feeling of being at Southern California.”
Auburn
“Auburn is a great school. I will say that it is the closest to home. I’m not saying that distance matters for me, but it is the closest,” said Mbem-Bosse. “I’ve visited multiple times because it is the closest, and every time I go I get a positive vibe. They have amazing facilities and great coaches. They have the best defensive coordinator that you could get in all of college football right now.”
Mbem-Bosse said that he plans on making another cut to his list prior to making his final decision, and he doesn’t have anymore visits planned on the calendar at this point. He did say that NC State was recruiting him just as hard as the other four schools, and said that the NC State coaches recruiting approach goes beyond football. Their goal is to develop you into a man.
“They tell me it’s a great place to be at. Coach Doeren is a great guy,” said Mbem-Bosse. “He doesn’t just care about you as a football player. He wants to see you develop into a man. Education comes first for him.”
