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NC State Weekly Football Recruiting Update – May 2, 2018

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Football Recruiting Update – May 2, 2018

Recent Decommitments:  Long Snapper Drew Little has decommitted from State and committed to UNC.  He grew up a UNC fan, so in a way this switch was expected a long time ago.  Look for our coaches to find another Long Snapper from the NC area and have them as an invited preferred walk-on.

 

Evaluation Period: The Evaluation Period of the Football Recruiting Calendar (As set by the NCAA) has started.

Basically what the evaluation period is can be defined by the NCAA as:

An authorized off-campus recruiter may use one evaluation to assess the prospective student-athlete’s athletics ability and one evaluation to assess the prospective student-athlete’s academic qualifications during this evaluation period. If an institution’s coaching staff member conducts both an athletics and an academic evaluation of the prospective student-athlete on the same day during this evaluation period, the institution shall be charged with the use of an academic evaluation only and shall be permitted to conduct a second athletics evaluation of the prospective student-athlete on a separate day during this evaluation period.
Upcoming Official Visits:  Target 4* QB Jacob Zeno from Texas is officially visiting this weekend.  He is rated as high as the #9 Pro-Style QB in the country.
Positional Breakdown:
This week’s position of need breakdown will be the Defensive Line (Defensive Ends and Defensive Tackles).
We should have the ability to tell recruits that they can compete for immediate playing time, we have a lot of bodies on the defensive line in the program, but most of our contributors this year will be unproven commodities (aside from Darian Roseboro).
I think we will take 3-4 total defensive line prospects in this class (total number depends on attrition from our current roster).  Here are the most promising 11 targets that we have on our board:
Targets:
Savion Jackson – Attends Clayton HS (North Carolina).  6’2″, 245.  Rated the #3 SDE in the country (4*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, the #12 SDE in the country and the #120 recruit nationally (4*) on Rivals, and the #6 SDE in the country (4*) on ESPN.
Junior Stats: 56 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 blocked punt
Analysis:  HS teammates with 2018 commit WR Devin Carter.  No secret that Jackson is our top target on the Defensive Line in this cycle.  He has developed quite a few friendships with current Pack players.  I think we have an above average chance to land him, but we will have to fight off some big name schools.  Plays a bunch of different places for his HS team, everything from Outside Linebacker to Defensive Tackle to Strongside Defensive End.  Very quick off the snap, closes well to tackle, needs to gain some good weight.  Fights off double teams well, needs to contain the outside edge better.  Rushes the quarterback extremely well.  One of those kids that we cannot let leave the state or go to another team.  Top 4 schools are State, South Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia Tech.
RJ Oben – Attends St. Peter’s Prep Academy (New Jersey). 6’4″, 235.  Rated the #50 WDE in the country (3*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, the #49 WDE in the country (3*) on Rivals, and NR on ESPN.
Junior Stats: 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Analysis:  Very long, very athletic prospect. Needs to gain some good weight and bulk.  Very fast off the ball, similar to Jackson.  Needs to develop some spin moves to be able to break off of double teams.  Needs to also contain the edge better at times.  Very athletic prospect who has a high ceiling.  Reminds me some of 2018 Commit Joseph Boletepeli on film. Because we recruit New Jersey well, I feel that have a good shot at landing Oben. Top schools are Duke, Vanderbilt, UVA, and State.
 Khris Bogle – Attends Cardinal Gibbons HS (Florida). 6’4″, 207.  Rated the #4 WDE in the country (4*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, the #43 WDE in the country (3*) on Rivals, the #15 DE in the country (4*) on ESPN.
Junior Stats: 70 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, 1 blocked field goal, 1 pass deflection
Analysis:  High motor kind of guy, reminds me of Chubb some because he pursues plays very well.  Very tall and long armed prospect who needs to gain 60-70 pounds to be able to be effective at the collegiate level.  Needs to finish tackles better at times (likes to arm tackle often).  Needs to exert better pad leverage when fighting off double teams.  Plays some defensive tackle also for Cardinal Gibbons.  He has a huge amount of potential on film, but definitely needs a high quality strength and conditioning program to help him gain a lot of weight.  Probably going to stay around Florida for school, top schools are Miami, Florida State, and Clemson now.  I do not think we will be able to land Bogle.
 C.J. Clark – Attends North Stanly HS (North Carolina). 6’3″, 303.  Rated the #17 DT in the country (4*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, the #11 DT in the country and the #192 recruit nationally (4*) on Rivals, the #22 DT in the country (4*) on ESPN.
Junior Stats:  79 tackles, 9 sacks, 3 QB hurries, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass deflection
Analysis: HS teammates with recent LS decommit Drew Little. Very strong, shuts down the run game on film.  Breaks double teams easily.  Over-pursues plays at times, particularly when going after the QB.  Needs to improve speed and agility in the open field.  Easy to see why he is one of the best at his position in the country.  Reminds me a lot of Justin Jones on film due to his ability to be disruptive and shut down the running game.  Top 4 schools are State, UNC, Alabama, and South Carolina.  If we can get him on campus this spring or fall for an official visit, I think we have a good chance to land him.  He has been impressed by State on his last several visits.
 Christian Rorie – Attends Enloe HS (North Carolina). 6’5″, 267.  Rated the #51 SDE in the country (3*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, the #50 DE in the country (3*) on Rivals, NR on ESPN.
Junior Stats: 48 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 37 QB hurries, 1 pass deflection, 1 recovered fumble
Analysis:  He really likes NC State, a lot.  We have a very good chance of landing him. Well coached high school player.  Lacks the athleticism of some of the previously mentioned prospects, but contains better than them, particularly against the run. Needs to react less and be more explosive off the snap. Needs to gain some strength to be able to break off double team blocks.  We are his “favorite” right now, but we will be in a battle with Duke to land him as we get closer to signing day if he has not committed.
Jalar Holley – Attends Buford HS (Georgia).  6’2″, 280.  Rated the #50 DT in the country (3*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, the #37 DT in the country (3*) on Rivals, and the #41 DT in the country (3*) on ESPN.
Junior Stats:  No stats available
Analysis:  Plays in a 3-3-5 and hybrid 4-3 defensive scheme, so he is asked to take up a lot of room in the running game and plug several gaps at one time.  Needs to keep his pads lower at times and break blocks better.  Has good size already, but needs to add some strength, particularly at the point of attack and use better leverage.I believe we have an average chance with Holley, we are recruiting upwards of 5 kids from Buford HS (several on the offensive line as well).  Top 4 schools are Miami, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Auburn.  Auburn is his favorite right now and I see him staying close to home and committing to Auburn eventually.  Very athletic for someone of his size.
Ahmad Craig – Attends Buford HS (Georgia). 6’6″, 240.  Rated the #66 SDE in the country (3*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, NR on Rivals, and NR on ESPN.
Junior Stats:  No stats available
Analysis: Uses his speed a lot to time snap counts and get off the ball quickly.  Plays defensive tackle also at times, depending on the formation (his HS runs a lot of 4-3 and 3-3-5 formations). Needs to add some strength, particularly in his lower body to provide more punch when breaking off blocks and bringing down the ball carrier in open space. I believe we have an average chance with Craig, we are recruiting upwards of 5 kids from Buford HS (several on the offensive line as well). Craig also plays Tight End some for Buford HS.  Top schools are Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Nebraska.  Similar to Holley, I see Craig staying close to home and committing to Ole Miss or Nebraska at this point.
Zovon Lindsay – Attends Trinity Christian HS (North Carolina).  6’4″, 266.  Rated the #86 DT in the country (3*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, NR (3*) on Rivals, NR on ESPN.
Junior Stats:  55 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 1 interception, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble
Analysis:  Relentless in pursuit of the ball carrier.  Very good athleticism for someone of his size.  Needs to develop skills to fire off the ball lower and get better leverage. Also plays some defensive end for Trinity Christian High.  Could stand to gain 20-30 pounds if he is going to stay at Defensive Tackle in college. Another prospect who really likes State a lot.  Could commit to us very soon.  Has the potential to be flipped to the offensive line because of his frame and athleticism.  Top 3 schools are State, South Carolina, and UVA.  I think we have a great chance to land him.
Joshua Harris – Attends Person HS (North Carolina). 6’4″, 316.  Rated the #16 DT in the country (4*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, the #7 DT in the country and the #141 recruit nationally (4*) on Rivals, and the #29 DT in the country (3*) on ESPN.
Junior Stats:  No stats available.
Analysis:  A sheer monster.  Reminds me a lot of Dexter Lawrence on film.  Very athletic and fast for his size.  Good leverage at the point of attack, stands up and is slow off the ball at times, but this can be coached and correctly quickly.  Needs to probably watch his size some in college to make sure he doesn’t add a ton of bad weight so he can stay quick and fill gaps fast. A star on a not so good football team (Person was 2-9 in 2017).  Plays offensive line and defensive line for Person HS.  Top 8 school list was released this week, they are Penn State, UNC, Clemson, Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Duke, Georgia, and us.  We do not traditionally recruit the Person HS area very well, so we will have to work if we want to land him.
Terrell Dawkins – Attends Cox Mill HS (North Carolina). 6’4″, 235.  Rated the #49 SDE in the country (3*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, NR (3*) on Rivals, NR on ESPN.
Junior Stats:  No stats available
Analysis: He plays everywhere for his HS from Nose Guard to Defensive End to Outside Linebacker. Great lateral quickness, definitely needs to gain some weight in college if he is going to play with his hand on the ground.  Might have a better future as an outside linebacker, depending on if he grows any more or not.  His HS plays some very good competition.  An under the radar kind of guy who got noticed by our coaches earlier this spring. Recruitment is starting to take off as he has started to visit more schools this spring.  A sleeper type prospect who I think will continue to add offers as we get closer to the fall.  Recruitment appears to be wide open as he continues to add more offers this spring, but top 3 appear to be Tennessee, Florida, and Ohio State at this point.  Keep an eye on this one, I have a feeling his recruiting is going to take off soon because of his athleticism and versatility.
Jaden McKenzie – Attends Wake Forest HS (North Carolina). 6’4″, 280.  Rated the #62 DT in the country (3*) on 24/7 sports and Scout, NR (3*) on Rivals, NR on ESPN.
Junior Stats: 97 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 11 QB hurries, 2 pass deflections
Analysis: Plays a lot of defensive end for his HS, but I think he is better suited at Defensive Tackle due to his lack of top speed. Appears to fire off the ball fast, but takes some bad angles at times, and loses containment, which can be coached. Very effective tackler when he gets to the ball, as indicated by his video game like 2017 season stats. Strong at the point of attack, but loses leverage easy at times, appears that he needs to get in a strength and conditioning program to develop muscular stamina. Another under the radar guy who has been offered recently by our coaches.  Recruitment is starting to take off as he has started to visit more schools this spring.  Outstanding production in the 2017 season from his defensive ens spot.  Top 3 schools appear to be UNC, Boston College, and Duke at this point. I think McKenzie is definitely a backup plan for us if our other DT targets don’t pan out.
Other Important News:
On Monday, April 30th, we offered Target 3* QB Jacob Zeno a scholarship.  He is officially visiting this weekend as I mentioned earlier. We might have a good chance to get him to commit this weekend (I think our QB recruitment is between him and new offere Zach Calzada from Georgia).
Target 4* LB Drake Thomas also released his top 8 schools list this week.  They are Virginia Tech, Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee, UNC-Charlotte, West Virginia, Ole Miss, and State.  We still hold the lead for him, and I think we are secretly the favorite to land him, particularly because his brother is a walk-on receiver for us who might be in a big role this year as punt and kick returner (Thayer Thomas).
Target 3* QB Sam Johnson will be making his college decision on May 7th, Target 4* TE Luke Deal will be making his college decision on May 25th.

2002 NC State Graduate, School Administrator, Lifelong Pack Fan (Since my uncle graduated from State in 1937), Husband, Father, Workout Aficionado, Reader, Thinker, Recruiting Analyst in my spare time...

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Football Recruiting

WR Gabe Daniels Locks In Official Visit to NC State

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2025 Wide Receiver Gabe Daniels (6’2″/180) has locked in his Official Visit to NC State.

Earlier this month, Daniels took an unofficial visit to NC State, and broke down his experience for me.

Currently, Daniels is an unranked recruit, but he does hold offers from NC State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Kansas, Western Michigan, Liberty, Coastal Carolina, App St., Syracuse and others.

Daniels had 31 receptions, 700 all purpose yards and 5 touchdowns for the Greater Atlanta Christian School (Norcross, GA) last season.

Recently, Daniels ran a 10.64 in the 100 meter dash in Track.

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4-Star RB Kentrell Rinehart is Visiting NC State Today

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4-Star 2025 Running Back Kentrell Rinehart (6’2”/205) is taking an unofficial visit to NC State today.

Back on February 10th, Rinehart revealed his Top-5 schools, and he included NC State, along with Syracuse, Indiana, Kentucky and Minnesota.

Rivals recently bumped Rinehart from a 3-star prospect to a 4-star prospect. They rank him as the #24 Running Back in the 2025 recruiting class, and the #14 overall player in the state of Ohio.

His Junior stats this past season (at Bishop Ready) were video game numbers, rushing for 2,837 yards (8.3 yards per carry) and 42 touchdowns.

Since releasing his Top-5, he has picked up an offer from Miami, visited Tennessee unofficially, and locked in an Official Visit to Syracuse.

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3-Star OT Brady Sakowitz Visited NC State Yesterday

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2026 3-Star Offensive Tackle Brady Sakowitz (6’7″/315) took an unofficial visit to NC State yesterday.

Sakowitz plays for Trinity Episcopal in Richmond, Virginia. He is teammates with 4-Star Wide Receiver Davion Brown, who also visited yesterday.

Sakowitz has also taken visits to Virginia Tech and UNC in the past week.

While NC State hasn’t offered Sakowitz yet, he does hold offers from Maryland, Duke, Virginia Tech, Miami, West Virginia, Pitt and Marshall.

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Football Recruiting

4-Star WR Davion Brown Took an Unofficial Visit to NC State Today

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4-Star 2026 Wide Receiver Davion Brown (6’1″/200) took an unofficial visit to NC State today.

ON3, 247Sports and Rivals all rank Brown as a Top-250 prospect. ON3 and 247Sports both rank him in the Top-100, with 247Sports ranking him as the #16 overall player nationally in the 2026 recruiting class, the #3 Wide Receiver and the #1 player in the state of Virginia.

NC State offered Brown on January 18th, and he also holds offers from Penn St., Virginia Tech, UVA, Duke, South Carolina, Boston College, Maryland, Pitt, UNC, FSU, Miami, Tennessee, Louisville, Michigan, SMU and others.

This past season, Brown had 34 receptions for 578 yards and 5 touchdowns for Trinity Episcopal in Richmond, Virginia. He also rushed the ball for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those stats are already impressive for a Sophomore, but they would have been even better if he didn’t miss 4 games due to injury.

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