NC State Football Recruiting Update

Here’s a rundown of some of the happenings in the world of NC State Football Recruiting recently.

Thursday Visitor

4-Star 2026 EDGE Zavion Griffin-Hayes (6’6″/225) took an unofficial visit to NC State Thursday.

Great morning with NC State 🐺 ! @CoachSplintaQ @coachwiles @StateCoachD @CoachGoebbel @CoachTonyGibson @CoachAlexFaulk @RRACKLEY9 pic.twitter.com/HfxTIdDX81

— Zavion Griffin-Haynes (@ZavionGH) April 18, 2024

ON3 ranks Griffin-Hayes as the #78 overall player nationally in the 2026 recruiting class, the #9 EDGE, and the #7 player in the state of North Carolina.

Griffin-Hayes plays right down the road from NC State at Rolesville, where NC State’s Isiah Jones, Tamarcus Cooley & Noah Rogers played. The Wolfpack have yet to offer Griffin-Hayes yet, but he does hold offers from South Carolina, App St., Auburn, UCLA and others.

Griffin-Hayes has been a frequent visitor to NC State.

This past season as a Sophomore at Rolesville, Griffin-Hayes had 50+ tackles, 20+ tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

4-Star RB Kentrell Rinehart is taking an Official Visit

4-Star 2025 Running Back Kentrell Rinehart (6’2”/205) is taking an Official Visit to NC State on June 21-23. He also has Official Visits scheduled to Minnesota and Syracuse.

🐺 and onto the elite 8🫣 pic.twitter.com/3dbndWALIz

— Kentrell Rinehart (@k_rinehart1) March 30, 2024

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

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.

Yesterday’s Visitors

3-Star 2026 Wide Receiver Nyqir Helton (5’11″/180) was on an unofficial visit to NC State.

I will be at NC State today !!🐺 @chillbelton @winslowtwpfb @CoachSplintaQ @CoachLewis_shec pic.twitter.com/j5DPbBI1uf

— Nyqir “boomer” Helton (@nyqir26) April 19, 2024

Rivals ranks Helton as the #7 overall player in the state of New Jersey in the 2026 recruiting class. He holds offers from Penn St., Rutgers, UCONN, Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

As a Sophomore, Helton had 33 receptions for 606 yards and 7 touchdowns for Winslow Township (Atco, New Jersey).

4-Star 2026 Running Back Jaylen McGill (5’10″/185) was on an unofficial visit to NC State.

Had A Great Visit @PackFootball Thanks For The Hospitality! 🐺 @CoachSplintaQ @CoachGoebbel pic.twitter.com/gqGGgQkYnj

— Jaylen McGill “2” (@mcgilljaylen2) April 19, 2024

Rivals ranks McGill as the #238 overall player nationally in the 2026 recruiting class, the #17 Running Back, and the #2 player in the state of South Carolina.

McGill holds offers from Tennessee, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Coastal Carolina and Indiana.

As a Sophomore last year, McGill 1,602 yards rushing (9.1 yards per carry) and 24 touchdowns for Broome (Spartanburg, SC). He also had 88 yards receiving and 2 touchdown receptions.

3-Star 2026 Interior Offensive Lineman Steven Pickard Jr. (6’5″/300) was in Raleigh for an unofficial visit.

WOLFPACK‼️ Thank you @PackFootball for a great visit! @StateCoachD @Coach2J @CoachThunder_45 @CoachAlexFaulk @CoachSplintaQ @PSIronHorseFB @coachbendig @Velocity_FB pic.twitter.com/UsMnfU07MV

— Steven Pickard Jr (@StevenPickard_2) April 19, 2024

ON3 ranks him as the #10 overall player in the state of South Carolina in the 2026 recruiting class.

Pickard Jr. plays for Phillip Simmons in Charleston, SC.

4-Star 2025 Wide Receiver Braswell Thomas (6’2″/185) was also on campus.

Very much Thankful and Excited to be able to go on an upcoming visit today at @PackFootball !!@CoachSplintaQ@GoGreyhoundFB @CoachChiVille @CoachLewis_shec pic.twitter.com/goI7RPZxqL

— Braswell Thomas (@Braswell1Thomas) April 19, 2024

Rivals ranks Thomas as the #8 player in the state of New Jersey in the 2025 recruiting class.

Thomas holds offers from Penn St., Rutgers, Tennessee, Georgia, and Nebraska.