4/15/2020 football Edit

Caleb McDowell is excited to commit to NC State

Editor

Three-star running back Caleb McDowell from Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County High admitted that quarantine life can be a bit boring, but he added a lot of excitement Wednesday evening when he announced via Twitter that he was verbally committing to NC State football.

“It was [a feeling] like no other,” McDowell said. “It had my heart racing. It was nerve-wracking, but once I did it I felt at ease, like I am going home.”

McDowell said that he was recruited to NC State by running backs coach Kurt Roper. He picked NC State over offers from Indiana, Purdue and Syracuse, among others, he said.

Three-star running back Caleb McDowell committed to NC State Wolfpack football. — McDowell is NC State's fourth verbal commitment in the 2021 class. (Rivals.com)

“I felt very comfortable there,” McDowell explained. "Me and the whole coaching staff at NC State, we had a bond like no other coaching staff in the country. They made me feel at home, and they never pressured me to make a decision. That really helped my decision a lot.”

McDowell was first-team all-state a season ago by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a defensive back, and he was his region’s “Athlete of the Year” by the coaches. He helped Lee County go 11-2 and reach the AAAAAA state quarterfinals.

NC State recruited the 5-foot-10, 175-pound speedster as a running back.

“But they are also going to have me playing punt return and kick return,” McDowell added. “They are also going to move out in the slot to get in open space.

“I love playing running back, but at the end of the day wherever they need me, I’m there to help the team.”

The reaction of the NC State coaches made McDowell feel better about his decision.

“They went crazy,” he noted. “They loved it. They were excited. That made me as happy as can be.”

McDowell, who also runs track, is NC State’s fourth verbal commitment, joining three-star receivers Jakolbe Baldwin from Richmond County High in Rockingham, N.C., and Julian Gray from Hopewell High in Huntersville, N.C. and three-star cornerback Mario Love Jr. from Hough High in Cornelius, N.C.