Four-star Javonte Vereen stays in-state, picks N.C. State

N.C. State put in the time and effort recruiting Javonte Vereen and it paid off. The four-star tight end out of Havelock, N.C. went public with his commitment Friday afternoon, choosing the Wolfpack over Louisville and Maryland.

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"After visiting and researching all the schools, N.C. State was my first offer and they kept it 100-percent honest with me the whole way since September 1st," Vereen said. "The relationship that I have with the coaches is better than any of the other schools that I visited. They run all types of routes with their tight ends and split them out wide and move then around. We can run any route and that's what I usually do.

"There were a lot of other schools trying to sell me and trying to get me to come there but N.C. State was 100-percent honest with me the whole time," he said. "Out of all the schools in my top three, they showed me they can use tight ends the best way and that fits me.

"I feel like N.C. State is doing a great job," said Vereen. "I feel like we're building something there. Coach Doeren has been here for more than ten years now. That's as long as any other coach. He's building something and I'm excited to be a part of that process. I'm hoping we get a few more of the top in-state guys. We're losing a few receivers next year so I'm hoping we get guys like Chris Culliver, KC (Kevin Concepcion), Daylan (Smothers), Nathan Leacock, and Noah Rogers. That could be a dominant team."

Vereen is a great athlete for N.C. State's offense. Don't expect him to be used as a traditional tight end, especially early in his career. Vereen is a verified 6-foot-2, 205-pounds and does a great job catching the ball in space. He can present mismatches with slower linebackers and defensive backs that aren't overly physical. N.C. State's coaching staff should be able to move him around in different formations to put him in position to exploit personnel weakness on the defense. Vereen's frame should be able to hold a lot more solid mass too, which will help him when called upon to assist in the running game. While Vereen is on the shorter side for a tight end, he has two older brothers that are at least 6-foot-5 so there is a chance he could get an inch or two taller.