Recruiting Snapshot: NC State
While most of college football has been put on hold, recruiting marches on. The class of 2021 has seen a wave of commitments since the start of April, and the team rankings have adjusted to reflect growing classes. We are taking a snapshot of classes in the Rivals Team Rankings, and continue today with a look at the NC State Wolfpack.
MORE WOLFPACK COVERAGE: Smart recruiting at NC State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
NC STATE
Current rank: 56
Number of commits: 7
Top commits: Three-star PQB Aaron McLaughlin (No. 21 at his position), three-star OT Jaleel Davis (No. 54), three-star WR Julian Gray
Top targets: Four-star WR Micah Crowell (No. 146 overall), three-star SDE Travali Price (no. 25 at his position), three-star OLB Jordan Poole
LOCAL REACTION
“I wrote a column this week about how I have been impressed that NC State has not reached for any of its commitments. There are a series of challenges that the Pack face that maybe some other schools do not, chiefly having five new assistants in a year where recruiting has been in a dead period for an extended period of time, not allowing top targets to meet the new coaches in person.
“Getting McLaughlin at quarterback after he decommitted from Auburn was significant. Gray, Caleb McDowell and Jakolbe Baldwin are legitimately athletic skill players, with Gray and McDowell particularly adding a lot of speed. Davis is a high-upside offensive tackle with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and cornerback Mario Love Jr. has been on the scene since he was a freshman at Hough High.
“The key for the Pack going forward is landing some of the top in-state targets in one of the most loaded years in North Carolina history — players like Crowell, linebackers Jabril McNeill and Poole, defensive linemen Price and Zyun Reeves and offensive linemen Yousef Mugharbil, Michael Gonzalez and Diego Pounds. The Pack is in contention with all of them.” - Matt Carter, TheWolfpacker.com
NATIONAL REACTION
“After back-to-back nine-win seasons, last year’s four-win result has NC State working hard to reload and get back to being a top-25 team. Six of their seven commitments so far in this recruiting class are on the offensive side of the ball. The Wolfpack has done a tremendous job of developing prospects over the last few years and these players could turn out to be big pieces of a very competitive program.
“NC State has a great chance of adding another major playmaker in Crowell and Mugharbil along the O-line, but a lot of their attention is going to be on adding defensive talent throughout the rest of the recruiting cycle. Price, Poole, defensive back Sean Brown, linebacker Trevin Wallace, McNeill and many others are very high on NC State’s wish list. Obviously NC State is far from finishing off this recruiting class, so look for many more prospects to join this class before all is said and done.” - Adam Friedman, East Coast analyst