TheWolfpacker’s 3-2-1: What we’re hearing after NC State’s spring game
Despite the downpour of rain at Carter-Finley Stadium Saturday afternoon, NC State put together a successful weekend of unofficial visits with prospects spread out over the next few recruiting cycles. Last weekend’s events drew spring practice to a close, so it was a crucial series of visits as the program hopes to carry recruiting momentum over into the summer.
Based on the latest intel, the early returns are positive for the Pack.
Three things we learned about NC State football recruiting last week
1) The Wolfpack’s two-day visits went well
NC State hosted three-star wide receiver Jordan Shipp, four-star cornerback Santana Wilson and three-star offensive tackle Deryc Plazz on multi-day visits this weekend, and I heard positive things about all three trips. As one source explained to me, it is always good to have prospects, commits, signees and NFL alumni all on campus at the same time.
Plazz shared the highlights from his trip in a recent interview with TheWolfpacker.com, and it sounds like NC State and Miami have separated themselves a bit here. He has official visits scheduled with both programs.
Penn State and Florida State offered recently, which is something to watch. Offensive line coach Garett Tujague and head coach Dave Doerenhave done everything they can here, based on what Plazz told me coming out of the visit, and I expect NC State to be a strong contender regardless of who else joins his recruitment.
I heard from a source that both Shipp and Wilson’s two-day trips for the spring game went well despite the weather conditions, and both recruits confirmed that they enjoyed their time on campus. Shipp said the visit was great, and Wilson shared that he already appreciated the family atmosphere he felt while on campus.
“It’s crazy up here,” Wilson said. “It’s all love.”
NC State will likely be a top contender for the legacy cornerback from Arizona, but the west coast schools could be tough to beat.
TheWolfpacker.com will share more detailed updates on Shipp and Wilson over the next couple of days.
2) Alex Taylor’s trip did not move the needle much in his recruitment
Alex Taylor’s spring game visit took a different route than his March unofficial trip to campus. He sat down with quarterback commit Cedrick Bailey Jr., wide receivers coach Joker Phillips and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper to watch film from the Wolfpack’s scrimmage.
The four-star wide receiver said he enjoyed watching NC State’s young receivers make plays. He is close with Pack sophomore receiver Terrell Timmons Jr., so seeing him break off a long touchdown likely did not hurt. Sophomore quarterback MJ Morris is also a factor in his decision and, as long as those two playmakers are in Raleigh, the Pack remains a team to watch for Taylor.
With that said, the receiver told me that this trip to campus did not change the program’s standing in his recruitment much. The Wolfpack remains one of his top schools.
3) NC State is trending in different directions with a pair of linebackers
NC State made the top eight for four-star linebacker and pitcher James Nesta, and I still believe the program will have a solid shot in his recruitment. His offer list continues to grow, and he recently took trips to USC, UNC and Tennessee. NC State was one of his first offers, and the baseball program was a strong contender in his decision-making process before the football offers rolled in, so I will be surprised if the Pack is not one of his top schools for the foreseeable future.
The linebacker originally planned on visiting the Wolfpack in March, but a baseball scheduling change canceled that trip. Nesta has not confirmed a new visit date with TheWolfpacker.com, and it is important to get him back on campus soon.
Based on a report from Chris Womak of WLOS 13, Cayden Jones will make his commitment April 21. Considering the four-star linebacker has only made one trip to campus in the past year, I do not view NC State as a strong contender there. Jones is one prospect Brody Barnhardt planned to start recruit after joining the 2024 class last week.
Two questions for this week
1) Can the Pack secure a commitment from its top OT prospects?
The Wolfpack will receive what is likely Plazz’s final June official visit, set for June 23, and he plans on making a commitment September 23. Plenty of power-five schools are involved here, and I could see anyone making a strong push at this point in the cycle, but NC State’s longstanding bond with the lineman should play a significant role here. Tujague began recruiting Plazz in 2022. Few coaches can match that.
Marcus Mascoll visited NC State April 7, his first trip to campus, and he also plans on returning for an official visit in June. Florida, Georgia Tech and LSU are also teams to watch. He has been interested in the Pack for a while and said this trip improved the program’s standing as he moves towards his commitment commitment. The three-star offensive tackle hopes to make his decision before the start of his senior season.
2) Will NC State contend for Jordan Young?
NC State was the first Division-I program to offer Jordan Young a scholarship. Since then, Notre Dame, Alabama and others have joined his recruitment. The four-star athlete, who dominated on both sides of the ball for Monroe (NC) High last year, visited campus for the first time last week and enjoyed the trip. He told TheWolfpacker.com that he felt like a priority. Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Duke also hosted Young this spring.
One prediction: Quentin Reddish will be the next member of NC State’s defensive back class
Quentin Reddish’s first visit to campus since picking up an offer from the Wolfpack went great, and he left impressed by the program’s defense. In the days leading up to the spring game, he dropped a top 3 schools list that included NC State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Based on a previous interview with the three-star safety, this seems like it could turn into a two-team race between the Pack and the Demon Deacons. He is very high on Wake Forest, and it sounds like NC State established itself as a top contender this weekend. The 6-3 safety will spend his final scheduled official visit, June 16, in Raleigh, which sets up well for the Wolfpack.
I do not have enough intel to submit an official expert prediction in-favor of NC State, but the program is trending sharply in the right direction.
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