The Wolfpacker 3-2-1: Thoughts and questions on a very busy recruiting week for NC State
NC State’s official visit season begins this week. Chaos will ensue, commits will follow and, within the next couple of months, we will have a pretty clear picture of what the Wolfpack’s 2025 recruiting class will look like.
Some prospects will start to arrive in Raleigh Thursday night for visits that begin Friday. Over the next 48 hours, NC State will be pulling out all the stops to give the recruits the most comprehensive picture of the Wolfpack football program.
That’s not an easy task. Last year, the Pack nailed it, shifting the decision momentum for a handful of top prospects. NC State will try to continue those good vibes this weekend.
3 things we learned about NC State football recruiting this week
1) Cameron Strong is still visiting NC State this weekend
NC State likes to stack the final two weekends of its official visit schedule. That sometimes leads to significant momentum swings as prospects travel to other schools before spending a weekend in Raleigh.
The Pack made it through the first weekend without recruits committing elsewhere. That’s a pretty significant win. With that said, West Virginia did seemingly build some momentum with three-star cornerback Cameron Strong. The rising senior told TheWolfpacker.com that he had a pretty good time on his trip to Morgantown.
His communication with the Pack has remained positive, and he remains locked in for an official visit this weekend. NC State really impressed him every time he previously visited campus. When he stopped by Raleigh in January, that trip helped establish the program as the team to beat.
Strong is quite close with cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell. They will have plenty of quality time together on this visit, and I still really like NC State’s chances in his recruitment. I made a prediction in the Pack’s favor earlier this spring and do not plan on reconsidering it until hearing how his upcoming trip to Raleigh goes.
The cornerback already knows a couple of the current Wolfpack players. Keep an eye on Brandon Cisse and/or Tank Boston to play a role in his recruitment.
2) Mykah Newton is a top priority for the staff
NC State will host three-star defensive end Mykah Newton this weekend between his other scheduled trips to Michigan State and UCF. The Wolfpack really likes the 6-3 rising senior.
If the Pack could land Newton to pair with defensive line commit Colby Cronk on the edge, then that would be a phenomenal class. NC State is taking a broad approach to this defensive line cycle, but the Newberry (Fla.) standout is a prospect to keep a close eye on.
One interesting note from his post-Michigan State visit interview— Newton no longer plans on visiting UConn June 21-23. He is keeping that weekend open for now, so it will be interesting to see if another school ends up hosting him. The lineman previously expressed interest in stopping by Georgia Tech this month.
3) Will Wilson will be back on campus this week
Wolfpack quarterback commit Will Wison plans on returning to Raleigh for camp June 7. He will likely go through a workout with Kurt Roper alongside priority rising junior signal-caller Jayvon Gilmore. Both quarterbacks are from South Carolina.
The class of 2025 prospect and his family are about as all-in with the Pack as anyone can get. Wilson feels very passionate about the program, and he “most definitely” plans on sticking around campus to recruit this week’s official visitors.
Wilson’s presence will be very important for a successful first weekend of visits. The quarterback told TheWolfpacker.com he is going to talk to as many recruits as he can while on campus.
2 questions for this week
1) Will NC State add anyone to this week’s visitors list?
It sounds like three-star cornerback Caden Gordon, a longtime defensive back target for the Pack, will end up visiting NC State June 7-9. His high school teammate, wide receiver Jamar Browder, previously told TheWolfpacker.com that he was trying to talk him into visiting Raleigh with him. A source confirmed Tuesday that they have both locked in their trips to NC State.
Keep an eye on Georgia Tech for both Gordon and Browder, who are interested in playing together at the next level. This will be the cornerbacks first trip to Raleigh, so the program will likely have to make a pretty significant impression to contend with Florida State, Indiana, Georgia Tech and the other schools he has already seen in person.
In addition to Gordon, I do not think this week’s visitors list is complete. At least one more prospect could join the following recruits by the end of this week.
*** Three-star defensive line commit Colby Cronk
*** Three-star safety commit Tristan Teasdell
*** Three-star cornerback Robert Jones III
*** Three-star cornerback Jayden Shipps
*** Three-star defensive lineman Mykah Newton
*** Three-star cornerback Cameron Strong
*** Three-star defensive lineman London Simmons
*** Three-star cornerback Caden Gordon
*** Defensive lineman Caleb Bell
*** Wide receiver Jamar Browder
*** Defensive lineman Makhi Williams-Lee
2) Can NC State secure a commitment from an emerging defensive lineman?
NC State expanded its defensive line board this spring and appeared to nail a few evaluations early in the cycle. The Pack was one of the first Power Four schools to offer Simmons, Bell, Newton and Williams-Lee. They will all visit this weekend.
They also have trips scheduled after their June 7-9 visits to NC State. The defensive linemen with official visits scheduled in June, including a group stopping by campus later in the month headlined by three-star nose tackle Drayden Pavey, are all takes for the Wolfpack. If they’re visiting, a source emphasized that the program is comfortable with them joining the class.
We will see how the defensive line class develops but, if NC State could land 1-2 prospects from this weekend and/or Pavey, that would be a huge win for this cycle.
1 prediction: The Pack lands commitment No. 5 of the 2025 cycle this weekend
All but one of this weekend’s visitors are either defensive linemen, cornerbacks or safeties. NC State has done a good job recruiting all three position groups this cycle and, based on everything I have heard behind the scenes, it sounds like the Pack has put itself in position to make a great impression this weekend.
Surrounded by multiple commits, there will be a lot of positive vibes around this group of visitors. For that reason, TheWolfpacker.com projects NC State will land at least one commitment. It might be a silent pledge, but the Pack has a shot to secure some more momentum for the 2025 cycle.
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