NC State football early enrollee spring standouts

There was a high number of signees in the NC State football recruiting class for 2023 that enrolled early for the Wolfpack. Of the 15 inked from the prep ranks, 11 of them arrived in January and participated in the spring practices.

After viewing the NC State football spring game Saturday, these five early enrollee freshmen stood out for the Wolfpack.

Linebacker Kamal Bonner

Kamal Bonner was a revelation at linebacker for Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County High last fall. Until then, Bonner had been a prep safety. A move to linebacker saw Bonner make 125 tackles, including 7 for loss and 3 sacks, as a senior. His stellar play landed him on the NC State football recruiting board at linebacker, and a coaching change at Georgia Tech opened the door for the Pack to flip the Yellow Jackets commit.

If the spring game is an indicator, Bonner looks like he has a promising future for NC State. Playing on the White Team against the starters and top reserves, Bonner helped blow up a reverse for a big loss, and along with redshirt sophomore linebacker Jordan Poole, was one of the most active defenders on the White Team.

Cornerback Brandon Cisse

The NC State football staff views itself as good evaluators and developers of talent. Hence, the Pack defensive coaches were probably already confident that cornerback Brandon Cisse from Sumter, S.C., would prove to be a steal.

One source told TheWolfpacker.com last summer that cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell “loved” everything he saw about Cisse when Cisse camped for NC State last June. NC State became Cisse’s lone Power Five offer, and if the spring game is an indicator the Pack will be proven right about Cisse.

He already worked his way up to the Red Team, which was comprised of the primary starters and top reserves, and held up well. The Pack is well stacked at corner, but Cisse provides additional depth in case there are injuries.

Wide receiver Kevin Concepcion

The first time Kevin Concepcion caught the pass, he weaved his way through the defense, going from the sideline on the west side of Carter-Finley Stadium towards the middle of the field for valuable yards after the catch, picking up 18 yards overall.

That was one of two times that Concepcion gained good yardage after the reception, and then he also showcased his big play capability by hauling in an 43-yard catch from sophomore quarterback MJ Morris on the next-to-last play of the scrimmage in what appeared to be a slot post route.

The NC State offense is looking for playmakers at receiver, and Concepcion made a case to be considered.

Running back Kendrick Raphael

Kendrick Raphael did not have a game without miscues. He had a fumble and also dropped what would have been a big pass play, but his performance was still noteworthy.

Considered by some recruiting services to be a four-star coming out of Naples (Fla.) High and a one-time Iowa commit, Raphael rushed 8 times for 32 yards. That led all rushers and is noteworthy because Raphael did all of his running behind the backup linemen against the starting defense. Also impressive was that Raphael was not once brought down for a loss.

Tight end Juice Vereen

The hire by NC State football head coach Dave Doeren as Robert Anae as the offensive coordinator was seen as a potential boon for Juice Vereen.

Vereen profiles somewhat similarly to Syracuse star tight end/receiver Oronde Gadsden II. In 2021, Gadsden was strictly a receiver and caught 2 passes for 24 yards. After Anae arrived, Gadsden took on a more versatile role and had a huge year, hauling in 61 receptions for 969 yards and 6 scores, while being named All-ACC.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Vereen could have a similar role for Anae at NC State like the 6-foot-5, 216-pound Gadsden did for the Orange. Vereen was rated a four-star by multiple outlets, including On3, after back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons for Havelock (N.C.) High.

Like Concepcion, Vereen was a prominently targeted player on the Red Team. Although the results were mixed when targeting Vereen, he has clearly shown the NC State coaches he has the athletic and playmaking potential to be a factor for the Pack.

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