Signing day is approaching and North Carolina State’s recruiting class is still looking to finish strong. The class hasn’t quite come together liked the Pack had hoped, but there’s still a chance to land a few solid contributors as we reach signing day.
The Pack sought out to land some legitimate height at wide receiver in 2016, a position that was severely lacking in 2015. State missed on top targets Cornell Powell and Diondre Overton, but landed Daeshawn Stephens, a local product and camp kid who stands at 6’3”, and C.J. Riley, who is listed at 6’5” and is one of the better players in the class so far.
The search will conclude with decisions by the two remaining targets, 4-star Kelvin Harmon and 2-star Devontres Dukes. Harmon was a major target for NC State that committed to South Carolina, then decommitted as a result of their coaching changes. It was reported that he had flipped to NC State, but he denied it and elected to extend his recruitment. Harmon’s final decision will come down the pipe on Feb. 1, and it will likely be either NC State or Miami. He recently took an official visit to Miami and enjoyed it enough to say that the Canes had a good chance of landing him. NC State had been the perceived leader post decommitment. The 6’2” New Jersey native would be the second highest rated player in the 2016 class for NC State.
DeVontres Dukes is a Florida product who recently officially visited NC State and by all accounts loved it. He is listed at 6’4” by Rivals.com, but might not be quite that tall. He has also officially visited South Florida and Marshall, and things will likely come down to the Bulls and the Pack. He will announce his decision on signing day.
The other area where the Pack needs a big finish is in the secondary, a unit that also left a lot to be desired on the field in 2015. One of the State’s top targets from the get-go has been Kissimmee, Florida cornerback Carlos Becker. Becker’s offer sheet is huge and he’s a fast rising prospect that is bordering on 4-star status. NC State was the trendy pick for the corner but recent interest from schools such as Florida State and Ohio State has made things more uncertain. A decision date has not been set but we’ll know soon enough.
Nick McCloud, JJ Givens, and Bryon Brown are the other three names to know at defensive back. Brown was a 2-star who recently decommitted from UCF. All indications were that he would be switching his commitment to NC State (his only power-five offer), until he surprisingly recommitted to the Knights. The Pack do not have room for Becker and all three others, so his decision may have been a result of State focusing on their other targets or feeling good about them, but that is only speculation. Givens will come down to NC State and Maryland and a decision will come shortly after his official visit to the Terps this weekend. He’s been to State’s campus more than five times. McCloud is a player that was expected to commit to NC State a while ago, but increased interest from other schools, such as South Carolina, caused him to delay his date. He announced a final four of Vanderbilt, UCLA, NC State, and Georgia Tech after his official visit to Georgia Tech. Realistically, things are probably down to the Pack and the Yellow Jackets with Georgia Tech possibly holding a slight edge.
Update: Givens has committed to NC State. He announced via Twitter that he had cancelled his Maryland visit, and then subsequently announced his commitment.
Image: Athlon Sports
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