Signing day will be here tomorrow, but NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren and staff have already succeeded in taking a big step attracting attention and accolades for their hard work on the recruiting trail and positioning the Pack for significant improvement in 2014.
This year’s recruiting class will be large in numbers, which usually only helps your numbers/rankings. But, bodies are what any depleted roster needs. The Wolfpack has already experienced an impressive influx of early enrollee’s that SFN chronicled for you in this entry.
I was very pleased to see this article from Dave Miller at NFPost.com and Yahoo.com acknowledging that State has one of the 5 best ‘under-the-radar recruiting classes’.
NC State: The Wolfpack are having a phenomenal cycle under second-year head coach Dave Doeren. With outstanding defensive lineman Kentavius Street already having pledged, the program received a commitment from fellow in-state product William Richardson, an offensive guard, and Baltimore cornerback Troy Vincent Jr., both of whom who flipped to the Wolfpack following Street’s commitment. Doeren also has Charlotte quarterback Jalan McClendon, who has a chance to become a starter sooner than later. Maurice Trowell could make an impact at slot receiver. Defensively, Georgia defensive tackle Justin Jones and safeties Kalen McCain and Germaine Pratt lead what is shaping up to be a real nice haul on that side of the ball even outside of Street.
Heck, the previous story didn’t even mention the fact that we probably have a new starting linebacker in the class with 6-2, 215-pounder Ty Linton who originally committed to UNC before deciding to play professional baseball for the last few seasons.
Elsewhere, Doeren’s recruiting success is already translating to expected improvement on the field in 2014. Heck, just yesterday ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich picked NC State to execute the biggest turnaround in the conferenced next year. (Click to article)
Here are three reasons to believe NC State will be significantly better in Year 2 under Dave Doeren:
1. An improved quarterback: Doeren has already declared that former Florida transfer Jacoby Brissett is his starting quarterback this fall, despite the return of Pete Thomas. Doeren seems very confident in Brissett’s abilities, and recently praised his leadership skills. Brissett has spent a year studying the system and is ready to take over a position that could use an upgrade. Thomas and Brandon Mitchell combined for 11 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
2. A favorable schedule: The Wolfpack should start out 4-0, sweeping its nonconference schedule with wins over Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, at South Florida and Presbyterian. With two FCS schools in the lineup, there’s no excuse not to. If they deliver, they will already have surpassed their 2013 win total and started the season better than they did last fall. The bigger difference, though, should come in games against Wake Forest and Boston College. They’ve got bye weeks to prepare for road trips to Syracuse and rival North Carolina, and they get Georgia Tech at home. It’s a schedule that sets up for success.
3. A talented incoming recruiting class: Doeren and his staff have been working hard, and it’s paid off, as their class is currently ranked No. 37 in the country and includes five four-star players, including two players from the ESPN 300. The highlight of the class is Kentavius Street, one the nation’s premier defensive linemen and No. 68 in the ESPN 300. Street committed in December, and flips from ESPN 300 guard William Richardson and four-star cornerback Troy Vincent Jr. followed in January.
For a little more on some of the specific names – like Bo Hines – you can click here.
Three-star Charlotte (N.C.) Christian High School receiver Bo Hines was the first player committed in the Pack’s 2014 class. Hines is considered the No. 58 wide receiver in the class and a top-25 player in North Carolina. He had offers from Nebraska, East Carolina and Marshall.
