NC State is a football program on the rise. Following a breakout 9-4 campaign in 2017, the best under head coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack sent a program-record seven players to the NFL.
That on-field success for the Wolfpack and post-college success for its players has been reflected in one of the most important facets of college football: recruiting.
While NC State brings in a strong crop of freshmen for 2018, the 2019 class is shaping up to be something truly special. NC State’s group of 15 hard commits for 2019 is ranked 24th nationally by 247Sports and fifth in the ACC behind Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech. NC State running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Des Kitchings was recently named the top recruiter in the ACC.
Part of what’s made NC State’s recruiting efforts so successful is mining in-state talent. The Wolfpack’s current top two commits for 2019 a pair of four-stars ranked second and 11th among North Carolina recruits.
Here’s a rundown of a few of the notable names that have committed to NC State for 2019.
Savion Jackson, four-star defensive end- Jackson is the crown jewel of Doeren’s 2019 class. The Clayton High School product is No. 46 recruit in the county, No. 2 in the state of North Carolina and the No. 3 defensive end in the 2019 class.
In his junior year, Jackson racked up 56 total tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and a forced fumble. Jackson could be the Pack’s next great pass rushing weapon, following in the footsteps of top NFL picks in Bradley Chubb and Mario Williams.
C.J. Clark, four-star defensive tackle- Sending all four of its starting defensive linemen to the NFL draft last year is continuing to pay dividends to the Pack. Seeing all of Chubb, B.J. Hill, Justin Jones and Kentavius Street drafted in the top four rounds shows what NC State can do for defensive line prospects.
Clark comes in as the No. 11 in-state recruit, and the No. 19 defensive tackle in this class. In his junior year at North Stanly High School in New London, North Carolina, Clark piled up 79 tackles, nine sacks, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
Jamious Griffin, three-star running back- The top out-of-state recruit in NC State’s 2019 class so far, Griffin is the No. 21 running back in the class. The Rome, Georgia native carried the rock 178 times for 1,276 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2017, adding 13 catches for 213 yards and a score for Rome High School.
Drake Thomas, three-star inside linebacker- Continuing the trend of top in-state defenders, Thomas is the No. 21 inside linebacker in the class, and North Carolina’s No. 28 recruit. As a junior at Heritage, Thomas put up 112 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and three interceptions.
Triston Miller, three-star offensive tackle- Miller is the top offensive lineman in the state of North Carolina for 2019.
Here’s the current position breakdown of NC State’s 2019 hard commitments so far:
Offensive line- four
Defensive line- three
Linebacker- two
Wide receiver- two
Defensive back- two
Running back- one
Long snapper- one
All rankings from 247Sports
