NC State signed 17 members of its 2020 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period, with eight of the prospects enrolling early and moving on campus in January. The class ranks 45th nationally and eighth in the ACC, according to the 247 composite. Head coach Dave Doeren said the distinguishing characteristic of this group is speed.
“The biggest part, as we got into this as a staff, is trying to get some more team speed … particularly on offense with our receiving corps, getting some more guys that can run,” Doeren said. “There’s four kids in the class … and they have verified times … guys that can really run and separate and create some explosive plays for us.”
The speed Doeren referred to seems to be three-star wide receivers Chris Scott, Anthony Smith and Jalen Coit and three-star defensive back Joshua Pierre-Louis. Scott placed sixth in the Georgia 6A track and field state finals in the 100-meter with a time of 10.79 seconds, while Smith ran a 21.96 in the 200 at the North Carolina 3A track and field state championships. Pierre-Louis similarly ran a 22.39 in the 200 at the Florida 1A track and field state championships. These players may not see the field immediately, but they’ll push the upperclassmen for snaps if their speed translates to the field.
A few candidates to immediately make an impact for NC State next season are four-star wide receiver Porter Rooks, three-star defensive tackle Davin Vann and three-star cornerback Devan Boykin. Doeren took time to praise each individually, and their senior films reveal why.
Rooks, the top player and lone composite four-star in NC State’s class, was ranked the ninth-best player in the state. His game is polished, and enrolling early will give him even more time to get situated in State’s system.
“As a player, he’s consistent,” Doeren said. “He’s a good route runner, he’s a good ball-catcher, he’s got good speed, he’s competitive. He understands the game, and I think he’s a really hungry kid that wants to prove himself and help elevate our program.”
Davin Vann was virtually unknown before NC State emerged as a key player in his recruitment, but his stock has risen and Vann is currently the 13th-best player in the state. He’s got a nice combination of strength and speed and may push fill Larrell Murchison’s spot in the 3-3-5.
“Davin is such a humble young man, a quiet young man, but ultracompetitive,” Doeren said. “Very flexible guy that can play multiple positions … an all-state player.”
Then there’s Boykin, whom Doeren singled out as an exemplar of the type of player the staff looks for. His versatility and high football IQ is something the staff values highly, as well as the fact that he’s enrolling early.
“Devan Boykin is just a really smart football player,” Doeren said. “He plays corner, safety and nickel. He can do a lot of things. He was a great receiver, is a great basketball player, that’s what you’re looking for when you’re looking for a DB.”
Ben Finley, younger brother of Ryan Finley, also signed for NC State early Wednesday morning. Finley joins a quarterback room that is filled with bodies as well as inconsistency. Finley’s already differentiated himself from his brother with his humorous tweets on social media, and Doeren said he has to be his own player outside of his brother’s shadow. The younger Finley looks to have a stronger arm than his brother, and if he shares his brother’s solid decision-making, Ben Finley will make his own mark on NC State football.
“Ben is his own guy; he’s got to blaze his own trail,” Doeren said. “I told him, ‘You can’t come here because of [former offensive coordinator] Eli [Drinkwitz], you can’t come here because of Ryan. This needs to be your school,’ and he committed that way … He’s going to have to do it his own way.”
NC State’s 2020 class is lower ranked than Doeren’s last two, which comes as no surprise given the season the Wolfpack had. The story of the year for NC State recruiting was decommitments, with eight members of its class flipping to other schools like Alabama, Penn State, Georgia and Oregon. Keeping players committed when bigger schools come knocking is close to impossible.
“I think that’s just the nature of the business right now, until they make it different where a kid can sign whenever he wants,” Doeren said. “We tell them, ‘Don’t commit if you want to keep looking.’ I say those words to our guys. ‘You have a scholarship, but by committing, we stop recruiting other players at your position when it fills up.’ And most of the kids hear me loud and clear, but some don’t.”
With five spots left in NC State’s 2020 class, the work isn’t over yet for the coaching staff. Doeren still sees needs to fill as well as an opportunity to grab one or more ‘best available’ prospects or transfers that pop up before National Signing Day on Feb. 5.
“We have five left that we can sign, whether we’re looking at graduate [transfers], whether we’re looking at junior college players, whether we’re looking at high school players that didn’t sign,” Doeren said. “On the line of scrimmage we’ll be looking, on the O-line and D-line, those are two spots that we’ll continue to look [at], probably more than any.”
