The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1087622
58 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER A n early estimate for the 2020 football recruiting class is that NC State will be able to sign around 20 players. Here's a rundown of some of the early targets at each position (all rankings are from Rivals.com). Quarterback NC State already has a verbal commit- ment from Ben Finley of Paradise Valley High in Phoenix. The younger brother of former Wolfpack signal-caller Ryan Fin- ley is ranked as a three-star prospect, the No. 12 recruit in Arizona and the No. 21 pro-style QB in the junior class. The 6-2, 195-pound Finley led Paradise Valley to a 6-4 record last season, complet- ing 57.0 percent of his passes for 2,777 yards with 23 touchdowns and 15 intercep- tions. He also rushed for 153 yards and four scores. Running Back NC State offered Elijah Green from Ro- swell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity during the fall. He broke out as a sophomore by rushing 218 times for 1,317 yards and 10 touch- downs in 15 games. The 5-11, 190-pounder played only seven games this past fall due to an injury, and ran 69 times for 406 yards and one score. Blessed Trinity has won back-to-back Class AAAA state titles. Iowa State, North Carolina, South Caro- lina, Vanderbilt and Virginia have also of- fered Green. He is listed as a three-star recruit, the No. 68 player in Georgia and the No. 11 all-purpose back nationally. Wide Receiver The Pack has already landed one of its top priorities at the position in four-star Porter Rooks, who caught 50 passes for 652 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games at Providence Day School in Char- lotte last year. The 6-2, 180-pounder is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state, and the No. 11 wideout and No. 52 overall player in the country. Rooks has transferred to Myers Park High, where he will be the teammate of another top NC State receiver target in four-star Muhsin Muhammad. The son of the former NFL wideout by the same name is listed as the No. 5 recruit in the state, and the No. 27 wide receiver and No. 128 overall prospect in the country. Muhammad caught 58 passes for 1,003 yards and eight scores last year. He has been to NC State multiple times, most re- cently in January for a junior day. Tight End NC State was the first school to offer John Copenhaver (6-3, 210 pounds) from Roswell (Ga.) High, and Copenhaver's stock has risen steadily since. Boston Col- lege, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina, Pur- due, South Carolina and Wake Forest have now also offered. Copenhaver is rated as a three-star recruit, the No. 42 player in Georgia and the No. 12 tight end in the nation. He visited NC State for the homecoming win against Florida State and for a junior day in February. Offensive Line One of the most significant targets on NC State's recruiting board is four-star offensive tackle Mitchell Mayes from Ra- leigh. Mayes played with current NC State sophomore defensive tackle Alim McNeill and redshirt freshman running back Trent Pennix at Sanderson High. Mayes has transferred this offseason to Leesville Road High, also in Raleigh. The 6-5, 315-pounder is listed as the No. 7 recruit in North Carolina, and the No. 17 offensive tackle and No. 149 overall player nationally. He has been to NC State by his own admission more than 20 times. Clemson, though, is a stiff challenger. Anthony Carter from Butler High in Matthews is another in-state target. The 6-4, 295-pounder also has offers from Four-star wide receiver Porter Rooks from Charlotte — who switched high schools from Provi- dence Day to Myers Park in January — verbally committed to NC State in December. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Looking Ahead To The Class Of 2020