The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1087622
MARCH 2019 ■ 59 ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia, among oth- ers. He visited NC State for a junior day in February. Carter is rated as the No. 25 junior in the state. Defensive Line NC State added a commitment from defensive tackle Jaylen Smith of Ahoskie (N.C.) Hertford County High during a ju- nior day Feb. 23. The 6-4, 260-pounder also had an offer from Wake Forest. He over- came a knee injury to play seven games last year, and record 21 stops, two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. The state of North Carolina also has a quartet of four-star defensive linemen all on NC State's board — Jacolbe Cowan (6-5, 250 pounds) and Kedrick Bingley- Jones (6-4, 260 pounds) from Providence Day School in Charlotte, Myles Murphy (6-4, 240 pounds) from Southwest Guilford High in High Point and Desmond Evans (6-6, 240 pounds) from Lee County High in Sanford. Evans is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state, and the No. 2 weakside defensive end and No. 38 overall player nationally. He has piled up 26 sacks over the past two seasons, including 12 last fall. He visited NC State for a game in the fall and a junior day in January. Bingley-Jones posted 49 tackles and eight sacks in eight games last year. The one-time Florida commit has unofficially visited NC State twice since December, and he is ranked No. 6 in the state and No. 132 overall nationally. His teammate Cowan, who contributed 23 tackles and five sacks in 2018, is rated as the No. 4 recruit in North Carolina, and the No. 7 strongside defensive end and No. 108 overall prospect in the country. Murphy, who is ranked as the No. 11 player in the state and the No. 22 strong- side defensive end nationally, also came to a game last fall and then a junior day in February. Linebacker Two in-state recruits highlight NC State's early wish list at linebacker. NC State jumped in early on Mohamed Kaba, so early he was still playing for Scot- land High in Laurinburg at the time. Kaba moved to Clinton (N.C.) High near the end of last summer, where he played in the fall. The Wolfpack was Kaba's first offer, and he has since been back three times, includ- ing in January for an unofficial visit. Kaba is ranked as the No. 14 player in North Carolina and the No. 36 outside linebacker nationally. He will play in the All-American Bowl at San Antonio next year, and also has offers from Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Trenton Simpson (6-2, 205 pounds) from Mallard Creek High in Charlotte plays both running back and linebacker, but most schools are recruiting him for defense. Simpson's stock has also exploded with offers from Auburn, Duke, Georgia, Michi- gan, North Carolina, Purdue, South Caro- lina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Wisconsin. He visited NC State for a junior day in January. Simpson is ranked as the No. 8 recruit in the state, and the No. 12 outside line- backer and No. 164 overall prospect in the country. Defensive Back NC State was the first Power Five offer for Devan Boykin from Ragsdale High in Jamestown, N.C. The 6-0, 175-pounder played both ways last year, and compiled 33 tackles, three stops for loss and one interception that he returned 58 yards for a touchdown while playing at defensive back, which is where NC State is target- ing him. Boykin, who is rated as a three-star re- cruit, also threw for seven scores, ran for five touchdowns and had a scoring catch on offense, plus was a dynamic punt returner, running back 10 for an average of 21.5 yards and three touchdowns. At safety, an early name to watch is Ja'Qurious Conley from Northside High in Jacksonville, N.C. As a junior, Conley rushed 72 times for 517 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 290 yards and three scores. However, he is most prized for his abil- ity on defense. This past fall, he notched 79 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three interceptions, three passes broken up, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal. On special teams, Conley averaged 38.8 yards on 11 kickoff returns and 27.4 yards on five punt runbacks. He returned two kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns. The 6-2, 190-pound Conley visited NC State for a junior day in February. He also has offers from Duke, North Caro- lina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. He is ranked as the No. 18 player in the state and the No. 26 safety nationally. ■ Four-star defensive end Desmond Evans from Lee County High in Sanford, N.C., was offered by the Wolfpack when he was a freshman. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN For regular reports on NC State football recruiting plus videos of Wolfpack commitments and targets visit TheWolfpacker.com.