The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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84 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER N C State is in the enviable position of being able to focus much of its recruit- ing attention on underclassmen. The Wolf- pack should be able to take close to a full class of 25 in 2021. Here is a name at each position to watch: Quarterback Four-star Jake Rubley from Highlands Ranch (Colo.) High is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 3 player in Colorado and the No. 9 pro-style quarterback in the coun- try. As a sophomore, the 6-3, 195-pound Rubley completed 165 of 319 passes (51.7 percent) for 1,951 yards with 20 touch- downs and five interceptions. Rubley owns a very impressive offer list that includes scholarship offers from Power Five programs such as Colorado, Iowa, Kansas State, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Northwestern, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah and Wisconsin. The Wolfpack, though, appear to have a good shot because Rubley has already made two trips to Raleigh, including one in June for a summer camp. In addition, first-year quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper arrived at NC State in the winter after a stint at Colorado. Running Back No name may be more significant to NC State's class of 2021 recruiting than four-star running back Will Shipley of Weddington High in Matthews, N.C. Ri- vals.com recently promoted Shipley in the rankings to No. 3 in the state, and the top all-purpose back and No. 57 overall player regardless of position nationally. The 5-11, 200-pound Shipley also has deep family ties to NC State, including both of his parents being alums. His re- cruitment is highly competitive, though, with defending national champion Clem- son joining his offer list this summer. He also made trips in June to Stanford and Northwestern, two schools prominently in the mix. Notre Dame and South Carolina are other programs frequently mentioned by Shipley. However, Shipley has made multiple visits to NC State, and his last trip of the summer was for the Pack's Alpha Wolf Showcase July 26. He has also hinted that he may be a relatively early commitment. Shipley ran 206 times for 1,417 yards and 19 touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 393 yards and six scores on offense last season, helping Weddington go 15-1 and win a state title. Defensively, he added 49 tackles, two stops for loss, one sack, two interceptions, eight passes broken up and four quarterback hurries. Wide Receiver Pulling four-star Micah Crowell (6-2, 205 pounds) away from Virginia will not be easy. The product of East Forsyth High in Kernersville, N.C., is the son of former UVA and NFL star wide receiver Germane Crowell, and his older brother, also named Germane, signed with the Cavaliers in the 2017 class. His uncle Angelo Crowell also played for Virginia. That said, the latest Crowell has been receptive to NC State thus far in the recruit- ing process, and it was the Wolfpack that was one of Virginia's top competitors for Germane Crowell two years ago. As a sophomore, Crowell caught 25 passes for 511 yards and seven touchdowns to help East Forsyth, which featured Pack signee Khalid Martin at safety, to a 4-A state title. Tight End The Wolfpack made sure that Miles Campbell from Douglasville (Ga.) South Paulding had a worthwhile trip to the Alpha Wolf Showcase. The 6-3, 210-pounder, in addition to enjoying the tours and festivi- ties, picked up an offer from NCSU. Campbell said that he was "blown away" by the visit. "The relationship with [tight ends coach] Todd Goebbel has gotten a lot stronger, and we talk once a week," Campbell added. "I like how he runs things." Georgia Tech, Kansas, Maryland, Michi- gan and Nebraska have also offered Camp- bell, who caught 68 passes for 533 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore. Ri- vals.com ranks him as the No. 42 junior in Georgia. Offensive Line NC State has done a good job dominat- ing recruiting in its home Wake County over the past few years. One of its next tests will be three-star offensive tackle Andrew Canelas, an imposing 6-8, 300-pounder at Leesville Road High in Raleigh. The Wolfpack offered Canelas in July and he made a pair of visits over the sum- mer, including for the Alpha Wolf Show- case. Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Vir- ginia Tech have also extended early schol- arships to Canelas, whom Rivals.com rates as the No. 21 junior in a loaded in-state 2021 class. ■ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Looking Ahead To The Class Of 2021 Matthews (N.C.) Weddington four-star Will Shipley — the No. 3 prospect in North Caro- lina, and the No. 1 all-purpose back and No. 57 overall player in the country per Rivals.com — is one of the top recruits on NC State's board. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM The Wolfpack will look to continue its re- cruiting success close to home with 6-8, 300-pound three-star offensive tackle Andrew Canelas of Leesville Road High in Raleigh. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM