NC State Wolfpack college football recruiting class 2023

Raleigh

NC. State football coach Dave Doeren had a lot of good things to say about the players the Wolfpack signed Wednesday on the first day of December’s early signing for football.

“It’s an incredibly talented group of young men,” he said.

As far as recruiting process goes, Doeren said, things are not so good.

Doeren referred to modern-day recruiting as a “long, tedious, detailed experience.” Recruits are shown a lot of things about the school and program and why it could be a “good fit” — an age-old recruiting pitch — but there’s so much more involved now.

Specifically: name, image and likeness. The advent of promised NIL packages and financial incentives has altered many a recruiting conversation, is causing programs to lose recruits and has more or less skewed the process..

“It’s pretty crazy what’s going on right now,” Doeren said. “It’s happening too much and at an alarming rate.”

Add in the NCAA transfer portal, and the flood of players entering it, and there’s a lot for coaches and their staffs to grasp, monitor and manage.

“We’re learning how to live within this world as we go,” Doeren said. “I’m sure we’re failing some and succeeding some, and we’ll get better as we go through it. It’s sad. I hope the NCAA can get its arms around this thing from a recruiting standpoint. It’s not healthy at all.”

Of the Pack’s 21 signees, including four preferred walk-ons, Doeren said 12 were team captains and nine were multi-sport athletes in high school. Like most coaches, Doeren said “needs were filled.” And many, he said, would be enrolling at NCSU for the spring semester and be early enrollees for the program.

“We’re super excited about this group of guys,” Doeren said. “There’s a bunch of guys who are going to help us and, because of how many players we’re losing, will have a chance to play early. And they will. There’s a bunch of leaders in this class and a bunch of winners.”

The Pack ranked seventh in the ACC in the 247sports recruiting rankings and No. 42 nationally.

Top-rated recruit

Safety Daeman Fagan had a lot of the major schools pursuing him, including Georgia, Ohio State and LSU, but the Wolfpack landed the consensus 4-star recruit from American Heritage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has the size at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, the speed and instincts to jump into the mix in the defensive secondary.

Player who could have an early impact

It could be tight end Javonte Vereen from Havelock, given the way the tight end position is used in the offensive system of new Pack coordinator Robert Anae. Syracuse’s Oronde Gadsden II, an All-ACC pick this season, was more of a hybrid tight end/wideout in Anae’s system. Vereen, who plans to enroll for the spring semester at NCSU, could be the same.

Most intriguing recruit

Junior-college defensive line signee Jykeveous Hibbler from Northwest Mississippi Community College has experience with the three-man front and stack defense the Pack runs. He could be a depth addition for Tony Gibson’s defense or push for playing time. Hibbler also plans to enroll for the spring semester.

Top local recruit

The Pack was hoping to sign wide receiver Tamarcus Cooley of Rolesville but he flipped his commitment to Maryland, the Pack’s bowl opponent in Charlotte. Quarterback Lex Thomas from Heritage High will follow in the Wolfpack footprints of his older brothers, Thayer and Drake, and is recovering from shoulder surgery.

NCSU scholarship signees

Name	Position	Height	Weight	Hometown	High school
Kamal Bonner	LB	6-2	200	Moultrie, Ga.	Colquitt County
Brandon Cisse	CB	6-1	170	Sumter, SC	Lakewood
Kevin Concepcion	WR	5-11	173	Charlotte	Julius Chambers
Rohan Davy	LB	5-9	195	Silver Spring, Md	St. John’s
Daemon Fagan	S	6-3	180	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla	American Heritage
Jykeveous Hibbler	DL	6-2	250	Sentatobia, MS	Northwest Mississippi CC
Terrente Hinton	CB	6-2	175	Hutchinson, KS	Hutchinson CC
Rico Jackson	OT	6-5	300	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla	Dillard
Kelvon McBride	LB	6-3	210	Mobile, Ala	Cottage Hill Christian
Zack Myers	ATH	6-1	190	Arden	Christ School
Obadiah Obasuyl	OT	6-6	288	Alpharetta, Ga	Alpharetta
Kendrick Raphael	RB	5-11	180	Naples, Fla	Naples
Darion Rivers	OT	6-6	255	Charlotte	West Charlotte
Isaiah Shirley	DL	6-3	260	Boone	Watauga
Kamen Smith	OT	6-5	275	Wilkesboro	Wilkes Central
Lex Thomas	QB	5-11	193	Wake Forest	Heritage
Javonte Vareen	TE	6-4	209	Havelock	Havelock