NC State football recruiting board update: Defensive line
NC State has assembled a crowded defensive line board packed with heavily recruited prospects who will fit the Wolfpack’s three-man front. The program holds an early commitment from Colby Cronk and plans on hosting at least six other prospects in June.
Defensive line coach Charley Wiles and the rest of the staff is hard at work on the recruiting trail, building upon existing connections and forging new ones. This cycle’s defensive line class could make up a decent portion of the 2025 class.
NC State knows a program can never have enough talented linemen, and the staff is shaping its strategy to account for that.
TheWolfpacker.com is in the process of breaking down NC State’s recruiting board by position. Defensive line is up next. We will update these boards throughout the year, sorting prospects into one of five categories.
*** Commits*** Projected to the Pack*** Trending towards NC State*** Wait and see*** Longshots
Expect a detailed breakdown of each commit, plus recruiting updates on the key uncommitted prospects.
Commits
Three-star defensive end Colby Cronk
Recruitment status: Committed to NC StateRanking: No. 672 nationally, No. 59 edge rusher in the country, No. 84 prospect in Florida (On3 Industry)Height/weight: 6-3, 245 poundsSchool: Flagler Palm Coast (Fla.) HighOther notable offers: Duke, Pittsburgh, VanderbiltFuture NC State visits: June 7-9 (official visit)
The scoop on his recruitment: NC State wrapped up Cronk’s commitment during a trip to Raleigh in March. The program offered the explosive lineman last fall, and he visited the Pack for the first time in January.
He left campus that day very impressed by the program and shut down his recruitment after spending two days on campus later that year. Cronk did not plan on committing during that trip but knew it was a possibility. The university’s academics helped wrap up his recruitment.
The lineman’s recruitment is “100-percent” shut down. Wiles visited him earlier this spring, and he said that trip went well. Cronk will return to campus for NC State’s first official visits— a key defensive recruiting weekend where he will help recruit the Pack’s 2025 class.
Cronk’s take on the Wolfpack: “I think that NC State is the place for me, and I’m totally enthralled to be a part of the program,” Cronk said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
TheWolfpacker.com’s scouting report: Cronk is an explosive, disruptive defensive lineman with a great first step. He has continued to bulk up over the past year and should have no problem getting up to the weight necessary to play on NC State’s defensive line. The edge rusher’s athleticism is comparable to Wolfpack pass rusher Red Hibbler. While he won’t be the biggest defensive lineman on the team, he has the potential to wreck games with his burst off the ball.
Most of his highlights are him using his speed and strength to run past or through an offensive tackle. It will be interesting to see how his pass rush moves develop once he does not necessarily have such a significant athleticism advantage. Cronk recorded 75 total tackles, 27 for loss, as a junior. He also added 12 sacks and 46 quarterback hurries.
Trending towards NC State
Defensive end Caleb Bell
Recruitment status: Official visits scheduled with NC State, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Georgia TechRanking: UnrankedHeight/weight: 6-3, 260 poundsSchool: Milton (Ga.) HighOther notable offers: Missouri, Louisville, Future NC State visits: June 7-9 (official visit)
The scoop: NC State was the first school to offer Bell. Recently, he picked up offers from Kentucky, Colorado and Mississippi State. The versatile lineman could play inside or outside at the next level. Prior to this recent surge in his recruitment, the Pack was the trending team in his recruitment. It will be interesting to see if the wave of SEC interest impacts his decision-making process. Bell visited NC State earlier this spring and really enjoyed the trip. It was his third time on campus.
Defensive end Nik Alston
Recruitment status: Official visit set with NC StateRanking: UnrankedHeight/weight: 6-3, 260 poundsSchool: Birmingham (Ala.) Thompson High Other notable offers: Washington, Minnesota, Georgia TechFuture NC State visits: June 14-16 (official visit)
The scoop: Alston picked up an offer from NC State earlier this spring and quickly set an official visit. For now, the Wolfpack is his only set-in-stone official visit. Wiles visited him recently and continued to break down how the edge rusher would fit into the program’s defense. NC State is firmly established as one of his top schools. The program is prioritizing him, and that interest remains very mutual. Washington and Liberty are both schools to monitor.
Defensive lineman Makhi Williams-Lee
Recruitment status: Official visits set with NC State, Texas Tech and Mississippi StateRanking: UnrankedHeight/weight: 6-2, 275 poundsSchool: Atlanta (Ga.) Lakeside HighOther notable offers: Mississippi State, Texas Tech, KansasFuture NC State visits: June 7-9 (Official visit)
The scoop: Williams-Lee’s recruitment has continued to heat up recently, and NC State sits in a favorable spot with the dynamic lineman. He recently won defensive line MVP at an Under Armour camp, and his recruitment will likely gain more traction with Power Four schools over the next few weeks. NC State is scheduled to kick off his official visit schedule, and the Pack holds the momentum in his recruitment right now.
Wait and see
Three-star nose tackle Drayden Pavey
Recruitment status: Top four of NC State, Wisconsin, Indiana and Purdue. Official visits scheduled with all four. Ranking: No. 44 defensive lineman nationallyHeight/weight: 6-3, 305 poundsSchool: Cincinatti (Ohio) Robert A Taft HighOther notable offers: Michigan State, West Virginia, PittsburghFuture NC State visits: June 19-21 (Official visit)
The scoop: Pavey already had a top three set, but the Pack has worked its way into the top tier of the nose tackle’s recruitment. He really likes Wiles, and the defensive line coach stopped by his school recently. The 6-3 lineman’s recruitment continues to grow more crowded by the day, and he will camp at a couple of schools to see if he can earn more offers in June. NC State remains in the mix here.
Nose tackle London Simmons
Recruitment status: Official visits set with NC State, Arkansas and AlabamaRanking: UnrankedHeight/weight: 6-3, 295 poundsSchool: Flowood (Miss.) Hartfield AcademyOther notable offers: LSU, Arkansas, DukeFuture NC State visits: June 7-9 (Official visit)
The scoop: Simmons’ first Power Four offers were from NC State and Alabama. The lineman set official visits with both of those schools and Arkansas. He is the top nose tackle on the Wolfpack’s recruiting board and, thanks to an all-out effort from the staff, the Pack remains a contender. It will be difficult to pull Simmons out of SEC country, but his connection with director of recruiting Alex Faulk will help.
Defensive end Mykah Newton
Recruitment status: Official visits set with NC State, UCF, UConn and Michigan StateRanking: UnrankedHeight/weight: 6-3, 250 poundsSchool: Newberry (Fla.) HighOther notable offers: Georgia Tech, Michigan State, UCFFuture NC State visits: June 7-9 (Official visit)
The scoop: Newton picked up his Wolfpack offer May 13 and set an official visit less than a week later. He is interested in the program, but the program is still in the beginning stages of building a bond with him.
Defensive end Adrian Farrow
Recruitment status: OpenRanking: UnrankedHeight/weight: 6-3, 240 poundsSchool: Miami (Fla.) Norland HighOther notable offers: Maryland, Georgia Tech and Mississippi StateFuture NC State visits: TBD
The scoop: Farrow plans on visiting Raleigh but has not set any travel plans in stone yet. The Wolfpack offered him May 9. He plans on locking in his official visit schedule later this week.
Dior Garner
Recruitment status: Official visits set with NC State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green.Ranking: UnrankedHeight/weight: 6-4, 285 poundsSchool: Canton (Ohio) McKinley HighOther notable offers: Michigan Future NC State visits: June 21-23 (official visit)
The scoop: Garner is a nose tackle prospect who does not hold an offer from the Pack yet. That could change at some point in the next couple of months.
The post NC State football recruiting board update: Defensive line appeared first on On3.
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