NC State football has successful June recruiting period, but isn’t finished yet

After weeks of near silence on the recruiting trail, NC State saw a flurry of commitments from their annual summer camp. Four commitments within the week nearly doubled the Pack's haul and added some valuable pieces to the class.

Picking up cornerback Jacobe Clement from Mallard Creek High in Charlotte was a bit of a surprise, but was significant. It was not appearing as if the Pack would take a second corner after commitment of Chris Ingram, but the coaching staff couldn't pass on his combination of size and talent. Clement was tracking towards possibly four stars before an injury slowed him down. With offers from ACC and SEC schools, it shows that he has immense potential if he can fully recover. He should not be asked to play too much early on, which will allow him to develop long term.

Darius Hodge is a local linebacker from down the road in Wake Forest, NC that State had its eye on for quite a while but had concerns over his transcript. They must feel confident enough in his ability and/or grades to make their offer official. He tested very well at 246 lbs with a 4.65 40 time and a 35" vertical jump. If eligible, Hodge could prove to be a solid contributor in his time in Raleigh.

Xavier Lyas had long been on the radar for the Wolfpack and appeared to be waiting for big offers, but decided to jump at the chance this week. Lyas grew up in Fayetteville, but currently lives in Florida, where he faces top competition each week. The lanky defensive end had some smaller school offers and was supposed to camp at UNC, but decided the Wolfpack fit what he was looking for. He's a project, but could be one of the players that State has seen in the past that becomes a major contributor in his last few years.

Perhaps the highest rated and most needed commitment of the four came from wide receiver Emeka Emezie of Marvin Ridge near Charlotte. At 6'3", Emezie will provide a nice sized target for the Pack's QBs in the future. He had other ACC offers as well as some from other P5 schools and will likely be targeted by some attractive programs if he has a strong senior year against good competition.

Going forward, it looks like the Pack will have about 8 or so scholarships left to give out. A running back will likely be one of them with juco product Marcelias Sutton switching to Oklahoma. There are a few candidates, but none are likely at this point and State may look for a local sleeper to fill the position. Offensive line and wide receiver are the other priorities on offense. There will likely be two more linemen and another receiver added to the class going forward. On defense, defensive line and linebacker will be the major focus. The top linebacker target, Sherrod Greene from Rocky Mount, is getting some great offers, like Alabama, so picking him up will be a battle, but it is doable. In the back of the defense, only top talents will have a spot.

There may be one or two more additions before the season, with the coaching staff looking to finish up the class of 2017 during the season. Any unexpected attrition will be handled during the January months, where the Wolfpack have done well with under-the-radar additions.

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