NC State adds 21 new players in college football’s first early signing day
N.C. State signed 21 new football players on Wednesday, the first December signing period for high school prospects under new NCAA recruiting guidelines.
The NCAA’s inaugural early football signing period, which enables high school prospects to sign with collegiate programs in December, extends through Friday.
Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren’s newest incoming players include four four-star recruits – three from Triangle high schools. The class is ranked No. 4 in the ACC and No. 23 in the nation by 247sports.com’s rating system.
Linebacker Payton Wilson of Orange High School in Hillsborough, defensive lineman Alim McNeill of Sanderson and Wake Forest Heritage High School running back Ricky Person Jr. head the class. N.C. State’s fourth four-star player is quarterback Devin Leary from Sicklerville, N.J.
The Wolfpack also received signed national letters of intent from Wake County products Trent Pinnix of Sanderson, Joseph Boletepeli of Wake Forest Heritage and Tyler Baker-Williams of Southeast Raleigh.
Ten of the 21 players in the class are from North Carolina. That includes kicker Chris Dunn of North Davidson High School in Lexington. The hope is that Dunn, a two-star recruit rated as the No. 17 kicker nationally in the class, can bring stability to a kicking game that’s been suspect in recent seasons for the Wolfpack.
Eight of the players will enroll and begin classes at N.C. State next month, meaning they’ll be eligible to take part in spring practices. Those eight include junior college transfers Joe Babros and Kishawn Miller as well as Jalynn Strickland, De’Von Graves, Wilson, Dunn, Boletepeli and Person Jr.
Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown | High School/Last School |
De’Von Graves | DB | 6-1 | 180 | Appomattox, Va. | Appomattox County HS |
Devin Leary | OB | 6-2 | 190 | Sicklerville, N.J. | Timber Creek HS |
Tanner Ingle | DB | 5-10 | 185 | Orlando, Fla. | Dr. Phillips HS |
Gabriel Gonzalez | OL | 6-5 | 275 | Mebane | Eastern Alamance HS |
Alim McNeill | DL | 6-2 | 272 | Raleigh | Sanderson HS |
Trent Pennix | ATH | 6-2 | 200 | Raleigh | Sanderson HS |
Jasiah Provillon | WR | 6-3 | 180 | Irvington, N.J. | Irvington HS |
Teshaun Smith | DB | 6-3 | 170 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | Western HS |
Davontae McCrae | DL | 6-5 | 258 | Miami, Fla. | Northwestern HS |
Christopher Dunn | PK | 5-10 | 160 | Lexington | North Davidson HS |
Payton Wilson | LB | 6-4 | 225 | Hillsborough | Orange HS |
Calvin Hart Jr. | LB | 6-1 | 207 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | American Heritage HS |
Jalynn Strickland | OL | 6-6 | 305 | Waycross, Ga. | Ware County HS |
Malik Dunlap | DB | 6-3 | 190 | Charlotte | Harding University HS |
Ricky Person Jr. | RB | 6-2 | 202 | Wake Forest | Heritage HS |
Joseph Boletepeli | DL | 6-4 | 244 | Wake Forest | Heritage HS |
Kahric Belle | OL | 6-6 | 292 | North Miami Beach, Fla. | North Miami Beach HS |
Devin Carter | WR | 6-4 | 205 | Clayton | Clayton HS |
Kishawn Miller | DB | 5-10 | 175 | Gainesville, Ga. | Mill Creek HS/Ga. Military College |
Joe Babros | DL | 6-5 | 250 | Mission Viejo, Calif. | Viejo HS/Saddleback College |
Tyler Baker-Williams | DB | 6-1 | 201 | Raleigh | Southeast Raleigh |
This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 2:51 PM with the headline "NC State adds 21 new players in college football’s first early signing day."