Wolfpack Misses on Four-Star CB Battle
NC State football coach Dave Doeren missed out on one of his final targets for his 2020 recruiting class when four-star defensive back Rashad Battle signed with ACC rival Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Battle, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound corner from Fairburn, Ga., originally committed to Maryland but re-opened his recruitment in November. He took an official visit to State on Jan. 24, but saved his final visit for Pittsburgh last weekend. He also had Virginia Tech among his announced finalis
"Things that set Pitt apart from NC State was the NFL access and the city being just like, if not better than Atlanta, is what sealed the deal for me," Battle told Rivals.com. "Football will take care of its self that’s not my concerns, but I could mostly definitely see my self living there.
"I knew halfway through the visit that Pitt the school was it for me. The official visit sealed the deal for me. That was all I needed to make my decision."
During his senior season at Creekside High School, Battle recorded 46 tackles while intercepting two passes. As a junior, he had 51 tackles, five for losses, five interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
While losing Battle to another ACC school was a disappointment, it's hardly a disaster. Doeren and his staff had already signed four defensive backs during the early signing period in December -- four-star Nehki Meredith and three-star prospects Devan Boykin, Joshua Pierre-Louis and Aydan White.
The Wolfpack added four more players to its 2020 recruiting class on Wednesday, adding to the 17 it signed in December. The newest members of the program are defensive tackle Nick Booker-Brown, defensive end Claude Larkins Jr., offensive guard Anthony Carter. Jr. and wide receiver Joshua Crabtree,
