Doeren Completes #Wolfpack2020 With Four New Signees
Coach Dave Doeren added four more members to his 2020 recruiting class on Wednesday, the first day of college football’s traditional signing period.
That gives the Wolfpack 21 new additions as it looks to bounce back from last year’s disappointing 4-8 season.
Back in Deember, when State inked the first 17 of its recruits during the early signing period, Doeren discussed the qualities he and his assistants are looking for in their new players.
Because of the departure of several transfers over the past two months, there may still be room for Doeren to add a graduate transfer or two to fill a need.
But for now, here is how #Wolfpack2020 sizes up, starting with its four newest players:
Nick Booker-Brown, DT, 6-2, 250, Houston, Tex. (Westfield HS): A three-star space eater who makes up for his lack of size with strength and a high-energy motor, the newest member of the Wolfpack originally committed to play at Boise State, but announced last month that he had decided to re-open his recruitment. He earned unanimous first-team all-district honors as a senior this season and was a Touchdown Club of Houston Defensive Player of the Year finalist after helping his team to a 13-2 record, including a perfect 7-0 mark in district action.
Anthony Carter, Jr., OL, 6-4, 300, Matthews (Butler HS): The three-star prospect is one of the highest rated offensive linemen in the state. A first-team selection to the North Carolina all-state team, Carter helped lead his team to an 8-4 record, including 6-1 in conference. Butler advanced to the 4AA state playoffs.
Joshua Crabtree, WR, 6-3, 186, Wake Forest (Heritage HS): A product of the same Heritage High School pipeline that also sent Rickey Person, Thayer Thomas and Drake Thomas to the Wolfpack. Crabtree caught 47 passes for 711 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior while helping his team go 8-5 and advance to the second round of the state 4A championships.
Claude Larkins Jr., DE, 6-5, 250, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Chaminade-Madonna HS): Described as an athletic pass rusher with an explosive first step and a large wingspan that allows him to disrupt passing lanes, Larkins originally committed to Minnesota, but decommitted in December. The three-star prospect played only six games last season, finishing with 26 tackles, four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Chaminade-Madonna won the Class 3A state title for the third straight year, posting a 12-2 record.
Eight members of the class are already enrolled and are eligible to participate in spring practice, which begins later this month.They are:
Devan Boykin, 5-11, 175, DB, Greensboro (Ragsdale HS): A three-star prospect who represented North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl in December, Boykin is an elite talent who can fill an immediate need at either safety or nickel in a secondary that can use all the help it can get. He is a coach's son who has a high football IQ to go along with high-end athletic skills. He finished his high school career with 95 tackles and six interceptions.while also playing quarterback and wide receiver on offense.
Jalen Coit, 5-11, 160, WR, Cheraw, S.C. (Cheraw HS): South Carolina Shrine Bowler Coit is a wide receiver with quickness to burn. He's small, but he's hard to catch as he proved during a senior season at Cheraw High School in Cheraw, S.C., by catching 55 passes for 842 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has the potential to make an immediate impact for the Wolfpack as a kick returner, having returned three punts for touchdowns during his prep career. As a testament to his versatility and athleticism, he averaged 17.9 points per game on the basketball court as a junior last season.
Sean Hill, 6-3, 300, OL, Snellville, Ga. (Brookwood HS): Hill is a physically imposing offensive lineman who earned first-team all-region honors and helped his team advance to the Georgia 7A state championships. He is still raw when it comes to technique, but he already has the size to be plugged in right away if the need arises.
Ethan Lane, C, 6-3, 275, Snellville, Ga. (Archer HS): Lane is a center who was sold on State early. He committed to the Wolfpack shortly after making his second visit to Raleigh for the Wolfpack’s Spring Game last April. A strong blocker with the smarts and maturity to become a leader on the offensive line. He is the high school teammate of current Wolfpack defensive back Taiyon Palmer.
Ben Finley, 6-3, 190, Quarterback, Phoenix, Ariz. (Paradise Valley HS): A frequent visitor to State during his brother's Ryan's three seasons as the Wolfpack's quarterback, he was the first player to commit to this year's class. LIke Ryan, this Finley has a quick release and is an extremely accurate passer, completing 63.7 percent of his throws this season as a high school senior. But he also had the arm strength to throw down field and the agility to elude rushers and make things happen on the run, finishing the 2019 season with 3,442 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions.
Nehki Meredith, 5-10, 178, DB, Virginia Beach, Va. (Bishop Sullivan HS): A four-star defensive back prospect, Meredith has the ability to play several positions in the secondary. He was one of the earliest players to commit to State last summer. A versatile athlete, he combines strong ball skills with an aggressiveness and and strength that make him equally effective in run support and could provide immediate help for the Wolfpack's defense.
Jayland Parker, 6-2, 215, LB, Macon, Ga. (Westside HS): Originally committed to Colorado, Parker changed his mind in September and chose the Wolfpack over offers from Mississippi State, Arizona and others. Tall and slender, needs to add some bulk to play linebacker in college. But he changes direction well and has a nose for the football in the run game while possessing solid skills dropping back in pass coverage.
Porter Rooks, 6-1, 190, Charlotte (Myers Park HS): The highest-rated prospect in the class, Rooks is an elite route-runner with sure hands and the speed to get separation downfield, The four-star recruit amassed 2,424 yards and 34 touchdowns on 173 career catches at Myers Park. He had 54 grabs for 905 yards, 13 touchdowns and a 16.8 per-catch average as a senior this season. He is a big-play receiver with star potential who will almost certainly help the Wolfpack's passing game right away. He chose State despite having offers from the likes of Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma.
The rest of #Wolfpack2020 consists of:
Devin Betty, LB, 6-0, 210, Miramar, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas HS): A converted defensive end, Betty is an effective pass rusher who helped his team to a state championship this season. He took his official visit to State the weekend of the Western Carolina game on Sept 7 and committed to State shortly thereafter.
Patrick Matan, OL, 6-4, 290, Chevy Chase, Md. (Gonzaga College HS): A fundamentally sound young player who can fit in at either tackle or guard, his signing helped offset the unexpected 11th-hour loss of fellow OL prospect Austin Blaske late Tuesday night and the decision of four-star OT R.J. Adams to play for Kentucky rather than the Wolfpack.
Joshua Pierre-Louis, CB, 5-10, 170, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (The Benjamin School): A standout at Doeren's camp last summer, Pierre-Louis is a speedy three-star cover man who amassed 41 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery this season for his high school team. He also caught 19 passes for 264 yards, a touchdown and a 13.9 yard per catch average as a receiver.
Chris Scott, WR, 6-0, 160, Dacula, Ga. (Dacula HS): One of five wide receivers to sign, he provides the Wolfpack with the kind of speed and ability to get open down field it lacked last season. Scott caught 31 passes for 832 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 26.8 yards per catch. He helped lead his team to the Georgia 6A semifinals and a 13-1 record.
Anthony Smith, WR, 6-1, 172, Huntingtown, Md. (Huntingtown HS): A sprinter who could also potentially run track for the Wolfpack, Smith has run a 10.98 100 meters. He has high jumped 6-6, an asset that will help him come down with high balls by outjumping opposing defensive backs. He caught 35 passes for 918 yards and 14 touchdowns and averaged 26.2 yards per catch last season, only his second year of playing football.
Davin Vann, DT, 6-2, 273, Cary (Cary HS): A four-star prospect described by Chris Hughes of CarolinaPreps.com as being "a man in a man's body," he has the strength and speed to contribute right away. In his four-year varsity career with the Imps, Vann totaled 235 tackles (124 solo stops), 59 tackles for loss and 31 sacks. One hundred of those tackles and seven forced fumbles came as a senior, earning him a Shrine Bowl invitation.
Ezmdi Udoh, TE, 6-5, 230, Fayetteville (Terry Sanford HS): Another Shrine Bowl participant, Udho comes from an athletic family. His older brother Olisaemeka played offensive tackle at Elon and is now currently a member of the Minnesota Vikings and his sister Ona is a basketball player at Wake Forest. Tall and athletic, the three-star prospect has a high football IQ to go along with his size and physical skills who is projected to be a high-level ACC player in the mold of current tall tight end Cary Angeline.
Aydan White, DB, 6-0, 170, Asheville (The Christ School): An athletic cover corner who also won state championships on the track in the 110-meter hurdles and high jump, White is quick, has good instincts and has the hands of a wide receiver, since he also played the position in high school -- gaining over 1,000 yards in receptions as a junior.
Ian Williams, PK, 6-3, 180, Charlotte (Weddington HS): The heir-apparent to incumbent All-ACC kicker Christopher Dunn. He made 7 of 12 field goals last season in helping his team to a 16-0 record and a second consecutive 3AA state championship. His career long field goal is 52 yards. In addition to being a top-10 ranked place kicker nationally, he’s also an accomplished punter.
