What is State Getting in WR Commit Micah Crowell?
NC State added another potent offensive weapon to a rapidly improving 2021 recruiting class Tuesday when four-star receiver Micah Crowell committed to play for the Wolfpack.
Crowell, a solidly built 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect from East Forsyth High School, is the eighth player overall and third receiver to pledge to coach Dave Doeren's program during the current cycle.
His addition represents a significant recruiting victory for Doeren and his staff. In addition to State, Crowell also held offers from virtually every Power Five school in the country, including Alabama.
Crowell missed the entire 2019 season while rehabbing a torn ACL suffered the previous spring. But as a sophomore, he caught 25 passes for 511 yards and seven touchdowns while also rushing for 206 yards and two more scored in helping his team to the first of its two straight 4A state championship.
So what exactly is the Wolfpack getting in Crowell?
Who better to answer that and other questions about the star receiver and his recruitment than his high school coach Todd Willert. Here's what he had to say:
"First and foremost, he's a great kid. He's a great person. As a coach, you can do a lot with a great young man like him. You can do a lot, lot when you've got one like him who's got a lot of athletic ability, too. I just can't say enough how great a person Micah is and how his family. I think that's why so many college coaches fell in love with him."
How much of a concern was his injury to recruiters?
"There's no doubt one of the key things is that NC State really stuck by him, even through the injury. There were some schools that wanted to see him run this sping and things like that. But NC State didn't waver. They knew what he could do. If you can do what he did as a sophomore, and now he's about 20 pounds heavier. He looks great.
"It wasn't like he got injured and sat out and didn't do stuff. He continued to work on his body, on football stuff. He was at our practices and all that. So the sky's the limit for this guy. Micah is a big kid. I think his size is really a key factor for him suceeding at that next level."
Is he finished with his rehab?
"We've taken it slow. He's taken it slow. If push came to shove, we could get going. But with the virus and everything, there's no sense to rush things. There's no doubt he'll be 150% by the time we get going on the season in the fall.
Is Micah more of a possession receiver because of his size or can he stretch the field and beat his man deep?
"That's for Coach (Dave Doeren) to figure out once he gets there. But for us, he can stretch the field, man. I mean he's big, he's fast, we hand him the ball a lot. We get him the ball. It's not that he's just big. He's speed ... he's a lot faster than people would think."
What was it about State that convinced Micah it was the place for him?
"(State) is kind of a new place for him, but they did a good job. Honestly, I think it came down to them and Wake Forest. Both schools did a great job of recruiting him. I think the relationship with (wide receivers coach George McDonald) and Dave (Doeren) were great.
"Charley Wiles came along, I've known him for ever. What a great coach he is. I think he heoped kind of bridge some thing. When coach Henry left, Aaron was probably one of the best coaches around and when he left for Vanderbilt, for awhile there we kind of lost some communication. And then when Charley came in, everything kind of picked up again. I think that's really when Micah started to build that relationship with Coach McDonald."
How much if any did State's recruitment of other top offensive talent, including quarterback Aaron McLaughlin, factor into Micah's decision?
"Kids appreciate having the type of offense they're going to be running with the OC they've got now. I've been watching some of the stuff they're going to do and a lot of it is similar to what we do. So I think that makes Micah feel a little better, more familiar with the offense.
"He's excited. He's excited that he's got this process done and I think he's very excited to show Wolfpack Nation what he's going to do at East Forsyth this next year so they'll kind of know what they'll have in a year. So Coach Doeren ... they don't get him for another year. They got the good commitment today, but now ithey've got to settle down. It's time to be an Eagle again."
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