State Solid at RB, Even Without Top Target Shipley

Getting five-star prospect Will Shipley would have been a major addition to the NC State backfield. But even though its top recruiting target has committed to Clemson, the Wolfpack is still in good shape at the running back position

Missing out on five-star legacy Will Shipley was a major disappointment to coach Dave Doeren and NC State.

But as nice as it would have been to have the nation's top-rated all-purpose back running and catching the football for the Wolfpack for the next four years, losing him isn't a blow State can't overcome.

With or without Shipley, who committed to ACC Atlantic rival Clemson on Tuesday, the Wolfpack has many more pressing needs than running back.

It's a position that features three returning veterans, all with two or more years of eligibility remaining.

There's Zonovan "Bam" Knight, a 6-foot, 197 sophomore who showed flashes of becoming an elite ball-carrier as a rookie last season while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He gained 745 yards and scored five touchdowns while displaying breakaway potential, even after being slowed by a knee injury late in the season.

Classmate Jordan Houston is an effective all-purpose back who at 5-10, 175 pounds also averaged better than five yards per carry. He gained 526 yards on the ground and caught 15 passes out of the backfield.

Then there's Ricky Person Jr., a 6-1, 220-pound junior who is a combination of the other two and who has the potential to be the best of the bunch if he can stay healthy.

Add to that redshirt freshman Delbert Mims, a solidly built 5-11, 200-pound three-star prospect who sat out last season waiting his turn.

State has also received a committment from a 2021 back in Caleb "JuJu" McDowell, a three-star sprinter from Leesburg, Ga., who has the potential to return kicks as well as contribute from the backfield.

Caleb McDowell is one of the most explosive athletes in the state and was an elite player at three different positions in 2019. NC State got one of the more underappreciated players in the state who will always find a way to affect a game.
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@mcdowellcalebb5 @LCHSTrojans pic.twitter.com/TFwRun0g1w

— ITG Next (@itgnext) May 6, 2020

And just in case, Doeren still has several offers out to 2021 backs if he feels the need to fill the spot he had ticketed for Shipley.

They are four-star prospects Lovesea Carroll from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Evan Pryor from Hough High School in Charlotte, and Trevion Cooley, a three-star back from Knightdale High School.