Wolfpack Adds JUCO Cornerback Ashford to Secondary

NC State picked up a player that can potentially step in and contribute right away to its depleted secondary this fall with the commitment of junior college cornerback Rakeim Ashford

NC State football coach Dave Doeren and his staff have turned to the junior college market in search of what they hope will be immediate secondary help this fall.

Cornerback Rakeim Ashford from Jones County Community College announced his commitment to the Wolfpack on Wednesday.

A 6-1, 190-pound Ackerman, Miss., native, Ashford earned all-conference honors in his first season at Jones College in his home state. He led the team with four interceptions while making 39 tackles in 10 games, along with scoring a touchdown on a blocked punt.

"For the last couple of weeks I've been undecided with what I wanted to do with COVID-19 going on," Ashford wrote in a Twitter post revealing his decision to play for State. "I have sat down and talked to my family and close ones with the decisions I have to make. Not only do I want to better myself as an athlete, but also academically."

My New Home ❤️🖤🐺 pic.twitter.com/0DYo5d6rcb

— Rakeim Ashford (@thekidd_14) July 22, 2020

Ashford joins a class of incoming freshmen that already includes four other defensive backs -- Devan Boykin, Nehki Meredith, Joshua Pierre-Louis and Aydan White.

Unlike those prep players, Ashford will have the benefit of having played a season of college ball, albiet the JUCO level, to adjust to the speed of the game and perhaps make an immediate contribution to a secondary that has been a weak spot for the Wolfpack over the past few seasons.

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