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Red Light District: Wolfpack Signing Day

Live updates as college football recruits sign their National Letters of Intent to officially become members of NC State's Class of 2020
Brett Friedlander|
Red Light District: Wolfpack Signing Day
Red Light District: Wolfpack Signing Day

Happy National Signing Day!

Today is the day on which high school football players can officially submit signed national letters of intent to make their commiments to college programs official. With only 19 players having made public pledges for the Wolfpack leading up today, coach Dave Doeren and his staff are staff are still working feverishly to add to their Class of 2020.

There are bound to be surprises, both good and bad, so check back here frequently throughout the day for updates.

As Doeren likes to say, the "red light is on.: So lets get right to the action:

7:06 a.m. -- Betty breaks the ice 

Linebacker Devin Betty, a 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Miramar, Fla., became the first prospect to sign with the Wolfpack this morning. 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.

 7:10 a.m. -- Great Scott!

Six-foot, 160-pound Chris Scott of Dacula High School in Dacula, Ga., has become the first of five committed wide receivers to sign, giving the Wolfpack the kind of speed and ability to get open down field it lacked this season. It took awhile for him to decide he wanted to play for State, but co-offensive coordinator George McDonald's hard work paid off and he committed earlier this month following his official visit.

7:12 a.m. -- Vann moving in

Davin Vann, a 6-2, 273-pound defensive tackle from nearby Cary High, will hold an official signing ceremony later today in Spartanburg, S.C., where he is currently preparing to play in Saturday's Shrine Bowl. But he isn't waiting until then to get his official NLI in to the football offices here in Raleigh.  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.

7:16 a.m. -- Wolfpack catches another receiver

Wide receivers, especially those with speed, were clearly a priority for this class and McDonald got another fast one in Anthony Smith, a 6-1, 172-pound native of Huntington, Md.. A sprinter who could also potentially run track for the Wolfpack, Smith has run a 10.98 100. He has high jumped 6-6, an asset that will help him come down with high balls by outjumping opposing defensive backs.

7:20 a.m. -- Another Shrine Bowler

Devan Boykin is a 5-11, 175-pound defensive back from Ragsdale High in Greensboro who, like new teammate Vann, is currently preparing to represent North Carolina in this weekend's Shrine Bowl. A three-star prospect, he 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. Boykin is also the first signee who plans to enroll early and take part in spring practice, which will also help speed his development.

7:23 a.m. -- More secondary help

The secondary got even more help with the addition of four-star Nehki Meredith, a 5-10, 178-pound defensive back from Bishop Sullivan HS in Virginia Beach, who, like Boykin, plans to enroll early. Meredith has the ability to play several positions. 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.

7:30 a.m. -- State champion kicker

The Wolfpack has signed Ian Williams, who helped Weddington High School in Charlotte win its second consecutive state championship on Saturday, as the heir-apparent to incumbent All-ACC kicker Christopher Dunn.

 7:31 a.m. -- Stocking up in the secondary

Aydan White, a 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back from The Christ School in Asheville is now running with the Pack. 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. He plans to enroll early and participate in spring practice.

7:37 a.m. -- In the fast Lane

Ethan Lane is a 6-3, 300-pound center from Archer HS in Snellville, Ga. who was sold on State early. He committed to the Wolfpack shortly after making his second visit to Raleigh for the Kay Yow Spring Game last April. A strong blocker with the smarts and maturity to become a leader on the offensive line, Lane plans to enroll for the start of the spring semester in January.

7:40 a.m. -- Check mate! Rooks is on the board

 The Wolfpack continues to stockpile fast young receivers. Porter Rooks, a 6-1, 190-pound Charlotte native from Myers Park High School is the highest-rated of them all. The four-star prospect, who will enroll early, An elite route-runner with sure hands and the spead to get separation downfield, Rooks 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.

7:44 a.m. -- King of the Hill

Six-foot-3, 300-pound offensive guard Sean Hill doesn't come as a package deal with fellow newcomer Ethan Lane, but it's not a coincidence that the two Georgia natives will both be continuie their football careers with the Wolfpack. the two plan to room together at State and with the size and athleticism both possess, they could play next to one another on the offensive line for a long time. Hill is still raw when it comes to technique, but he already has the size to be plugged in right away if the need arises.

7:48 a.m. -- Another Georgia peach

Jayland Parker, a 6-2, 215-pound linebacker from Westside High in Macon, Ga., adds to the collection of Georgia prospects signed into State's Class of 2020. Originally committed to Colorado, he changed his mind in September and chose the Wolfpack over offers from Mississippi State, Arizona and others. Tall and slender, Parker, who will enroll early, needs to add some bulk to play likebacker 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.

7:56 a.m. -- Coit a catch

South Carolina Shrine Bowler Jalen Coit is a 5-11, 160-pound 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.

8:00 a.m. -- Shrine Bowl tight end 

Ezmdi Udoh, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end from Fayetteville's Terry Sanford High School becomes the third Shrine Bowl participant to submit his NLI this morning. 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.

8:14 a.m. -- Newest big man on campus

Patrick Matan, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman from Gonzaga High School in Washington DC has become the latest addition to the Class of 2020. A fundamentally sound young player who can fit in at either tackle or guard, his signing helps 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.

9:11 a.m. -- All in the Family

Quarterback Ben Finley, the younger brother of former NC State star and current Cincinnati Bengal Ryan Finley, has officially signed to follow in Ryan's footsteps and play for the Wolfpack. A frequent visitor to Raleigh during his brother's three seasons at State, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Phoenix, Ariz., was the first player to commit to the Wolfpack in the Class of 2020. 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 senior at Paradise Valley High School. 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.

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Brett Friedlander
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