NC State Extends Offer to Fast-Rising 2028 Lineman
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Although it’s technically the college football offseason, NC State head coach Dave Doeren and his staff have been very busy over the past few weeks, as they shift their focus to the high school recruiting trail.
In the last month, NC State has started targeting several prospects across multiple recruiting cycles, including a recent offer to a three-star defensive lineman in the 2028 class from New Jersey.
Wolfpack Offer Three-Star 2028 Defensive Lineman
On Jan. 26, NC State extended an offer to Jayden Beckley, a three-star defensive lineman in the 2028 class from Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey. He shared on X that the Wolfpack had offered him, writing, “Extremely blessed to receive an offer from [NC State Football].”
Extremely blessed to receive an offer from @PackFootball #1Pack1Goal @StateCoachD @CoachEliot @bccoachvito @Mr_Carter57 @BergenCathFBall @On3Recruits @RyanSnyderOn3 @GregBiggins @Andy_Villamarzo @GregSmithRivals @CharlesPower @samspiegs @ChadSimmons @adamgorney @SWiltfong_… pic.twitter.com/Iti3EALZmw
— Jayden Beckley (@jayden_beckley) January 26, 2026
Although Beckley is only a sophomore at Bergen Catholic, he’s already established himself as one of the top defensive lineman prospects in the 2028 class and has drawn interest from several Division I programs. NC State was the 10th Power Four school to offer him, joining Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and others.
Beckley is coming off a strong sophomore year at Bergen Catholic and is a highly touted recruit. Rivals’ industry rankings list him as the No. 166 overall player in the 2028 class, the No. 15 defensive lineman, and the No. 9 prospect in New Jersey.
While he’s currently listed as a three-star prospect on most prominent recruiting sites, he will likely climb to a four-star rating as the rest of the 2028 class continues to be evaluated.
Several programs have already made significant progress in Beckley’s recruitment. He’s taken unofficial visits with Maryland, Ohio State, Syracuse, and Penn State, and the Nittany Lions have emerged as an early leader in his recruitment.
Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine currently gives Penn State a 60.8% chance of landing Beckely, with Boston College, Michigan, and Syracuse also in the mix.
Although the Wolfpack will have to make up ground in Beckley's recruitment, the good news for Doeren and company is that Beckley is unlikely to make a decision any time soon, and NC State should have plenty of time to make progress with him over the next few months.
If NC State can make a strong early impression on Beckley and get him to Raleigh for a visit at some point this offseason, the Wolfpack should be able to position themselves as a contender for one of the top defensive linemen in the 2028 cycle.
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Max Dorsey serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.