Wolfpack Freshman Bolsters Position Group Depth With Two-Sport Athleticism

With players like former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty terrorizing the college football landscape a year ago and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley doing the same in the NFL, it turns heads.

The heads of fans, scouts and coaches. With the increased attention, the value of the running back position has grown steadily over the years, past the position becoming an afterthought in some cases. Now the afterthoughts are ready to dominate again, and this year, backs like Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love and Penn State's Nicholas Singleton are prepared to carry the mantle in the college football landscape.

NC State has weapons of its own ready to make a mark on the college football world, and with athletic freaks like Jayden "Duke" Scott and Hollywood Smothers, the Wolfpack are in a position to create a landscape of their own.

The future is always in doubt with the running back position, and no matter the raise in value, the health aspect of it all is unpredictable. With a new transfer portal making college football so unpredictable every offseason, the cold, hard truth of the landscape is that Scott or Smothers may not be a part of the Wolfpack next season.

Recruiting is essential, and the Wolfpack have indeed done their hunting.

Enter freshman DeAndre Desinor.

BREAKING: Class of 2025 RB Deandre Desinor ( @1deandredesinor ) has flipped his commitment from West Virginia to NC State he tells me.
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Deandre Desinor is a 5’10 (180 LBS) Running Back out of Delray Beach, FL. With a total of 40+ offers Deandre had been committed to WVU since… pic.twitter.com/75Krww0FZL
— Steezo (@SteezoDsgn) January 7, 2025

Background

The Florida native attended Atlantic High School and fits the notion of being an athletic freak in the backfield. The indication? Running track helps running backs find success between the lines. He ran track as a sophomore, being a part of the 4x100 team, which won an Florida High School Athletic Association 3A title and the Pepsi Florida Relays.

When he has the ball, it's hard to tell what cleats he has on. Desinor has blazing speed, which certainly helped him as a college athlete. In his senior season, he totaled 1,588 all-purpose yards for 14 touchdowns. The numbers helped him win 10 games in his last season in high school, and he was the No. 28-ranked running back in the 2025 recruiting class.

Sights weren't always set on NC State

Desinor originally committed to West Virginia. His sights were on the Mountaineers, as he had realized during his recruitment.

"Don't go to a big school to try to impress everybody else," Desinor said. "Go for what's best for me and what I think is best for me and my family.

West Virginia was supposed to be that home for him to grow as a college athlete, but right before signing day, West Virginia fired head coach Neal Brown, hiring Rich Rodriguez as a replacement. Desnior still signed his letter of intent, but he asked to be released shortly after.

NC State running backs coach Todd Goebbel quickly contacted Desinor to ensure he knew the Wolfpack were interested. It was official in January of this year; Desinor was on the Wolfpack.

Future with Wolfpack

The most likely scenario is Desinor redshirts his first year, as Scott and Smothers head the backfield. The future is in good hands with Desinor, as he has a year or two to learn the speed of the college game, and when the time comes, he will be ready to showcase his track speed on the football field.

Other freshmen in Will Wilson, Spike Sowells, and TK Whitset all make the future as bright as ever for the Wolfpack, even after the current young starters are set to lead in 2025.

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