(Here’s North Carolina State’s press release on its 2012 recruiting class.)
Twenty-three student-athletes will join the Wolfpack football program for 2012, including four who have been enrolled at NC State since January and a transfer from Colorado State, head coach Tom O’Brien announced today. The class includes players at every position on offense and defense.
“Our staff is very excited about the signing class of 2012,” said O’Brien, who has led the Wolfpack to the third-best record in the ACC over the past two seasons. “We went into this recruiting year with the intention of adding talent at every position, on both sides of the ball. We are at the point now where we are signing to build a team, not rebuild a position, and we are adding quality depth.”
The class includes six defensive linemen, three linebackers, four defensive backs, four offensive linemen, two wide receivers, one tight end, one running back and two quarterbacks.
“It’s a long, tall, very athletic class,” O’Brien continued. “Many of these young men were team captains and team leaders, which means they are the type of selfless players who will come in here with a goal of winning a championship. Seven of the signees attended our camp, so we have really had a chance to get to know them and their character.”
The majority of the class hails from State’s traditional recruiting footprint, with eight signees from North Carolina high schools, six from Georgia and others from South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
NC State will open spring practice on March 23 and will conclude on April 21 with the annual Kay Yow Spring Game at 1 p.m.
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School/Last School
Deylan Buntyn* DT 6-4 330 Havelock, N.C. Havelock HS/New Mexico Military Institute
Robert Caldwell LB 6-3 235 Twentynine Palms, Calif. Twentynine Palms HS/College of the Desert
Niles Clark DB 5-10 173 Marietta, Ga. Lassiter HS
Marchez Coates DB 5-11 172 Pomfret, Md. McDonough HS
Drew Davis LB 6-3 230 Raleigh, N.C. Broughton HS
Eddie Gordan OL 6-2 305 Boiling Springs, S.C. Boiling Springs HS
Xavier Griffin WR 6-3 185 Newark, Del. Newark HS
David Grinnage TE 6-5 230 Newark, Del. Newark HS
Charlie Hegedus WR 6-2 195 Marietta, Ga. Lassiter HS
k’Hadree Hooker DT 6-2 285 Deep Run, N.C. South Lenoir HS
J.J. Jones DB 6-4 205 Lithonia, Ga. Martin Luther King HS
Bryce Kennedy* OL 6-4 285 Southern Pines, N.C. Pinecrest HS
Tyler Knox DE 6-4 225 Myrtle Beach, S.C. Myrtle Beach HS
Quincy McKinney* OL 6-4 300 Columbus, Ga. Carver HS/Fork Union Military Academy
Desmond Owino DE 6-5 235 Nairobi, Kenya Sanderson HS
M.J. Salahuddin LB 6-2 192 Fayetteville, N.C. Jack Britt HS
Josh Sessoms DB 6-3 185 Bailey, N.C. Southern Nash HS
Manny Stocker* QB 6-3 200 Coatesville, Pa. Coatesville Area HS
Pete Thomas QB 6-5 225 El Cajon, Calif. Valhalla HS/Colorado State
Shadrach Thornton RB 6-1 200 Hinesville, Ga. Liberty County HS
John Tu’uta OL 6-2 325 Fredericksburg, Va. Fork Union Military Academy
Kenderius Whitehead DE 6-4 220 Lithonia, Ga. Martin Luther King HS
Joe Wright DE 6-7 235 Greenville, N.C. Rose HS
