Unpacking NC State football 2023 recruiting class: How much can signees help in near future?
RALEIGH – NC State football’s 2023 early signing day period began Wednesday with little drama but with plenty of potential talent for the future.
The Wolfpack had 18 high school prospects sign letters of intent, giving them the No. 34 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports Composite rankings, and the seventh-best class in the ACC behind Miami, Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, Louisville and Virginia Tech.
This is coach Dave Doeren’s strongest class since 2019 when the Wolfpack finished with the 33rd-ranked class that included a future first-round pick, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.
Here are the biggest takeaways from NC State's early signing day.
FULL LIST OF SIGNEES:NC State football recruiting class 2023: Meet the Wolfpack's early signees
DEVIN LEARY:NC State QB enters transfer portal
TRANSFER TRACKER:Who is leaving, joining Wolfpack via the portal?
Pack holds tight to Daemon Fagan
Despite a late push from Ohio State, the Wolfpack were able to sign safety Daemon Fagan, a four-star prospect from American Heritage High School in south Florida. Fagan is the 27th-ranked safety prospect in the country and the 59th overall prospect from the state of Florida.
He was the final player to sign on Wednesday.
His 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame, speed and instincts could allow him to make an early impact as a freshman. He was NC State’s highest-rated recruit from the 2023 class.
NC State signed two other four-star recruits in 6-4, 209-pound tight end Javonte Vereen and 6-foot-1, 190-pound athlete Zack Myers, both North Carolina natives.
Myers will most likely play defensive back for the Wolfpack after reclassifying to the Class of 2023 in January. He chose NC State over Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia Tech.
A familiar name at quarterback
Lex Thomas, the younger brother of NC State wide receiver Thayer Thomas and linebacker Drake Thomas, signed as the Wolfpack’s only quarterback from this class.
The three-star, 5-foot-11, 193-pound recruit from Heritage High School in Wake Forest won’t see much action as a freshman unless the program continues with its recent history of injuries at the position.
MJ Morris and Ben Finley will return to Raleigh at the quarterback position after this season’s initial starter, Devin Leary, exited to the transfer portal this month after suffering a season-ending injury in October. Leary, the ACC preseason player of the year, has signed with Kentucky.
Doeren has not said whether Morris or Finley will start in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Maryland (Dec. 30, noon, ESPN).
Needs filled?
The future of a few positions remains in flux as the Wolfpack head toward the bowl game in Charlotte.
Aydan White and Shyheim Battle will return at corner, but safeties Cyrus Fagan, Tanner Ingle and nickel Tyler Baker-Williams will all be gone next season.
Enter three-star corners Brandon Sisse (Sumter, S.C.) and Terrente Hinton (Hutchinson Community College) and Myers, who will help bolster a secondary that allowed 223 yards per game in 2022.
NC State could also lose all three of its star linebackers in Isaiah Moore, Drake Thomas and Payton Wilson. Moore is out of eligibility, and Thomas and Wilson both have NFL aspirations. The Wolfpack signed Kamal Bonner and Kelvon McBride, a pair of three-star prospects, that won’t be expected to replace the trio’s production, at least not yet.
The addition of Bonner is a recruiting win; he had been trending towards ACC rival Georgia Tech and first-year coach Brent Key.
Versatile class
Doeren’s 10th recruiting class included players from seven states, including three from Florida, two from Alabama and Georgia and eight from North Carolina.
The Wolfpack also added four-star offensive tackle Dawson Jaramillo (Oregon) and four-star wide receiver Dacari Collins (Clemson), as well as Old Dominion safety Robert Kennedy from the transfer portal.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State football 2023 recruiting class and impact for Dave Doeren
