4-star WR Jonathan Paylor commits to NC State
Jonathan Paylor, the No. 4 recruit in North Carolina, officially committed to NC State Friday evening, Aug. 4. The elite four-star receiver announced his pledge in front of friends and family at Burlington (N.C.) Cummings High.
NC State was one of five finalists going into the decision, joining South Carolina, Penn State, Maryland and North Carolina. Down the stretch of his recruitment, the Wolfpack and Gamecocks emerged as the main contenders in his recruitment.
He officially visited each of his top schools except for Penn State, the one program he stopped by unofficially this summer. North Carolina hosted him first June 2-4, followed by Maryland June 9-11, NC State June 16-18 and South Carolina June 23-35.
Once that visit schedule wrapped up, he took a step back to reevaluate his recruitment.
“At first, I had my decision in July, and some things changed, so I had to double back with the coaches and make sure everything was all right,” Paylor said.
Paylor pondered a July decision before rescheduling it to the first week of August. That gave him the opportunity to take two final unofficial visits in late July, which he decided to spend with NC State and UNC. His return to Raleigh for the Alpha Wolf Showcase went extremely well, and he appreciated the opportunity to work out in Carter-Finley Stadium alongside offensive coordinator Robert Anae.
“The workout was great,” Paylor said. “I haven’t worked out like that in a minute so, for me to just get back in shape and see where the offense is going and everything like that, it was good.”
After offering him a scholarship the summer following his freshman year, the Wolfpack made him a top priority in the class. Paylor visited campus nearly 20 times during his decision-making process, and NC State reciprocated that interest by stopping in at his school consistently during evaluation periods.
Paylor is the highest-ranked wide receiver commit of Dave Doeren’s tenure with the Wolfpack. The head coach visited him at Cummings High a handful of times, which helped the program stand out. Doeren emphasized during Paylor’s official visit that a few recruits committing at the right time could help the program take the next step.
“Me and Coach Doeren were talking a lot about how this program can be changed in a matter of seconds by getting the right people in the right place at the right time,” Paylor said.
The On3 Industry Ranking considers Paylor the No. 169 recruit in the nation, the No. 28 wide receiver and the No. 4 prospect in North Carolina for the 2024 class.
During his junior season, Paylor racked up 2,177 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns. He is NC State’s first wide receiver commit of this cycle and 14th overall member of the Pack’s class.
