NC State football recruiting class of 2017: Reviewing five years later

One thing that head coach Dave Doeren has noted about NC State football recruiting that it is important to judge it by the finished product and not what what the rankings show on signing day.

The 2017 class is almost complete with their eligibility, although a few will be around next fall for a Super Senior year.

How did NC State football recruiting grade out?

The On3 Consensus shows that the class was ranked No. 44 on signing day. Here’s what it looked like after five years in the Wolfpack program.

NC State football recruiting hits in class of 2023

Linebacker Louis Acceus, Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph Regional

Acceus had tough luck with injuries that forced him to retire from football, but there is no denying that NC State football recruiting got the evaluation right on Acceus, and that is not surprising. Acceus was one of the more decorated signings for NC State football recruiting  — being named a prep All-American by USA Today and the state defensive player of the year.

Acceus picked NC State over Virginia Tech and Maryland.

His junior season in 2019 he was a contender to lead the team in tackles before missing the final four games of the year, but that would be the last of his time in Raleigh.

Wide receiver Emeka Emezie, Waxhaw (N.C.) Marvin Ridge High

Emezie had a lot of schools interested, but NC State football was one of the few Power Fives that prioritized him, which explained why he re-committed to the Pack after backing off his original summer-time pledge.

Five years later, other schools wish they had jumped in on Emezie when they had an opening. He was second-team All-ACC this season and will leave NC State’s all-time leading receiver in receptions, a notable accomplishment at a program with a good history of wideouts.

Offensive guard Joshua Fedd-Jackson, Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph Regional

It didn’t end well for Fedd-Jackson in Raleigh, but before then he was a two-year starter and good enough performer to warrant looks from NFL Draft scouts. Fedd-Jackson left after the 2019 season, going first into the trasnfer portal and then exploring the supplemental draft, but he never played football again.

Like Acceus, Fedd-Jackson was a late-developing recruitment once his grades got in order.

Center Grant Gibson, Charlotte Mallard Creek High

The lone On3 Consensus four-star from the high school ranks in the NC State football recruiting class of 2017, Gibson originally started his career at defensive tackle before moving to center, where he has developed into one of the best in the ACC.

He was third-team all-conference this year, and Gibson doubles as one of the Pack’s top leaders. Gibson will be back as a Super Senior.

Cornerback Chris Ingram, Mooresville (N.C.) High

Ingram was an early commitment to the NC State football recruiting class, and sometimes early pledges lose the limelight. Ingram was being offered by Power Five schools when he was a freshman in high school, and schools like Clemson and North Carolina tried to get Ingram to waiver on his pledge to NC State but to no avail.

Prior to a knee injury midway through the 2019 season, Ingram was the Pack’s best cover corner in a tandem that included Nick McCloud, who made a NFL roster.

Linebacker Isaiah Moore, Chesterfield (Va.) Lloyd C. Bird High

Moore represents the biggest success story in the NC State football recruiting class. If he had not signed with the Wolfpack, odds are Moore is playing for a service academy program or perhaps an upper echelon FCS school like James Madison.

Instead, this season before his injury at Miami, Moore was playing as good as any linebacker in the conference, and he has a potential future in the NFL. Moore, like Gibson, is an invaluable leader who will return as a Super Senior.

Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison, Louisburg (N.C.) College

The late addition to the class, Murchison went from raw redshirting defensive tackle to being drafted two years later in the fifth round by the Tennessee Titans.

Offensive lineman Bryson Speas, Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High

Speas committed to Virginia after camping at NC State and not receiving an offer from the Wolfpack. NC State dodged that bullet when it offered him later and was able to get him to flip. Then the Pack had to hold on while Virginia Tech made a run at Speas.

Speas has turned into a three-year versatile starter for the Wolfpack, and this past season posted a solid Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 69.9 at right tackle.

Mixed results

Defensive end Ibrahim Kante, Bronx (N.Y.) Trinity Pawling School

Calling Kante “mixed results” may be unfair.

Kante was a late bloomer that NC State football recruiting unearthed, and he picked the Pack over offers from Boston College and Rutgers. He has 13 career starts to his credit and has 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in that time, which is certainty a noteworthy contribution.

Kante though never became more than a rotational figure along the defensive front.

Defensive end Xavier Lyas, Plant City (Fla.) Durant High

Lyas was an under-the-radar pass rusher who had mid-major offers aside from NC State, but also possessed clear plus-athleticism for an end.

Lyas flashed some of that in Raleigh, memorably having a pair of sacks in a home win over Florida State in 2018. He finished with 6.5 sacks over two seasons before choosing to transfer to Northern Arizona after NC State’s switch to a 3-man front on defense.

Quarterback Matt McKay, Raleigh Wakefield High

One of two dual-threat in-state targets that NC State football recruiting had on the board in the 2017 class, McKay committed before Greensboro Dudley’s Hendon Hooker was ready.

In hindsight, waiting for Hooker might have been the better call. Hooker started at Virginia Tech before transferring to Tennessee, where he will return next year as a Super Senior and a two-year starter for the Vols.

McKay though, to his credit, had his moments in Raleigh, earning the starting job in 2019 and going 3-2 as a starter before being benched. McKay then transferred to Montana State where he had a nice season in 2021 and is now back in the portal.

The misses

Tight end Adam Boselli, Jacksonville (Fla.) Episcopal

Boselli was a camp standout that impressed enough to create room for an extra tight end in the class. He would pick the Wolfpack over Duke and South Florida, but Boselli eventually retired from football after not seeing the field much for the Wolfpack.

Defensive end Kevince Brown, Winter Park (Fla.) High

Brown chose NC State over Pittsburgh, but he never played a down for the Pack. He was dismissed from the team shortly after arriving in Raleigh

Running back Erin Collins, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood

Collins came from a top program in the Tampa area and was part of a crowded prep backfield. NC State’s hope was that he would shine when given the opportunity to be a showcase back, but Collins never carried the ball for NC State.

He went to a junior college before going to Northern Illinois, where he has had limited production

Tight end Damien Darden, Pikeville (N.C.) C.B. Aycock High

Darden was a physically impressive-looking prospect when NC State nabbed him as an early commit in the class before other colleges could jump on Darden.

After redshirting, Darden was pressed into action in 2018 and after some early struggles decided to transfer.

Receiver/safety Max Fisher, Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga Prep

Fisher recently graduated from NC State and has been on the team for five seasons, but he has been limited to special teams primarily. He had a stint at safety in 2020, when he produced the most memorable play of his career, returning a blocked punt for a score against Duke.

Fisher joined the NC State football recruiting class over offers from Boston College, Indiana and Wake Forest.

Defensive tackle Dante Johnson, Apopka (Fla.) Wekiva High

NC State flipped Johnson away from Purdue late in the recruiting process, but he never saw the field much before announcing after last season he was transferring. After sitting out the fall, Johnson recently revealed he would join West Florida this spring.

Running back Nakia Robinson Jr., Miami (Fla.) Jackson High

Most of Robinson’s attention from colleges came from mid-majors, although Oregon State made a run at him. Some liked Robinson as a defensive back, but he played running back for the Wolfpack.

However, after redshirting, Robinson got a few carries in a lopsided win over Georgia State in 2019 and then announced he was transferring.

Linebacker Raven Saunders, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Dwyer High

Saunders impressed early at NC State and burned his redshirt in 2017, playing primarily on special teams. Saunders however would be dismissed from the team the following spring and was last seen at a junior college.

He was considered a nice pickup for NC State football recruiting when he made an early pledge despite offers from Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Pittsburgh.

Wide receiver Antoine Thompson, Plant City (Fla.) High

Considered one of the top pickups in the class and rated four stars by some services, Thompson’s career unfolded similarly to Brown’s. Thompson would matriculate at a junior college but did not parlay that into a second opportunity at a major college football program.

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