NC State football recruiting scouting report: Javonte Vereen
On Friday, Sept. 16, The Wolfpacker was in attendance at Havelock (N.C.) High for what was expected to be a marquee high school football showdown. New Bern (N.C.) High, featuring NC State On3 Consensus four-star Wolfpack target and Florida State defensive line commit Keith Sampson Jr., was visiting Havelock, which has NC State football recruiting commit Javonte Vereen, an On3 Consensus four-star tight end.
A competitive game early saw New Bern pull away in the second half. The Bears had a 6-0 halftime advantage before rolling to a 27-0 final advantage.
Here are five observations of Vereen from the contest.
You can also watch a few clips below of Vereen in action from the game courtesy The Wolfpacker’s YouTube channel.
Five Observations From Seeing Javonte Vereen In Action
1. Javonte Vereen is a receiving threat. That is clear. NC State football unearthed a threat in the passing game last season by moving former running back Trent Pennix and receiver Christopher Toudle both to tight end. Vereen has the capability of being a similar weapon in the passing game.
In this particular contest, Vereen caught 6 passes for 91 yards. He was targeted 9 times, but one of those was deflected near the line of scrimmage in which he did not have a chance. Another was an overthrow on a fade route in the end zone when Vereen did a good job getting proper position on the defensive back.
Another was a 50-50 ball where Vereen appeared to mistime his jump and that allowed a smaller defensive back behind him to come down with an interception. Vereen had a similar scenario set up later in the game and came down with the catch for his longest gain of the evening, a 32-yard reception.
2. The physicality aspect is an unknown. Vereen lined up almost exclusively at outside receiver for the evening. Thus evaluating what Vereen projects as a blocker is difficult.
That’s not unusual, however. One source told us recently that finding true tight ends in the high school level is a challenge. Thus schools are often left to project taller receivers or bigger running backs for the position.
3. Size-wise, Vereen will need time to fill out. The On3 database lists Vereen at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, and that seems about right. He is not a taller tight end, but neither is Pennix and he is an effective performer when healthy.
The hope is that in a couple of years Vereen will be in the 230-240 pound range while retaining his athleticism.
4. Speaking of athleticism, that’s Vereen’s forte. For a tight end, Vereen has the potential to be an above-average athlete. There was one catch where Vereen did a nice job fighting off a would-be tackler and getting a few more yards after contact.
Vereen is a very fluid runner who has the potential to be a mismatch in the passing game if he holds that athleticism as he gets bigger.
5. Vereen has the respect of his peers. It was noteworthy that after the game several New Bern players and coaches made it a point to reach out to Vereen. This despite obviously taking time to celebrate and enjoy the rivalry win.
