NC State OL Spike Sowells Jr. named On3 Midseason True Freshman All-American

As Spike Sowells Jr. stood on the sideline during NC State’s season-opening win over East Carolina in late August, he felt a sense of relief of being on a college sideline. But once Wolfpack offensive line coach Garett Tujague told him to put his helmet on in the third quarter, Sowells couldn’t believe he was going in the game.

Especially once Tujague told him where he was going to play: right guard.

“Right guard?” Sowells thought to himself before trotting onto the field in front of a sold-out Carter-Finley Stadium with 55,919 raucous fans on their feet. The former four-star recruit out of Louisville (Ky.) Male High had never played the position — center was his bread and butter, while he had experience at tackle — so his collegiate debut doubled as his first-ever time at guard.

“It just felt surreal,” Sowells recently recalled.

Sowells, who played 20 snaps in the opener, eventually carved out a key role at right guard. He earned the starting spot in Week 5 against Virginia Tech as the Wolfpack’s two other options were sick earlier in the week at practice, and he hasn’t looked back since. 

Now, Sowells was named to On3’s Midseason True Freshman All-America team Monday morning for his play at right guard this fall. 

The 6-foot-2, 312-pound offensive lineman has allowed just four total quarterback pressures in 128 pass-blocking snaps through the first seven weeks of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. Sowells, over that time, has yet to concede a sack as he continues to grow within the Wolfpack’s offensive line through his first three career starts.

On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, who placed Sowells on the midseason All-America team, raved about watching his growth through the season on film.

“Sowells turned in his best performance of the season in Saturday’s game against Notre Dame, holding his own against one of the nation’s more physical defensive fronts,” Power wrote. “Sowells brings plus length, a stout base, and a physical edge to his play, showing the power to hold up against interior rushers and the balance to stay square in pass protection.”

Sowells’ performance against Notre Dame was noteworthy as he battled the Irish’s standout defensive line, led by talented pass rusher Boubacar Traore. And as he turned in his highest-quality performance of the year, Sowells was rewarded with an 84.3 pass-blocking grade from PFF, earning a spot on the outlet’s Team of the Week. 

It wasn’t a given that Sowells would start this season after losing the center battle to sixth-year senior Jalen Grant, a Purdue transfer, in fall camp. But as he impressed at guard in practice, the Wolfpack had no choice but to insert him in as a true freshman. 

That in itself is a big-time achievement, one that Sowells was honored to have the trust of the Pack’s coaching staff to do so.

“God put me in that position. I felt like he trusted me and that was big,” Sowells said after his starting debut. “Putting a true freshman in the starting lineup at offensive line is not something you see a lot, especially since I’m not a 6-foot-6 guy.”

As Sowells continues to put each start under his belt, NC State believes he will continue to blossom. The Wolfpack has five regular season games remaining, all critical opportunities for Sowells to improve before sliding one spot to his left as the program’s “center of the future” as NC State coach Dave Doeren has tabbed the standout lineman.

“I’m proud of him,” Doeren said earlier this season, “and I know he’ll get better as he continues to play.”