Nine NC State commitments selected to Shrine Bowl
NC State’s recruiting class that is ranked No. 20 nationally by Rivals.com as of Oct. 21, is now officially a star-studded group.
Nine of the 17 in-state verbal commitments were selected to play in the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game on Dec. 15 in Spartanburg, S.C.
Four-star cornerback Shyheim Battle (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) from Rocky Mount High has 22 tackles (16 solo), including two for loss, plus an interception and two pass breakups through six games, all wins. He picked NC State over Clemson. Rivals.com ranks Battle as the No. 228 player in the country, the No. 22 corner nationally and the No. 10 prospect in the state.
Four-star defensive tackle C.J. Clark from New London’s North Stanly High has 73 tackles, including 45 solo hits and five sacks, to go with three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in his first eight games, during which North Stanly was 6-2. Clark (6-3, 300 pounds) picked NC State over Georgia and North Carolina. He is ranked No. 161 in the country, No. 9 among defensive tackles nationally and No. 7 in the state by Rivals.com.
Four-star defensive end Savion Jackson (6-3, 260 pounds) from Clayton High has piled up 58 tackles (31 solo), including 5.5 sacks and an additional five tackles for loss, recorded a fumble recovery and four blocked kicks for a Comets team that is 6-2. Jackson picked the Pack over South Carolina. Rivals.com regards him as the No. 123 recruit in the country, the No. 9 strongside defensive end in the nation and the No. 5 player in the state.
Three-star running back Zonovan Knight’s season with Southern Nash High in Bailey has been interrupted frequently by weather, but in his first five games Knight (5-11, 175 pounds) has rushed 54 times for 830 yards and 10 touchdowns, and returned two kickoffs for scores, for an undefeated squad. Knight, a one-time Duke pledge, selected NCSU over Virginia Tech. He is listed as the No. 28 running back in the country and the No. 20 player in the state by Rivals.com.
Three-star safety Khalid Martin (6-1, 200 pounds) from East Forsyth High in Kernersville, also picked the Pack over the Hokies. Martin has 56 tackles (27 solo), including two for loss, an interception, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in eight games, all victories. He also has caught a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for a score. Rivals.com ranks Martin as the No. 55 safety in the nation and the No. 32 recruit in the state.
Three-star linebacker Jaylon Scott (6-1, 230 pounds) has 53 tackles (21 solo), including 13 for loss and three sacks, and added two pass breakups, a forced fumble and two blocked punts for 6-3 Shelby High. He also has a touchdown reception. Scott picked NC State over Duke. Scott is rated the No. 41 outside linebacker in the country and the No. 31 recruit in the state by Rivals.com.
Three-star linebacker Drake Thomas (6-1, 235 pounds) from Heritage High in Wake Forest has 75 tackles (36 solo), including three sacks and a safety, plus a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a pick six and two pass breakups on defense in eight games. He also rushed for six touchdowns for 7-1 Heritage. Thomas, who picked the Wolfpack over Clemson, is rated the No. 23 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 21 player in the state by Rivals.com.
Also selected were four-star defensive tackle Joshua Harris from Person High in Roxboro and three-star tight end Kam Walker from Pisgah High in Canton. Harris selected NC State over UNC, and NC State was Walker’s first major offer.
Rivals.com ranks Harris as the No. 144 player in the country, the No. 6 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 6 recruit in the state.
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