N.C. State football's 2022 recruiting class isn't star-studded, but it excels in developing prospects

Bradley Chubb was a three-star 2014 defensive end.

Garrett Bradbury was a three-star 2014 tight end.

Ikem Ekwonu was a three-star 2019 offensive guard.

But next fall, all three of those N.C. State football players will be earning millions of dollars on Sundays as former first-round NFL Draft picks: Chubb with the Denver Broncos, Bradbury with the Minnesota Vikings and Ekwonu, a top ten projected 2022 pick, with one of the league’s current bottom feeders.

As the Wolfpack enter Wednesday's 2022 early signing period with a not-so-flashy recruiting class, the trajectories of those players – coach Dave Doeren’s three first-round selections – is a reminder that zeroing in on high-upside high school players who might lack national stardom has done N.C. State plenty of good.

“They’ve done a great job identifying players and then, once they get them on campus, developing those players,” On3 senior national recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton told the USA Today Network in August.

Chubb went from the No. 64 player in the state of Georgia to the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he’s now a Pro Bowl pass rusher for the Broncos. Bradbury arrived in Raleigh as a tight end from Charlotte Christian, and he’s now the three-year starting center for a high-flying Vikings offense.

And Ekwonu evolved from the No. 36 recruit at his position at Providence Day School to the “most feared lineman in the ACC,” as The Athletic put it: a stunningly agile, pancake-blocking 6-foot-4, 320-pound junior who allowed a mere two sacks in 829 snaps as N.C. State’s starting left tackle this fall.

The success of those players, plus other three-stars including 2021 All-ACC picks Emeka Emezie, Grant Gibson and Tanner Ingle, speaks to N.C. State’s well-established evaluation and development strategies.

“Doeren’s doing a very, very good job at a school that, look, is not going to win (many) big recruiting battles and isn’t going to even get into some of those unless they’re in state,” Hamilton said. “They’ve proven that this is still a game of evaluation and development – on whatever level you’re coaching.”

The Wolfpack’s 2022 recruiting class ranks ninth in the ACC and 51st in the country, per 247Sports composite rankings. It includes two four-star recruits – running back Michael Allen and linebacker Torren Wright, both in-state players – but 10 of its 12 current verbal commits are three-star recruits.

There are intriguing out-of-state athletes such as Florida defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland, a former Miami commit and strong baseball player, and Georgia quarterback M.J. Morris, whose relationship with offensive coordinator Tim Beck prompted him to choose N.C. State over Georgia Tech and Nebraska.

There are in-state wild cards, too, including Cary center Rylan Vann (a state champion heavyweight wrestler); Southern Nash running back Jackson Vick (who will play cornerback at N.C. State); and Northern Guilford wide receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. (a late bloomer who committed in September).

Florida defensive lineman Nick Campbell, East Forsyth cornerback Isaiah Crowell, Whiteville linebacker Daejuan Thompson, South Carolina running back Bennett Galloway and South Carolina defensive lineman D.J. Jackson make up the rest of N.C. State’s 2022 class. (The Wolfpack have also landed two recent Crystal Ball predictions for a 13th recruit, three-star Georgia offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak.)

J.H. Rose’s Allen, the No. 20 running back in the class, and A.L. Brown’s Wright, the No. 33 linebacker in the class, bring tangible star power to a 2022 group with an 86.95 average recruit rank (a new high under Doeren). But, in terms of composite team rankings, it’s his second lowest full class behind 2017.

But if Holiday Bowl-bound N.C. State’s 2021 season is any indication, that’s not a pressing issue. After flirting with an ACC Atlantic Division championship and coming back against rival UNC in historic fashion, the Wolfpack will return a rash of key players for their 2022 season, Doeren’s 10th with the program.

Quarterback Devin Leary, defensive lineman Cory Durden and linebackers Payton Wilson and Isaiah Moore are among those who’ve confirmed their plans to return for the current CFP No. 18 Wolfpack.

N.C. State could also supplement its small 2022 recruiting class with transfer portal additions this offseason, as expatriates Durden (Florida State), offensive lineman Chandler Zavala (Fairmont State) and defensive backs Cyrus Fagan (Florida State) and Derrek Pitts Jr. (Marshall) all made an impact this fall.

Based on recent history, it’s a safe assumption that a few of N.C. State’s lower-ranked 2022 recruits will do the same in the future, too – with Doeren, whose contract runs through 2025, likely leading the way.

“We live in the instant gratification college sports world where most coaches get three or four years to prove themselves,” Hamilton said in August. “N.C. State stuck with Doeren through a couple of tough years because I think they were smart enough to see that he was getting a lot of good work done. Sticking with him has resulted in a lot of success for a program not always known for that.”

Sports reporter David Thompson contributed reporting.

Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: How N.C. State football, Dave Doeren excel at developing 3-star recruits