South Carolina linebacker Sterling Lucas, was rumored to be a ‘lock’ for the University of South Carolina…that is until he committed to NC State this morning.
Lucas is considered one of the Top 25 middle linebackers in the country and chose the Wolfpack over offers from UNC-CH, USC, Maryland, Michigan State and Wake Forest.
Lucas becomes the 4th major linebacker prospect committed to the Wolfpack in this recruiting class joining Terrell Manning (see commitment entry), William Beasley and Dwayne Maddox (see commitment entry). It is generally understood that Terrell Manning will redshirt next year to give his injured knee sufficient time to rehabilitate therefore opening the door for one of the other three commits to potentially earn playing time as a true freshman.
We don’t typically spend too much time on recruiting, but we can’t help but be super excited about what Coach O’Brien is doing in Raleigh. As evidenced by this group of linebacker commitments, Coach Tom O’Brien has done an EXCELLENT job recruiting talent at a position which Wolfpack desperately needed help.
This link will take you to some more random comments about some of the Wolfpack’s 2008 commitments.
Additionally, if you have access to ESPN INsider then you can see a narrative summary of the ACC Atlantic Division’s recruiting by clicking here.
Tom O’Brien probably did not achieve the success he desired in his first-year at NC State, but off the field, the former Boston College head coach is building a quality recruiting class like he did for many years at Chestnut Hill. We actually expect even better classes down the road as O’Brien becomes accustomed with a recruiting area far more fertile than New England and with an admissions department presumably far less rigorous than BC’s. This current 2008 class may reflect the changes already taking place, as the Wolfpack currently have the No. 20 class heading into signing day and perhaps have O’Brien’s next Matt Ryan at quarterback.
…and…just for a little fun in the event that you were interested…
Despite a slide down the stretch, Boston College established itself as one of the premier teams in the country throughout most of the 2007 season and tallied its highest win total in more than 60 years. The popular question from BC fans since September has been whether its success and jump into elite status on the field would translate into a stellar recruiting class.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t.
The Eagles did not appear in the top 25 of our latest class rankings and do not look likely to climb in on February 6.
