Keeping the most heralded football prospects from North Carolina from leaving the state is often a challenge for Duke, NC State, UNC and Wake Forest. That was apparent again in the 2016 recruiting cycle, as only one of the state’s top 15 players in the 247Sports composite index signed with a North Carolina program.
In a recent visit with The David Glenn Show, NC State head coach Dave Doeren discussed the importance of in-state recruiting and talked about what he and his staff pitch to nearby recruits.
“We’re trying to educate them on the value of the network you join,” Doeren said. “We’ve got so many alumni — hundreds and hundreds of thousands — in-state from NC State that graduated that are out there supporting us, and they join that job network immediately when they start playing here.”
The Wolfpack coach stated that he emphasizes the reality that football won’t last forever.
“Life after football is a big conversation that we have with these guys and the fact that only 10 percent of college football players make an NFL team, if that,” he said. “The average career in the league is four years, so at 26, if you were in the 10 percentile and you make a team, and you’re average when you get there, you’re starting life. It’s hitting you right in the face, and you better have a job network of people.”
Click below to hear the full interview: