N.C. State picked up a verbal commitment last Friday from a potentially important player: wide receiver C.J. Riley from Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward.
One look at State’s receiver board offered an overwhelming hint of what the Pack was targeting for wide outs this year: height and length. Riley has that at 6-4, 190 pounds. He’s also a good athlete, registering a 35.1-inch vertical leap at the Nike Opening camp in Miami in April and a respectable 4.64-second 40-yard dash.
Riley had a total of 10 power conference school offers, counting N.C. State, and took an official visit to Nebraska before picking the Wolfpack. Rivals.com rated Riley the No. 81 senior prospect in talent-rich Florida.
It is difficult for true freshmen receivers to make a huge instant impact, but Riley could help bolster a receiving corps at N.C. State that needs help. ESPN.com’s David Hale noted Monday that the Wolfpack wide receivers averaged just 7.1 yards per catch, 100th in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Wolfpack quarterbacks completed just 56.5 percent of their throws to the receivers, 12th in the ACC and ahead of only Georgia Tech and Boston College.
NCSU returns every significant receiver of note from its corps, but nothing will be guaranteed next spring and preseason as the Pack will surely look for more big-play production. Thus Riley (and other young players including three freshmen and a sophomore that redshirted) will have an opportunity to make an impact