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BREAKING: 4-star LB Elijah Groves flips to NC State

On3 imageby:Ethan McDowell•12/06/23•

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Elijah Groves-3
Four-star linebacker Elijah Groves.

Elite four-star linebacker Elijah Groves committed to Kentucky July 1 following a closely contested recruitment that came down to the early hours of that morning. NC State never stopped recruiting the Cross Plains (Tenn.) East Robertson High star, and that consistency paid off when he flipped to the Wolfpack Wednesday.

Groves officially announced his commitment one day after reopening his recruitment Tuesday. The Wolfpack staff visited him in Tennessee this week and helped secure the flip commitment. On3’s Chad Simmons was the first to put in a prediction for the linebacker, focussing his flip to NC State.

Even after he committed to Kentucky, the staff continued to treat him as a top priority. He spent more than five months as a part of the SEC program’s class, but the Wolfpack tried to get him back on campus for a game day and even traveled to Tennessee in the fall to evaluate him in person.

Before his original commitment decision, Groves narrowed down his recruitment to a top three of NC State, Kentucky and Purdue. He officially visited the Boilermakers in June before taking an unofficial trip to see the Wildcats. Groves finished off that summer schedule with an official visit to Raleigh June 23-25, committing to Kentucky soon after.

The 6-3, 210-pound linebacker will play the Army All-American game. He also held offers from Virginia Tech and Memphis after emerging as one of Tennessee’s top prospects in the spring. During his senior year of high school football, Groves led East Robertson High to a 13-2 record and recorded 76 tackles (66 solo, 15 for loss), 1 sack, 4 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns), 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 4 defended passes. He also blocked a field goal.

Offensively, he added 30 receptions for 506 yards and 6 scores, 2 completed passes on 2 attempts for 102 yards, 16 carries for 117 yards and a 1 more score. The Wolfpack commit also returned punts (11.4 yards per attempt) and kicks (35.2 yards per attempt, 1 touchdown). He also took home his region’s special teams most valuable player award as a punter.

Groves is the seventh player in NC State’s 2024 recruiting class who is ranked as a four-star prospect by at least one recruiting service. The On3 Industry Ranking considers him the No. 254 recruit in the country, the No. 21 linebacker nationally and the No. 5 prospect in Tennessee. The Wolfpack’s class now holds 21 commits, including four linebackers.

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