NC State visit looming for Nathan Efobi with top schools on the way

Nathan Efobi is no stranger to NC State’s campus. The On3 Consensus four-star recruit visited Raleigh in January for his first impressions of the Wolfpack. His recruitment has changed significantly since then, and so have his priorities. 

The lineman is prepared to drop his list of top schools this week. As he begins to chart out his visits this summer, Efobi is focused on which coaches are prepared to develop him for the collegiate level and beyond. 

“I need to find a coach that will take me to the next level and help me play better,” Efobi said.

The spotlight shone on the South Forsyth High in Cumming, Ga., athlete’s recruitment from the minute he landed his first offer from Georgia. That was over a year ago, and Efobi received a total of 16 scholarship offers since. 

His next series of visits are dedicated to creating a stronger bond with the coaching staffs, getting to know them on a deeper, more detailed level on the field. Efobi will be watching how the coaches work out and develop players closely. NC State and Duke are already planned destinations for the lineman, and he expects to make the trip to Raleigh within the next couple of weeks. 

Efobi could not confirm whether the Wolfpack or the Blue Devils will make his top schools list, but he did say NC State left an impression during his last visit. 

Blessed to have gone to @DukeFOOTBALL and @PackFootball for unofficial visits. Had a great time can’t wait to be back pic.twitter.com/q68y0nZjJa

— Nathan Efobi (@nathan_efobi) February 1, 2022

“It’s a beautiful campus,” Efobi said. “I went there and I was like ‘Yeah, this is a great place that I could be playing in,’ and it was just amazing.”

Miami is one school to watch in Efobi’s recruitment, as the lineman visited the Canes in April. Due to schoolwork and the outdoor track season, Miami was the only school Efobi was able to see recently. He did make trips to Penn State and Tennessee earlier this spring.

Miami’s new coaching staff stood out to the lineman. Head Coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal sent Efobi drills to help improve his game, instilling confidence in the lineman that the Hurricane’s staff would have the ability to help him develop. 

Efobi said that he has a similar connection with the Wolfpack coaching staff, especially offensive line coach John Garrison.

“He also sends me clips on what I have to work on, stuff they do that I could be doing to implement in my game, so there’s a really good relationship,” Efobi.

NC State has a solid track record producing offensive linemen in the NFL recently. Both Ikem Ekwonu and Garrett Bradbury were drafted in the first round, which caught Efobi’s eye.

“That really intrigues me,” he said. “It helps me know that, if I go there, I can become the best I can be.”

Miami and NC State have very similar things going for them in their recruiting styles, but the Hurricanes have been able to create a very strong family atmosphere, Efobi said. He has a group chat with the entire Miami coaching staff, and they talk every day. 

Improving on the field is at the forefront of Efobi’s mind during his recruitment and while he trains. He still thinks about a few missed tackles this season that happened because he wasn’t fast enough. Efobi is focussing on speed and flexibility training this offseason to address that issue.

On3’s 2023 prospect ranking considers the lineman the 84th best prospect nationally and the sixth best interior offensive line prospect in the country. Efobi plays both offense and defense at South Forsyth. But, the class of 2023 athlete has no preference on which side of the ball he plays in college. He said the Wolfpack are recruiting him to play offensive line. 

The Wolfpack will have a chance to make a second impression when Nathan Efobi returns to Raleigh soon. Georgia Tech currently leads On3’s Recruiting Projection Machine (RPM) with 20 percent. Georgia follows closely with 17.5 percent, with Duke (15 percent) and NC State (12.5 percent) rounding out the top four. 

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