The best quote from each NC State class of 2025 signee

NC State signed 17 senior high school recruits Wednesday, finishing Early National Signing Day with a nearly full 2025 class. The Wolfpack heads into the evening with the No. 39 class in the country and the No. 8 class in the ACC.

Every recruiting cycle, TheWolfpacker.com puts together a list of the best quotes from each future member of the program. Here’s a list of all 17 athletes who signed Wednesday and then 1 quote from each of them.

*** Four-star wide receiver Jerel Bolder 
*** Four-star offensive lineman Isaac Sowells Jr. 
*** Four-star offensive tackle Takhyian Whitset 
*** Three-star JUCO defensive lineman AJ Prim 
*** Three-star quarterback Will Wilson 
*** Three-star offensive lineman Michael Gibbs 
*** Three-star cornerback Cam Strong 
*** Three-star defensive lineman Colby Cronk 
*** Three-star tight end Gus Ritchey 
*** Three-star safety Gerritt Kemp 
*** Three-star cornerback Caden Gordon 
*** Three-star tight end Preston Douglas 
*** Three-star linebacker Terris Dudley 
*** Three-star safety Tristan Teasdell 
*** Three-star defensive lineman Omarian Abraham 
*** Three-star defensive lineman Josiah Victor 
*** Three-star offensive lineman Kage Payne 

Four-star wide receiver Jerel Bolder 

“As soon as I got to NC State and walked in, I felt it,” Bolder told On3. “I liked Georgia and Virginia a lot too, but the players at NC State took me in like a brother, the coaches always made me feel like a priority and NC State feels like home.”

Four-star offensive lineman Isaac Sowells Jr. 

“It’s always friendly,” Sowells said. “I think, out of the fan bases, NC State’s always gave off the best vibe. They were always the nicest to me, not in a sense of, ‘Man, we just want you here for football,’ but just as people.”

Four-star offensive tackle Takhyian Whitset 

“I really liked what I saw from the offensive linemen,” Whitset said. “The atmosphere, man, it gets crazy down there in Raleigh. The fans, they get loud, the student section gets jumping, I really like that.”

Three-star JUCO defensive lineman AJ Prim 

“He’s very old school,” Prim said. “He wants to develop you, he wants you to work hard and I like that. He’s not just going to hand anything to you, and that’s what I like from a coach.”

Three-star quarterback Will Wilson 

“It’s a new era in Raleigh… There are a lot of opportunities out there with businesses, internships, things like that,” Wilson said. “You can come in at NC State and do whatever you want, major in whatever. But also, you can come be a part of a football program that’s a brotherhood that’s going to prepare you for life after ball…

“It’s a great opportunity for you to just better your life and grow as a man.”

Three-star offensive lineman Michael Gibbs 

“I had no idea that it was coming,” Gibbs said when reflecting on his NC State scholarship offer. “It happened real quick. And then, when it happened, it carried the momentum of my whole day in a good way. It was the first round of playoffs, and I felt like I was on fire.”

Three-star cornerback Cam Strong 

“It just felt the most comfortable to me,” Strong said. “The coaches always shows love. Everybody in the building always shows love, from the players to every part of the staff. 

“Raleigh seems like a great town and a great atmosphere. Starting back when I went on my first visit to the Marshall game, the atmosphere was crazy. Who wouldn’t want to play in a place like that?”

Three-star defensive lineman Colby Cronk 

“A lot of people say I have a high motor. I don’t stop,” Cronk said. 

Three-star tight end Gus Ritchey 

“I’d never seen my mom break down in the middle of the floor crying because of how amazing the school was and how much it had to offer,” Ritchey said. “Seeing that from my mom, that meant everything to me.”

Three-star safety Gerritt Kemp 

“Coach [Brian Mitchell], he’s relatable, he understands me, my family’s background, where we come from and he’s a great guy,” Kemp said. 

“He’s building a relationship with my parents even more than myself. I feel like that’s good to know that my parents can trust him. If I were to attend that school, my parents would have no problem with him being my coach, being my mentor.”

Three-star cornerback Caden Gordon 

“It feels good,” Gordon said after committing. “I’ve got a home. Now I don’t got to worry about losing a spot or whatnot. I’m already established at a place, so I’ve just gotta be ready to come in in January and work.”

Three-star tight end Preston Douglas 

“They’re getting a versatile tight end who is great in the pass game but also can get dirty in the blocking, and you don’t really come across that that much,” Douglas said. A lot of tight ends are one dimensional. 

“Not only are you getting a good football player, you’re getting a player that’s going to help out in the community, be a great representative to speak and just a friend if anyone needs someone.”

Three-star linebacker Terris Dudley 

Dudley said he chose NC State because of its “blue collar standard and the development side.”

Three-star safety Tristan Teasdell 

“Real Football is back!” Teasdell said after the UNC win.

Three-star defensive lineman Omarian Abraham 

“It was like a joyful moment,” Abraham said after committing. “When I told [Charley Wiles] that I was committing, we all went out to eat and all the players were there, and all the coaches came to dap me up. It was just a really great moment for me.”

Three-star defensive lineman Josiah Victor 

“I feel like my explosiveness off the ball is top notch,” Victor said. “I just jump out of my stance. It’s pretty good, and this is 6A football [in Georgia], region 4 football. This is big time football. I’m going against four stars…You can see my tape. I’m knocking them off the ball. I’m doing all that. I’m stopping the run. Inside zone, it’s a box. You can’t run inside against me. You just can’t.”

Three-star offensive lineman Kage Payne 

“Honestly, it feels amazing,” Payne said after committing. “I texted coach [Garett Tujague] last night, and I was like, ‘It feels great going to sleep being a part of the best family in the nation.’”