Offensive recruiting needs: Quarterbacks

In 2008, the Pack could be signing a recruiting class of over 20 players. State already has commitments in athlete Tobias Palmer from Northwood High in Pittsboro, N.C., and tight end Mario Carter from Independence High in Charlotte. NC State can take about 20 more players and remain within the 85-scholarship limit mandated by the NCAA.

The following is the first of a position-by-position analysis of the Wolfpack's needs on offense by looking at the quarterbacks. All current players for NC State are listed by their eligibility for next season.

Who is coming back: Every quarterback on NC State's roster last season returns, but not all of them are in the same position. Senior Marcus Stone has moved to tight end, and the battle for the starting job is between redshirt junior Daniel Evans, redshirt sophomore Harrison Beck and redshirt freshman Justin Burke.

Evans started the final nine games of the season last year and completed 163 of 307 passes for 1,843 yards, but he had just six touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions, and the team went 2-7 with him under center.

Beck and Burke were both highly touted recruits out of high school. Beck signed with Nebraska after being ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the country. The Huskers burned Beck's redshirt late in the year to protect their bowl hopes, playing him against Kansas State and Colorado. He led them to a come-from-behind win against Kansas State, but he transferred to NC State the following summer.

Burke redshirted last year while being listed on the depth chart as third string behind Stone and Evans.

Russell Wilson, one of the top athletes from the state of Virginia, will join those three in the summer. The Richmond native threw for 3,009 yards and ran for 1,132 at The Collegiate School in 2006. A star shortstop for his high school team, he will also likely play baseball at NC State.

The need at the position: NC State will return all its quarterbacks for the second consecutive year in 2008. However, as a general rule of thumb, colleges tend to target at least one signal-caller every year. It was also telling that head coach Tom O'Brien made a hard push for quarterback Matt Simms last January when the heralded recruit was wavering on his commitment to Louisville following a coaching change there.

It's very likely that NC State will sign at least one quarterback, and may target more depending on the effectiveness of the QBs this year.

How many will be signed: 1-2

Early targets: NC State has yet to offer a quarterback in the 2008 class, preferring instead to bring targeted signal-callers in for camp to make better evaluations on them. Fortunately for the coaching staff, for the first time since the class of 2005 there appear to be some nice options at the position from the state of North Carolina. Two prospects, both from the Charlotte-area, have already earned scholarship offers from Division I programs.

Jacob Charest was offered by the previous staff at NC State. From Butler High in Matthews, he threw for 3,011 yards and 22 touchdowns with eight interceptions as a junior, helping Butler to a 12-3 record. The 6-3, 191-pounder has received early offers from Illinois, Louisville, California, Oregon and Akron. Charest hopes to get one over the summer from NC State.

The other top quarterback from that region is Braden Hanson, a standout at Latin High. The 6-6, 200-pound southpaw posted impressive numbers as a junior, completing 172 of 245 passes for 2,695 yards and 39 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. North Carolina, Duke, Missouri and Wisconsin are Hanson's early offers. Like Charest, Hanson has been asked by NC State to camp in Raleigh this summer. Alabama, where former NC State assistant Curt Cignetti is the recruiting coordinator, has also shown a lot of interest.

Out of state, one notable prospect is Mike Glennon, a 6-6, 190-pounder from Westville High in Centreville, Va. Glennon is the younger brother of Virginia Tech starting quarterback Sean Glennon. Miami, Duke, Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech have all offered the younger Glennon, and he unofficially visited NC State for a spring practice during his spring break in April. Rumors have been that Glennon favors NC State, but he denied those in an interview on the Rivals.com network. Glennon however will camp at NC State.

Three other pro-style quarterbacks that will likely camp at NC State include Dakota Derrick, a 6-foot-5, 190 pounder from Conway (S.C.) High; Louis Gelsomini, 6-foot-1, 220 pounds from Timber Creek High in Erial, N.J., and Stephen Shimko, a 6-foot-6, 205-pounder from Ewing (N.J.) High.

Two athletic quarterbacks who may get a look are A.J. Blue, 6-1, 195 pounds, from North Gaston High in Dallas, N.C., and Tommy Reamon Jr. , 6-2, 195 pounds, from Gloucester High in Newport News, Va. Both visited NC State for Junior Day March 4.

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