Junior tackle Nolan McConnell adds NC State to impressive list
Junior offensive tackle Nolan McConnell has emerged as one of the top lineman in the Commonwealth state.
The rangy 6-foot-7, 275-pounder attends Stafford (Va.) Colonial Forge, which is just north of Fredericksburg, Va. Rivals.com ranks McConnell the No. 42 tackle in the country and the No. 9 overall player in Virginia in the class of 2023.
NC State jumped into his recruitment Monday, with offensive line coach John Garrison offering him. Duke and Coastal Carolina also offered McConnell on Monday.
The three new colleges joined 12 others who have offered — Arkansas, Boston College, Florida State, Michigan State, Mississippi, Nebraska, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
“I was talking to Coach Garrison for a few days,” said McConnell, 16. “We would talk about football stuff and weight lifting in the offseason. Then they just offered today [Monday].
“I do like NC State and I think I will make it down for a visit sometime in March.”
With Virginia and Virginia Tech having coaching changes, now is as good a time for NC State to recruit prospects from their neighbor to the north. NCSU has five players from Virginia on the current roster, and can also boast NFL quarterbacks Russell Wilson (Richmond) and Mike Glennon (Fairfax County).
“I want to see how their coaches and players interact when I visit,” McConnell said. “I’d probably go for a spring practice and see how the practice is run and the facilities is a part of it.”
NC State is also helped that left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is projected as a top 10 NFL Draft pick and the Wolfpack had former center Garrett Bradbury go No. 18 to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 draft. Former right tackle Will Richardson went in the fourth round to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018.
“It is nice to know the potential of the players that come out of NC State, and it shows a lot about the program,” McConnell said.
McConnell attended football games this past fall at North Carolina, Virginia (twice) and Penn State. He is planning a return trip to PSU this weekend.
McConnell will do the shot put and discus this spring for his high school. Colonial Forge went 4-7 this past season. He played along the defensive line, and played mostly tackle with a little guard on offense. His father played Division III at Emory & Henry College.
“I’m working on my strength and speed, and that will be a big part moving forward,” McConnell said.
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