12/18/2019 football Edit

Letter of intent No. 5: Defensive back Devan Boykin

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

Three-star defensive back Devan Boykin from Ragsdale High in Jamestown, N.C. has signed his letter of intent with NC State football.

Measurables

At a Nike Regional in April in Charlotte measured 5-foot-10, 171 pounds … Was laser-timed at 4.62 seconds in the 40-yard dash … Had a 4.37-second shuttle mark and 36.5-inch vertical leap … At a Shrine Bowl combine was hand-timed at 4.46 seconds in the 40 … Also had a 4.31-second shuttle, 9-foot-1.5 standing broad jump and eight reps at 185 pounds on the bench press.

Stats

Senior: Had 44 tackles (including 29 solo and four for loss) and four interceptions, and caught 49 passes for 641 yards and 16 scores … Rushed 64 times for 375 yards and two touchdowns … Returned 13 punts for an average of 8.4 yards.

Junior: Played option quarterback and completed 54 of 103 passes for 671 yards and seven touchdowns and ran 132 times for 588 yards and five more scores … Posted 33 tackles, including three for loss, and a 58-yard pick six … Returned 10 punts for an average of 21.5 yards, including three scores.

Sophomore: Had 18 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.

Ratings

Rivals.com: Three stars and No. 32 player in the state.

247Sports: Three stars, No. 36 cornerback in the country and No. 15 player in the state.

ESPN: Three stars, No. 57 cornerback in the country and No. 26 player in the state.

Fayetteville Observer: No. 39 player in the state.

Charlotte Observer: No. 16 player in the state.

Honors/Accomplishments

• Selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game Dec. 21 in Spartanburg, S.C.

• Named conference’s Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

• Was picked as his conference’s Offensive Player of the Year when he was a junior.

• Also plays basketball and averaged 16.3 points per game as a junior.

Recruitment

• NC State offered while he was at a junior day in January.

• Also picked up offers from, among others, Army, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Georgia Southern and Navy.

• Verbally committed to the Pack April 15 and will enroll early.

Recruiter Of Record

Nickels coach Aaron Henry

Quotable

“They are getting a smart player and a very versatile player. His best qualities are being able to play the game within the scheme. He plays it pretty fast due to understanding player relationships and things around him. I think they are getting a dynamic player.”

— Ragsdale head coach Johnny Boykin

Scouting Report

• Versatile defensive back who could probably line up at any position in NC State’s secondary.

• A good athlete.

• Lack of size was considered the one drawback in his recruitment, but NCSU has recruited for versatility more than measurements in recent defensive back classes.

2020 Projection

There is no question that NC State’s secondary continues to be a point of emphasis on defense. However, for Boykin the first matter is to identify where he will play. He would be a plus athlete at safety, but size-wise he might be a better fit at corner. He may also give NC State a better coverage guy at nickel.