Letter of intent No. 8: Defensive end Isaiah Shirley
The eighth letter of intent comes from three-star defensive end Isaiah Shirley of Boone (N.C.) Watauga.
Here is a full bio on Shirley.
Stats
• Senior: He had with 70 tackles (31 solo), 6.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, three caused fumble and three passes defended; he caught six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.
• Junior: He had 36 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
Ratings
• Rivals.com: Three stars, No. 22 overall player in the state of North Carolina and No. 61 defensive end in the country.
• 247Sports: Three stars, No. 642 overall player nationally, No. 21 overall player in North Carolina and No. 60 defensive end in the country.
• ESPN: Three stars, No. 27 overall player in North Carolina and No. 109 defensive end in the country.
Scouting Report From Watauga Coach Ryan Habich
Boone (N.C.) Watauga senior Isaiah Shirley was expected to dominate this season, and he did.
Watauga coach Ryan Habich knows Shirley was able to handle going against double teams at defensive end, and he's convinced he could be a quality tight end if he concentrated at that position. Habich used him as a blocking H-back.
"He had a phenomenal year," Habich said. "He started both ways and was an impact player on both sides of the ball, offense and defense.
"His niche is defensive end and he could be an elite defensive end."
Shirley will be early enrolling at NC State and he'll bring a winning attitude with him. Watauga went 10-2 this season and Shirley made sure to make his physical presence felt.
"We ran to him about 95 percent of the time [on offense]," Habich said. "People knew that, but we ran to his side when he was blocking or we pulled him to where we were running the ball. He was pretty dominant."
On defense, some teams definitely tried to run opposite of his side of the ball.
"He was dominant on defense, especially in our league," Habich said. "He got double teamed, and they knew where he was. They ran away from him. He did a lot of good things, so when they ran away, he chased it from behind."
Playing both ways also showed his conditioning. Habich figures the next step for him in college will be adjusting to the level of competition and concentrating on just being a defensive end.
"He can really focus on his moves and the technique you need to play elite level competition, that he'll play week-in and week-out," Habich said. "He'll keep getting more explosive. He's a weight room guy. He is used to lifting."
Habich expects NC State defensive line coach Charley Wiles to do a good job with Shirley in the Wolfpack's 3-3-5 scheme.
"He came to a game and he comes up a lot to see Isaiah," Habich sad. "They talk a lot on the phone and they have a good relationship."
Honors/Accomplishments
• Shirley was selected to the Carolinas Shrine Bowl.
• Coach Ryan Habich said he was the conference player of the year. Some other accolades could happen after Christmas.
Recruitment
Shirley took an organized approach to his recruitment, and narrowed his list to NC State, Duke, Virginia Tech and hometown Appalachian State. He officially visited the Wolfpack, Blue Devils and Hokies. Shirley verbally committed shortly after his NC State official visit to the Wolfpack on June 21, 2022.
Shirley was also offered by Tennessee, Wake Forest, Boston College, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia from Power Five Conferences. Coastal Carolina and Liberty also offered.
Recruiters of Record
NC State defensive line coach Charley Wiles.
Quotable
“I knew Coach [Dave] Doeren could make me a better man. I felt like they cared more about Isaiah than what he does on the field. I just got that feeling and God just said to go ahead. Let me tell you, they were fired up. [NCSU defensive line] Coach [Charley] Wiles and his wife were clapping in the background. I couldn’t be more happier or more relieved.” — Isaiah Shirley
2023 Projection
NC State could always use depth at defense end — and he can play in four games — but he could likely end up redshirting.
Highlights
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