Letter of intent No. 2: Running back Kendrick Raphael
The second letter of intent comes from four-star running back Kendrick Raphael of Naples (Fla.) High.
Here is a full bio on Raphael.
Stats
• Senior: He had 140 carries for 1,731 yard and 22 touchdowns, plus five catches for 30 yards.
• Junior: He rushed 126 times for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Ratings
• Rivals.com: Four stars, No. 62 overall player in Florida and No. 18 running back in the country.
• 247Sports: Four stars, No. 392 overall player nationally, No. 73 overall player in Florida and No. 26 running back in the country.
• ESPN: Four stars, No. 65 overall player in Florida and No. 24 running back in the country.
Scouting Report From Naples Coach Rick Martin
Not many high schools have two high-major running backs, but Naples (Fla.) High did.
NC State senior running back commit Kendrick Raphael will be used to be in a rotation and fighting for carries. He split time with Arkansas senior signee Isaiah Augustave this past fall. Raphael rushed 140 times for 1,731 yards and 22 touchdowns, and Augustave tallied 109 carries for 1,031 yards and 11 scores.
Naples coach Rick Martin is bullish on what the Rivals.com four-star Raphael can achieve at NC State.
“NC State is getting the total package,” Martin said. “He is a hard runner and a downhill runner. He has really good vision and really good feet. He is a heck of a blocker. It’s rare to find a kid who likes blocking as much as running.”
Raphael helped Naples go 9-3 this season. He originally verbally committed to Iowa last June, but Martin could tell that NC State was ultimately going to be a quality fit. Usually every recruiting conversation ended with NC State.
“He’s a loyal kid at heart and the fact that NC State was his very first offer, meant a lot to him,” Martin said. “I really think NC State was always his go-to.
“When he committed to Iowa, it was later in the process and the season was about to start. A bunch of his friends on the team ended up committing that weekend or the weekend after that. I think he felt pressure [in committing to Iowa].”
Martin credited Raphael’s football IQ and mentioned that he has good hands, even if he only had five catches his senior year.
“He understands scheme, understands fits and his role in what they are asking him to do,” Martin said. “You don’t have to coach him up all that much.”
Naples had a quality schedule with Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage and Wolfpack safety signee Daemon Fagan. Fort Myers (Fla.) Dunbar and Venice (Fla.) High were also elite opponents.
“Kendrick does a great job no matter who we play,” Martin said. “He’s just a guy who is locked in every Friday. It doesn’t really matter, he’ll give everything he’s got regardless.”
Martin, who played with former NC State running back Jamelle Eugene at Naples High, looks forward to what Raphael can achieve in Raleigh. Raphael is hoping to enroll mid-semester.
“The biggest thing with Kendrick that he’ll have to work on is obviously his pass blocking,” Martin said. “That is the biggest jump from our program to the big boys. In our offense, we don’t do that. We do a no mesh Veer. We are a downhill power game. There isn’t a lot of of two-point stance.”
— Jacey Zembal
Honors/Accomplishments
• Raphael was named the 3S All-District offensive player of the year.
Recruitment
Raphael had two different recruitments. He officially visited NC State and Iowa in June 2022, and he picked Iowa on June 13. He then decommitted from the Hawkeyes Sept. 21.
Raphael continued to favor NC State during the fall and picked the Wolfpack over Penn State and Oregon on Nov. 29.
Recruiters of Record
NC State running backs coach Kurt Roper.
Quotable
"That has helped me a lot and I see how their offense is run and how I'd fit in there. I could do great things in the future. I want to be an every down back. I want to be somebody who can help the team be better." — Kendrick Raphael
2023 Projection
Raphael will get every opportunity to be in the running back rotation next year.
Highlights
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