7/25/2018 football Edit

NC State lands four-star cornerback Shyheim Battle

Jacey Zembal • TheWolfpackCentral

Writer

Rocky Mount (N.C.) High senior cornerback Shyheim Battle picked NC State on Wednesday. (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

NC State and Clemson had been battling for months for senior cornerback Shyheim Battle, and it appeared it would continue until Dec. 15.

The Rivals.com four -star prospect from Rocky Mount (N.C.) High had set an announcement for that date, but surprisingly ended his recruitment Wednesday, July 25. NC State landed the 6-foot-2, 165-pounder, who is ranked as the No. 220 overall player in the nation, No. 26 cornerback in the country and No. 9 overall player in the state of North Carolina in the class of 2019.

Battle, who earned 19 scholarship offers, had been recruited by cornerbacks coach George Barlow for over a year. He emerged on the radar after helping Rocky Mount win the 2015 NCHSAA 3A state title and post a runner-up finish in 2016. He impressed at NC State’s camp in June 2017 and came away with a scholarship offer.

Battle had offers from NC State, Duke and East Carolina going into his junior year, and ended with new additions from Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech, among others. As a junior, he had 31 tackles and three passes defended on defense, and caught 17 passes for 361 yards and four scores as a receiver.

Battle finished with 36 tackles, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), five passes defended and a fumble recovery his sophomore season.

With Battle’s pledge, NC State's class of 2019 grew to 20 players, 16 of which are from the state of North Carolina, and Rivals.com moved the Wolfpack up five spots to No. 14 overall in the country.

Rocky Mount and Battle open the 2018 season at Apex (N.C.) Middle Creek on Aug. 17.