Wolfpack's persistence won over Emeka Emezie

NC State verbal commitment Emeka Emezie, a three-star receiver from Marvin Ridge High in Waxhaw, N.C., helped his team nearly upset Monroe (N.C.) Sun Valley High on the road last Friday, catching seven passes for 91 yards.

Sun Valley prevailed 47-38 and Emezie walked off the field thinking he should have done more.

“The team looks towards me, and I just have to step up,” Emezie said. “That’s on me because I didn’t step up until the second half. I have to step up earlier.

“Next time we see them in the playoffs, I am going to step it up.”

That attitude reflects Emezie’s passion for the sport.

“I love this game more than anything,” Emezie said. “I’ll do anything for it.”

NC State is excited to have that type of enthusiasm back into its class. Emezie first committed to the Wolfpack in June, but in mid-September he announced he was decommitting.

Two weeks later, Emezie came to a realization that his first choice was the right one all along.

“I love the coaching staff, and I love what they are doing right now,” Emezie said. “I want to be able to make an impact early and be with the guys.

“I wanted to take a step back just to reevaluate my options, and then I was like, 'State wants me the most, and they’ve shown me the most love.' That’s where I feel like I can make my impact.”

It helped the Wolfpack’s cause that his recruiter, tight end/fullbacks coach and special teams coordinator Eddie Faulkner, was on Marvin Ridge’s sideline the first game after Emezie’s decommitment.

“That’s huge,” Emezie admitted. “Coming to your game the same week someone decommits, that shows dedication.”

Rivals.com ranks Emezie, who is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, the No. 83 receiver in the country and No. 18 prospect in the state of North Carolina in the class of 2017. He has 54 receptions for 704 yards and seven touchdowns through his first eight games.