A busy week in football recruiting for N.C. State and Duke continued on Wednesday when they added four commitments for their 2012 classes. Three players joined the Wolfpack's class: David Grinnage, a 6-foot-5, 243-pound tight end from Newark, Del.; Manny Stocker, a 6-3, 197-pound quarterback from Coatesville, Pa.; and A.J. Doyle, a 6-3, 225-pound linebacker prospect from West Roxbury, Mass. The Blue Devils landed Thomas Sirk, a late-blooming 6-5, 220-pound quarterback from Glen Saint Mary, Fla.
Grinnage joined one of his high school teammates, Xavier Griffin, when he committed to N.C. State's class.
"Let's look at it this way: we're either Newark High South or N.C. State North," coach Butch Simpson of Newark said. The players can sign binding national letters of intent in February, when the NCAA's next football signing period is scheduled to begin. N.C. State now has nine recruits in its class. N.C. State was the first major-college program to offer Grinnage a scholarship because of the recruiting work of assistant Mike Reed. Western Michigan was also interested in Grinnage.
Grinnage has been on the varsity since his freshman year and became a starter last season as a junior. He moved into the lineup after the season started and made an immediate difference on offense, according to Simpson.
"He came into the offensive picture about halfway through the year," Simpson said. "We knew his talent, but we were blessed with receivers. Quite frankly, I think he made us a whole lot better….
"He's gifted catching the football, and he gets up the field. There's a whole lot of upside with him."
Grinnage also plays defensive end. Stocker also considered Cincinnati and Temple; he was offered scholarships by Eastern Michigan and VMI.
He attended one of N.C. State's football camps two weeks ago. He said on Wednesday that he was glad to have his decision out of the way so he can concentrate on his senior season with one less distraction.
"They're a top program, but they're still rising," Stocker said of N.C. State. "I like the style offense they run. They're not always in the 'gun and they're not always under center. They do both. They do a lot of everything, and that's what I like."
Stocker passed for 1,212 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior last season at Coatesville Area High School. He rushed for four touchdowns. In a state playoff game against Central Bucks West, Stocker passed for 230 yards and ran for two touchdowns.
He helped the offense average 26.6 points a game. Coatesville scored at least 30 points in four games and went 8-3.
Stocker said that he was timed in the 40-yard dash at N.C. State's camp in 4.6 seconds.
"I have a big arm; I have a very strong arm," Stocker said. "I can throw it when you want me to, but I also can scramble."
Stocker played basketball but dropped the sport to concentrate on football. Doyle plays quarterback at Catholic Memorial High School and passed for 1,800 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. He will move to linebacker because of Stocker's presence in the class. Massachusetts and Western Michigan had also offered him scholarships.
Sirk started last season for Baker County High School at receiver, but moved to quarterback in the sixth game. He played in only two games before a hamstring injury sidelined him for the last three games.
He attended one of Duke's summer camps two weeks ago, and coach David Cutcliffe saw enough then to offer him a scholarship. Florida International and Florida Atlantic were also recruiting him.
Coach Ryan Sulkowski of Baker County said that some schools were recruiting Sirk to play tight end in college because of his size, but the Blue Devils want him as a quarterback. He completed eight of 12 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns before being injured. He was intercepted once.
"Last year you could tell that he was a little raw when it came down to his mechanics," Sulkowski said. "I finally had a good spring practice with him. He and I worked pretty hard on his mechanics.
"He's going to bust his butt in everything he does. He wanted to move to quarterback, and that's when you realize you've got the right guy."
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