North Carolina State University Athletics
Wrestling Signs Five Heralded Recruits In November Signing Period
11/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 17, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State wrestling coach Carter Jordan announced today the signing of a five-man recruiting class for the November signing period, highlighted by three of the nation's top 100 recruits. All five signees will enroll at NC State in the fall of 2011.
The centerpiece of the recruiting class is 171-pounder Chris Phillips of Monroeville, Ohio, a three-time state champion and the No. 3 overall signee in the class of 2011, regardless of weight class. Phillips carries a 133-1 overall record into his senior year, but he is hardly a one-man class. NC State also signed:
• Josh DaSilveira, the 2010 high school junior national champion from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Henry Carlson, a three-time All-American, two-time high school national finalist, and 2008 national champion who will wrestle at Cox High School in Virginia Beach, Va., as a senior in 2010-11
• Harrison Honeycutt, a two-time North Carolina state champion who brings a two-year, 104-match winning streak into his senior season at Lake Norman High School
• Coltin Fought, a three-time state qualifier and the 2010 state runner-up at 125 pounds in the wrestling-rich state of Pennsylvania
"We're just ecstatic to have signed five quality young men like this," Jordan said. "All five of them stand out on the wrestling mat, but they're also outstanding people who we believe will represent our program and our university in a first-class manner at all times. We also believe that signing a class of this caliber says great things about our program and our university."
All five of the Wolfpack's signees could make early contributions. Phillips enters his senior season as the nation's top-ranked 171-pounder. His lone loss was in 2008 to Blair Academy's Ed Ruth, a two-time high school All-American who signed with Penn State. Phillips should wrestle for the Wolfpack at 174 pounds.
Carlson, who figures to wrestle collegiately at 149 or 157 pounds, is ranked No. 85 overall regardless of classification in the class of 2011 and No. 10 in his weight class. Honeycutt, No. 90 overall and No. 5 at 215, most likely will compete for NC State at 197. Fought is ranked No. 19 nationally at 130 pounds and should be at 125 or 133 collegiately. DaSilveira, ranked in the top 10 nationally at 189 pounds, will push for mat time at 184 or 197 for the Wolfpack. The rankings are by intermatwrestle.com.
The recruiting class is the first for NC State since the addition of recruiting coordinator Lee Pritts, who joined the Wolfpack coaching staff until August.
"We knew we were getting a first-rate recruiter when we hired Lee Pritts," Jordan said. "His track record at Missouri and Old Dominion was very impressive, and he's continued that here at NC State."
