Northside Christian DE picks N.C. State

Northside Christian Academy defensive end Sylvester Crawford, who committed to N.C. State this week, doesn’t immediately stand out as a freakishly talented athlete.

But according to Northside Christian coach Brentson Buckner, college coaches were excited when they turned on the film and saw what he could do on the field.

“You see him do things that a lot of high school football players can’t do as far as technique,” Buckner said.

Crawford, who is 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, chose N.C. State over Clemson and West Virginia, Buckner said. Through four games, Crawford has 41 tackles, including 10 sacks, three caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries, according to Buckner.

N.C. State also has received commitments this week from Ohio prospects Bryan Underwood of Cleveland Heights High and Anthony Talbert of Winton Woods High in Cincinnati.

Underwood is a 5-10, 165-pound wide receiver who was heavily recruited by some Big Ten schools, Texas Tech and West Virginia. Talbert is a 6-5, 230-pound tight end who has dead lifted an incredible 705 pounds and is a ferocious blocker for an offense that relies almost exclusively on the running game. He also was recruited by several Mid-American Conference schools and Cincinnati.

– Ken Tysiac