College Check-In: Wofford’s North Carolina Class

College Check-In: Wofford&#8217;s North Carolina Class

Photo: Marcus Gatling

Will Helms December 16, 2020 @ 12:20 AM

While our primary purpose at Prep Redzone is to cover North Carolina high school prospects, we also pay attention to the way colleges recruit. Specifically, I’m always looking for schools that recruit North Carolina heavily, so I know which coaches are likely to be receptive when talking about the placement of potential recruits. Wofford has long recruited the state of North Carolina well, though selectively. This early signing period, the Terriers are expected to bring in three Tar Heel state products. We break them down here. [player_tooltip player_id="82000" first="Kyle" last="Pinnix"], QB, Reidsville Wofford’s offense centers around an option-heavy rushing attack, but the Terriers are bringing in a strong-armed quarterback this year in the form of Reidsville’s [player_tooltip player_id="82000" first="Kyle" last="Pinnix"]. Pinnix threw for over 3000 yards as a junior and throws a great deep ball. He also has the legs to thrive in Wofford’s offense as he’s a true dual threat. The Terriers have to be happy to ink Pinnix Wednesday. [player_tooltip player_id="28516" first="Marcus" last="Gatling"], LB, Havelock We’ve been high on Gatling from the very beginning and wondered when he’d receive his first Division 1 offer. Wofford gave him that chance and he rewarded them with a quick commitment. Gatling is a hard-hitting, downhill linebacker that flows well both from sideline-to-sideline and vertically in the running game. Put simply, he’s a steal for the Terriers. In this one, relationships were key. "I chose Wofford because they provide many opportunities for me," Gatling said. "They seem to really care about my future, not only as an athlete, but as an individual." Gatling should get some run in the middle of the defense early in his career and has the potential to be an All-Conference type of linebacker. [player_tooltip player_id="81480" first="Isaiah" last="Mananga"], Ath., Clayton Mananga is an athlete in every sense of the word. His defensive versatility is more than enough to make other schools jealous as he could play any number of defensive positions. He’s played a lot of slot corner and box safety for Clayton, but we think his future is probably along the defensive line, given his frame. He’d be quick off the edge and he’s already a big-hitter. Asked of his decision to sign with the Terriers, Mananga also mentioned his relationship with the coaching staff. "They never sugarcoated anything and were real with me," Mananga said. "I took an admissions tour of the campus last week and that really sealed the deal for me. It’s a really family-oriented environment."