Mark it down. On Signing Day 2006, Chuck Amato may have coined the most
insightful phrase on college football recruiting ever spoken:

"You just never know," he says.

In four words, NC State's head coach decribes just how accurate the vast
guessing game of talent evaluation really is. But he also gives an
unintended forecast on the Pack's 2006 recruiting class.

This group is Amato's least heralded since his first season at State. The
recruiting analysts at Scout.com (one of several websites which follow
recruiting with a near-religious fervor) ranks State's as the 41st-best
class in the country. So, as the Panthers' Mike Minter once said of the
Dallas Cowboys "We're not dealing with a bunch of chumps." But, we're also
not talking about a collection of prep All-Americans. Seven other ACC
schools are ranked ahead of State on the Scout.com poll.

As Amato points out, not all "5-star" players pan out -- and some "under the
radar" recruits turn out to be stars. This year's class has no Toney Baker
or DeMario Pressley at the top. But if history's any indication, that's not
necessarily a problem. Philip Rivers, Koren Robinson, Manny Lawson, Levar
Fisher, Stephen Tulloch, John McCargo... these were all players other
schools passed on, who then went on to star at NC State. Chances are,
someone (or ones) from this year's class will do the same.

After all... "You just never know."

Ken Medlin