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Two months ago, Dylan Autenrieth was an outstanding 2016 National Scouting Report football prospect at North Paulding High School in Dallas, Ga. Today, he is an early enrollee at North Carolina State.
Mike Ewing, NSR’s area director in North Georgia, learned about Autenrieth through a friend. After Autenrieth’s junior football season, Ewing went to see him play basketball. You could say he was impressive. He scored 39 points that night.
When he met with the family in their home, Ewing learned that Autenrieth, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound tight end, had not been recruited by any colleges.
Four days after enrolling Autenrieth with NSR, Ewing sent his profile and video, already posted online, to the tight ends coach at the University of Pittsburgh. Ewing had spoken to the coach and knew he was searching for a top-tier prospect. A few minutes later, the coach texted Dylan with an offer to play for the Panthers.
“That’s when [recruiting] took off,” Ewing said. “As I sent info to the schools, they responded almost immediately. I don’t know exactly how many offers Dylan ended up with, but it was a lot. N.C. State made him an offer and Dylan went for a visit and loved the place. I was a bit surprised that he committed so early, but he did.”
Not many prospects do what it takes to graduate early from high school and join an NCAA Division I program. Only meticulous long-range planning and determined execution on the field and in the classroom can make that happen. Autenrieth enrolled at N.C. State this month.
“Although he had to give up playing basketball his senior year, Dylan already cleared the NCAA Eligibility Center and had enough core courses to graduate high school,” Ewing said. “So he decided to make the jump to college right away.”
The multi-sport athlete said it best in his personal message to college coaches.
“I have a great work ethic, dedication, and a love of the game of football,” he wrote. “I am a talented athlete and will only improve. I am coachable and will respond to my coaches by working harder and smarter. Another positive for me is that I work hard in school and have great grades. You will never have to worry about me remaining eligible or attending classes. I have a strong family that supports me, and they have given me the roots to be successful in my future. On the field, I will not disappoint you.”
Autenrieth, who caught the eye of more than 20 FBS and FCS programs, will have lots of competition for playing time at N.C. State. The Wolfpack recruited two other tight ends, including Thaddeus Moss, son of NFL great Randy Moss.
Still, Autenrieth arrived with plenty of accolades himself. Ranked the No. 55 tight end in the nation by scout.com and the No. 74 player in Georgia by rivals.com, he was a consensus three-star recruit.
His high school coach, Scott Jones, couldn’t say enough about him.
“Dylan is an outstanding young man which is highly respected by his coaches and teammates,” Jones said. “He works hard in the classroom and on the field. He is relentless in the weight room with a tremendous work ethic. He has the ability to stretch the field at receiver or put his hand in the dirt and block inside. Dylan has size, speed, and remarkable hands. He is a very coachable young man with determination and grit.”
Autenrieth caught 41 passes for 400-plus yards and five TDs his senior year, solid numbers for a high school possession receiver. Considering he caught 90 percent of the passes thrown to him with no turnovers, it’s easy to see why he was so coveted by a pass-friendly offense such as N.C. State’s.
“It’s a perfect distance away [from home],” Autenrieth told TheWolfpacker.com. “I’m not too close to home, but I’m not too far. I’m always going to have family at the game. I have family in South Carolina and some relatives in North Carolina. It’s just really exciting.”
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.