The recruiting spotlight often falls on quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs, but three North Carolina offensive linemen found college homes during a busy June official visit weekend.
Lake Norman’s Sammy Wooten committed to App State, Hough’s Moreno Fisher picked Virginia and Cardinal Gibbons’ Malek Griffin pledged to Campbell.
The trio represents three different recruiting paths, ranging from a Power Four prospect to the Group of Six and FCS. For App State and Campbell, their latest pledges mean keeping two notable in-state prospects home.
Sammy Wooten finds his niche on the OL
Sammy Wooten played on the offensive line for the first time in 2025. It didn’t take long for him to have a major impact.
“Remember the name,” Lake Norman coach Jonathan Oliphant posted on social media last October. “This young man has the potential to dominate in the trenches on Saturdays. Only played OL this year.”
App State is betting on that potential. Wooten (6-3, 275) earned all-conference last season in the Northern Piedmont 7A. He boasts a GPA of 3.85.
The Mountaineers won the recruiting battle with in-state rivals East Carolina and Charlotte, who also extended offers. Wooten also reported offers from Marshall, Memphis, Liberty, Old Dominion, Campbell, Elon, Richmond and Charleston Southern.
Wooten’s pledge gives App State eight commits for the Class of 2027. He is the first offensive lineman to join the class.
Moreno Fisher Jr. becomes Virginia’s 1st OL pledge
Offensive tackle Moreno Fisher Jr. will have a new high school home this fall. He reportedly will transfer to defending 8A state champion Hough High from Independence for his senior campaign.
The 6-7, 270-pounder is Virginia’s first offensive lineman commitment and the team’s seventh overall. The Cavaliers are coming off one of their best seasons in years, advancing to the ACC title game.
Fisher is ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and the No. 43 overall player in the state. He held offers from UNC, East Carolina, James Madison, Pittsburgh, Liberty, Coastal Carolina and others. Charlotte hosted Fisher in May.
Per 247Sports, Fisher transitioned from being a defensive end to offensive tackle during the 2025 season.
Campbell lands Cardinal Gibbons OL standout Malek Griffin
Campbell coach Braxton Harris has made no secret of the fact he wants to build the Camels around homegrown North Carolina prospects. Harris and the Camels added one of Wake County’s top offensive lineman to the 2027 recruiting class with Griffin’s pledge.
Griffin is solid at 6-5, 315 pounds. He helped pave the way for a 12-2 Cardinal Gibbons team that won its conference and advanced four rounds in the 7A playoffs. Per his social media, Campbell offered him in January. He also has been offered by North Carolina A&T.
“Griffin’s tape is outrageously good and it’s obvious how much work he’s put in,” a Prep Redzone recruiting evaluator wrote earlier this year. “His athleticism at 300-plus pounds is impressive as big guys shouldn’t move like that … His tape against some of the best edge rushers in the state stands out.”
What It Means
While the three commitments landed at different levels of college football, they illustrate the continued demand for offensive line talent across the recruiting landscape and how North Carolina’s top prep programs are providing it.
Virginia secured one of the state’s top-ranked blockers, App State landed an emerging prospect with significant upside and Campbell added a local lineman from one of the Triangle’s most successful programs.
Continue to follow NC Football News this summer as we track North Carolina football recruiting.
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