Former North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples was a 4-star prospect entering college. Fourteen other ACC players who were selected in the NFL draft were also 4-star recruits. PHOTO: Associated Press

Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, at the ninth overall pick, was the first ACC player to be selected in the NFL draft over last weekend. Florida State offensive tackle Andrew Datko, who went 241st overall, was the last. By the time the draft ended, NFL teams selected 31 players who spent the 2011 season in the ACC.

For those 31 players, being drafted represented the culmination of a dream. It wasn’t all that long ago, though, that they began their college careers as incoming recruits hoping to find a role with their college teams. With the draft over, it's as good of a time as any to look back and examine what kind of recruits these draftees once were. 

Junior linebacker Terrell Manning has entered the NFL draft, N.C. State confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Manning, one of the team's best defensive players, finished the 2011 season with 76 tackles and three interceptions, including one in the Wolfpack's bowl win over Louisville.

Manning, a fourth-year junior, led the team with 14.5 tackles for loss and shared the team lead in sacks (5.5).

T.J. Yates began his senior season as a question mark and ended it as a fifth-round pick in the NFL draft.

The UNC quarterback went from scapegoat to star in 2010, leading the Tar Heels through an NCAA investigation, both on the field as the school's first 3,000-yard passer, and off the field as a leader and team spokesman with the media.

North Carolina linebacker Bruce Carter, defensive tackle Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little were part of an ACC-heavy second round of the NFL draft on Friday night.

Carter was the second UNC player off the board (DE Robert Quinn went in the first to St. Louis) at the 40th overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys. Austin went 12 picks later to another NFC East team, the New York Giants. Little was the 59th overall selection to the Cleveland Browns.

Martha Quillin, one of our reporters, is going to cover the opening of the new Contemporary Art Museum, a much-celebrated addition to the downtown arts scene. Here are some photos John Rottet took the other day. If you want to read more about it, here's a story that staff writer Stacy Chandler wrote.  Staff photojournalist Robert Willett will shooting the opening. I expect we'll have a short story and photos online by mid-afternoon.

Over at Bicentennial Mall, state workers will be holding a rally around noon to urge lawmakers to hold the line on budget cuts affecting public services.  Reporter Matt Garfield will be covering, with Willett taking pics. Yep, Robert will be busy Saturday. Look for story and photos online sometime tomorrow afternoon, too.  Here's something that reporter Craig Jarvis wrote about the rally on our Under the Dome blog.

In Fuquay-Varina, we will be photographing Teen Day Fuquay at the FV Community Center. Hundreds of teens will be learning about the dangers of drinking and driving (and texting while driving) using simulators and "drunk goggles."

And it's pretty likely our sports writers will be updating the Russell Wilson story. Here is Luke DeCock's take that just went online.

We will also be updating the NFL draft. Cowboys just picked linebacker Bruce Carter from UNC. (I just added an 8:10 p.m. update for the heck of it). 

UPDATE:  Chuck Liddy, another of our stellar photojournalists, took some aerial shots today of some areas hit by the tornados that ripped through here Saturday, March 16. There are two aerial galleries, one a First Look with 65 pics, the other with eight pics. There's a third gallery with 43 images by photojournalist Shawn Rocco documenting the experience of a family whose home was damaged by the storm.

N.C. State didn't have a player picked until in the first 200 spots, then had two in the next 13 in the NFL Draft on Saturday.

Wolfpack center Ted Larsen went to the New England Patriots in the sixth round
at the 205th pick. Eight spots later, defensive end Willie Young went in
the seventh round to the Detroit Lions. Young was the 213th overall
pick.

E.J. Wilson didn't get a chance to play for Pete Carroll in college but the North Carolina defensive end will in the pros.

The Seattle Seahawks picked Wilson in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on
Saturday. Wilson was one of two UNC defensive linemen selected on the
draft's third day. Defensive tackle Cam Thomas went in the fifth round
to the San Diego Chargers.

East Carolina produced the first in-state player selected in the NFL
Draft. The New York Giants took defensive tackle Linval Joseph in the
second round on Friday with the 46th overall pick.

Anthony Hill ended up being the first N.C. State player taken in the NFL Draft. The Houston Texans made the Wolfpack tight end the 122nd overall pick and took him in the fourth round.

Seven picks later, N.C. State running back Andre Brown, expected to go as early as the second round, joined UNC receiver Hakeem Nicks with the New York Giants.

A knee injury cost UNC receiver Brandon Tate a spot in the first round of the NFL Draft but not with one of the best teams in the NFL.

The New England Patriots took Tate in the third round, 93rd overall, teaming him up with all-pro receiver Randy Moss and all-everything quarterback Tom Brady.