NC State football defensive pair enters the transfer portal
One day after NC State football returned home from San Diego, a pair of redshirt freshman reserve defenders have entered the transfer portal.
Most notable is defensive end Terrell Dawkins. He started six games in 2020 to help the Pack finish 8-4 that year, including a 7-3 mark in the ACC, which set a NC State football record for conference victories.
Dawkins showcased his promise with 36 tackles (16 solo), including nine for loss and 4.5 sacks. He added a pair of forced fumbles and a quarterback pressure.
However, an injury limited Dawkins in the spring and into preseason camp. He missed the season opener and just one snap at Mississippi State in Week 2.
Overall, Dawkins played in 10 games in 2021, but his snaps total dropped from 452 the year before to 113, and he had six tackles (one solo) and a quarterback hurry.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder’s father Tommy Sr. and older brother Tommy Jr. both played at Appalachian State, with the latter having just completed his Super Senior year.
Also entering the transfer portal was reserve safety Khalid Martin.
Martin’s lone career start for NC State came in his first year, when he played in four games and preserved a redshirt. In the second game of 2020, Martin suffered a scary spinal injury at Virginia Tech, sending him to the hospital and causing him to miss the remainder of the season and most of spring.
He returned this fall but played in just two games on defense, lopsided wins over South Florida and Furman, and in nine more contests on special teams. He had 11 career tackles, assisting on one for a loss.
NC State football finished the 2021 season with a 9-3 record, including 6-2 in the ACC, but its San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl was canceled after the opponent, UCLA, dropped out hours before the contest due to COVID-19 protocols.
The Wolfpack returned home with the Holiday Bowl trophy after its season officially ended.
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