NC State Newsstand: Transfer portal class 'the runaway winner' in the ACC
NC State did well in the transfer portal this offseason, ranking No. 7 in On3’s Team Transfer Portal Rankings. But the Wolfpack’s haul caught the attention of ESPN’s David Hale on the All-ACC show, too.
Hale, alongside Andrea Adelson, talked about the biggest winner in the conference when it came to the transfer portal, and the Wolfpack was on the top of his mind.
“I think the runaway winner is NC State,” Hale said. “If you think back to the end of football season, Dave Doeren’s making his stump speech about ‘we need more support, we need our collective to be well-funded.’ … Well, he’s putting his money where his mouth is now. They got some investment, and they are using it really wisely.”
The Wolfpack brought in 11 transfers ahead of the spring semester, headlined by a plethora of game-changers on the offensive side of the ball.
Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall was one of the key additions to the Pack roster through the portal, and Hale raved about the signal-caller.
“I talked to a handful of Sun Belt coaches over the last few weeks about what the transition for him might look like,” Hale said. “Everybody thinks he’s going to be a huge success at NC State.”
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While McCall was a much-needed piece to the puzzle, NC State brought in a group of playmakers for the quarterback to get the ball to. The Pack added Ohio State wide receiver Noah Rogers, a former five-star recruit out of Rolesville High, along with UConn tight end Justin Joly, No. 2 in the portal at his position, according to On3.
“What was missing from NC State this past year, really the past couple years, has been any level of dynamism on offense,” Hale said. “They are very one-dimensional, and sometimes zero dimensional, quite frankly. Getting Jordan Waters from Duke, I think, helps the running game a lot. You get some big targets, Justin Joly and Noah Rogers, in the receiving game. I really like what NC State’s putting together.”
Tweets of the day
Dylan McMahon and Joe Shimko are playing in the East-West Shrine Bowl tonight in Texas.
Linebacker Payton Wilson has turned some heads at the Reese’s Senior Bowl this week.
It’s a rivalry battle between NC State and North Carolina tonight at Reynolds Coliseum.
Quote of the day
Elite 2026 dual-sport athlete Kendre Harrison is being recruited by NC State for both football and basketball, and he has multiple connections to the school. His uncle, CC Harrison, played basketball for the Pack in the 1990s, while he’s friends with current NC State junior guard Breon Pass, who attended the Reidsville High as well.
“They definitely tell me to go to NC State,” Harrison said. “They love NC State, so I get to see how NC State was back in the day, how NC State is now and I get to see NC State from my point of view too.”
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