NC State WR Anthony Smith to transfer, opts out of bowl game
NC State redshirt sophomore wide receiver Anthony Smith has officially declared his intention to enter the transfer portal. He announced his decision on social media Monday morning.
The lightning-fast pass catcher caught 2 passes for 19 yards during the 2023 season. He is the first member of the Wolfpack wide receiver corps, and the second member of the offense, to declare their intention to hit the portal.
Smith signed with NC State as a part of the 2020 recruiting class. The 6-2, speedy pass catcher is from
Huntingtown, Maryland, and he was a three-star recruit out of high school. NC State was his first Power Five offer, and he committed to the Pack the same day that he received the scholarship.
He caught a total of 13 passes for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns during his four seasons with the Pack.
“After careful consideration and lengthy discussions with my family, I’ve decided to forego the bowl game. I will be entering my name into the transfer portal,” Smith wrote on X, the platform formally known as Twitter. “I’d like to thank WPN for welcoming me into your family!!”
The fourth-year Wolfpack pass catcher started this season on scout team before carving out a significant role in the receiver rotation thanks to hard work on the practice field and his effort on special teams units.
Coming out of fall camp, head coach Dave Doeren said Smith, one of the quickest players on the team, was not playing fast enough. For that reason, they assigned him to the scout team.
“The experience wasn’t the best,” Smith said. “Obviously, I didn’t want to be on scout team, but I feel like that was the best way I could help the team at the moment. When coach Doeren told me I was going to go to scout team, I was a little bit frustrated, but I realized that I had to keep my head down and just keep working.”
By the third game of the season, he earned his way back onto the field. Smith started out on the kickoff return, punt return and punt coverage special teams units, flying down the field in coverage. Doeren really admired the work the receiver put in to earn his spot in the offense.
“He rolled his sleeves up, he went down and really competed hard against our defense every day and, over time, one week, two weeks, three weeks, he just started being consistent and playing with more confidence,” Doeren said.
Smith played at least 13 snaps in every contest since the Duke game. He caught 1 pass for 11 yards in the regular season finale vs. UNC.
