Penn State transfer S King Mack signs with NC State

After playing with seven different combinations of starting safeties and nickels due to injury this past season, NC State learned it can’t have enough defensive backs on the roster — especially a veteran. Now, it’s added one of the top players available at the position from the transfer portal.

Penn State transfer King Mack, the No. 15 safety available according to On3’s transfer portal rankings, committed to NC State following his official earlier this week, signing Thursday afternoon. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

The 5-foot-10, 193-pound defensive back put together a career-best 2025 campaign with 58 total tackles, one for a loss, three pass breakups and an interception. He turned in a career-best nine total tackles in the Nittany Lions’ 40-36 win at Rutgers in the regular season finale on Nov. 29.

Mack, who began his career at Penn State, spent his sophomore year at Alabama before returning to play for James Franklin in State College, Pa. He posted 14 total tackles in 13 games with the Crimson Tide, while he had three stops during his true freshman campaign with the Nittany Lions. 

Before he entered the collegiate ranks, Mack was a four-star prospect out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class of 2023. He was the No. 93 overall recruit, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, after he posted 58 total tackles with five for a loss, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and seven total touchdowns.

Mack is the fifth transfer portal commitment of the offseason for the Wolfpack. He joins Buffalo wide receiver Victor Snow and East Carolina offensive tackle Jimarion McCrimon, Arkansas State punter Jackson Waller and Georgia cornerback Ondre Evans in bolstering NC State’s roster for the 2026 campaign.