Where did NC State football's departing transfers end up?

NC State football dealt with some attrition during the winter transfer window this year like nearly every other Division-I football program. A total of 16 scholarship athletes decided to leave the Wolfpack this offseason, and most of them quickly found their new school.

Staff changes and a lack of playing time at certain spots drove this roster turnover, and NC State brought in 21 high school signees and 10 transfers to help fill those roles. For now, let’s focus on the departing players and where they ended up signing out of the portal.

Safety Bishop Fitzgerald— USC

After recording a career-high 55 total tackles during his senior season with the Wolfpack, Bishop Fitzgerald entered the transfer portal. He has one season of eligibility left thanks to a recent rule change that gave all former junior college athletes an extra year if they just finished their final year of college football. The starting safety also secured 3 interceptions and defended 8 passes last fall before landing in Southern California. Fitzgerald was the No. 21 safety in the portal.

Safety Devan Boykin— Indiana

Devan Boykin spent this season rehabbing an ACL injury. He was a longtime contributor to the Wolfpack secondary before that and was expected to return to the starting lineup in 2025 after taking a medical redshirt. Instead, he decided to join Indiana in the Big 10 with the Hoosiers coming off a College Football Playoff appearance. He was the No. 531 overall prospect in the portal.

Cornerback Brandon Cisse— South Carolina

Brandon Cisse returned to his home state after two seasons with the Pack. He made 28 total tackles and defended 5 passes during the 2024 season. The sophomore would have been the Wolfpack’s shutdown outside corner this fall. On3 considered him the No. 66 overall transfer portal prospect and eighth-best recruit at his position.

Safety Tamarcus Cooley— LSU

LSU is Tamarcus Cooley’s third school in three years after he returned to his home state for one breakout season in Raleigh. He took over the Pack’s starting nickel job midway through the season and ended up recording 39 total tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions as a redshirt freshman. He was NC State’s best defensive back down the stretch of the season. The versatile athlete was the No. 8 safety in the transfer portal and the No. 152 prospect nationally.

Offensive lineman Robby Martin— West Virginia

Robby Martin spent one year with NC State and redshirted before returning to his home state. He was the No. 1 recruit in West Virginia coming out of high school as a three-star interior offensive lineman, and now he will play his second collegiate season with the Mountaineers. Martin, who has 4 seasons of eligibility left, was the No. 78 transfer prospect at his position.

Offensive tackle Obadiah Obasuyi— Georgia State

Obadiah Obasuyi also transferred back to his home state after two years in Raleigh. The redshirt freshman has 3 seasons of eligibility left and did not establish a role in the two-deep during his time at NC State. He was the No. 109 offensive tackle in the transfer portal.

Tight end Juice Vereen— UConn

Juice Vereen, a former four-star in-state prospect, ended up at UConn after the tight end decided to transfer. He flashed his potential as a true freshman with 4 catches for 65 yards against Notre Dame but did not catch a pass for the Pack after that. On3 considered him the No. 67 tight end prospect in the portal.

Wide receiver KC Concepcion— Texas A&M

KC Concepcion was the No. 7 overall recruit in the transfer portal. He was the ACC Rookie of the Year as a freshman with the Wolfpack before catching 53 passes for 460 yards and 6 touchdowns during an inconsistent sophomore campaign with the program. The slot receiver picked Texas A&M after also visiting Colorado and Alabama.

Defensive lineman Red Hibbler— Mississippi State

Red Hibbler left the Wolfpack after just a few games last fall to preserve his redshirt and enter the transfer portal. The former junior college standout recorded 6.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles during his first season in Raleigh and did not produce at the same pace before shutting things down. He was the No. 38 defensive lineman in the portal and picked Mississippi State, moving closer to home.

Linebacker Wyatt Wright— Arkansas State

Wyatt Wright spent one season with the Wolfpack after starting his career at the junior college level and did not crack the linebacker rotation before transferring. He was the No. 180 prospect in the portal at his position. This will be his third school in three seasons.

Wide receiver Jakolbe Baldwin— Marshall

Jakolbe Baldwin was a longtime rotational contributor to the Pack who played both sides of the ball and special teams during his time with NC State. He was one of two players to reunite with former defensive coordinator Tony Gibson at Marshall. On3 considered him the No. 316 wide receiver in the transfer portal.

Linebacker Jayland Parker— Marshall

Jayland Parker spent four seasons in Raleigh as a rotational linebacker before following his position coach to Marshall. He has been one of the program’s most vocal recruiters since joining the program and could take on a significant role in the middle of Gibson’s signature 3-3-5 defense. The linebacker ranked No. 106 at his position in the portal.

Offensive lineman Sean Hill— Tulsa

Sean Hill could not carve out a consistent role during his time at NC State. He was the No. 134 tackle in the portal and ended up committing to Tulsa. The lineman appeared in 3 games over 5 seasons with the Pack program.

Defensive lineman D.J. Jackson— Liberty

D.J. Jackson won the backup nose tackle job in fall camp last year and would have competed with Justin Terrell for that same role in 2025. After battling injuries for most of his career, he recorded 9 total tackles and half a sack last fall.

Still undecided

*** Wide receiver Jalen Coit
*** Running back/linebacker Jordan Poole