Anthony Goins Could Give NC State Inside Track on Transfer Targets
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RALEIGH — Transfer portal season is rocking and rolling across the country, with over a thousand players already in the portal looking for new homes. NC State is in the midst of a roster overhaul with first-year head coach Justin Gainey taking over the program after the surprise exit of Will Wade after just one season.
Gainey reportedly hired Anthony Goins away from Georgia for one of the Wolfpack's assistant coaching spots, bringing in another voice from the SEC to help run the offense in Raleigh. However, there could be other reasons that adding Goins will benefit the Pack right away, particularly in the transfer portal, as two former Bulldogs are actively looking for new homes.
Somto Cyril and Jeremiah Wilkinson to the Wolfpack?
NC State needs bodies in a hurry, especially as more and more players enter the transfer portal from within the program, leaving Gainey to pick up the pieces. Two key members of Goins' former program -- Jeremiah Wilkinson and Somto Cyril -- entered the portal themselves, looking for new roles and better financial opportunities elsewhere after strong years with the Bulldogs.
Cyril stands 6-foot-11, making him one of the hottest commodities in the transfer market because of his size alone. As a sophomore, the center averaged 9.3 points, 5,4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. With Gainey's style of play built around defense and toughness, a true rim protector like Cyril would certainly give the Wolfpack a serious edge on that end of the floor right away.
The Wolfpack could try to use Goins to make some progress with Cyril if they decide it's worth a shot, even as other programs have already approached the big man in the early days of the portal process. Reuniting with his former assistant, who helped him double his scoring production in two seasons, might appeal to the big man, however.
Wilkinson was another highly productive player for the Bulldogs in the 2025-26 season. With star shooting guard Paul McNeil in the transfer portal now and unsure about a return to Raleigh, the Wolfpack needs scoring production on its new roster. Wilkinson averaged 17.4 points while shooting 35.7% from deep for the Bulldogs, so he would immediately fill a major part of the void left by outgoing players like McNeil and Matt Able.
While both Wilkinson and Cyril likely fall on the longshot end of the spectrum in terms of adds that NC State could make this offseason, Goins offers the program a bit of a wildcard in any pitches the program chooses to make to those players. Gainey is working the same angle with his former players at Tennessee, especially breakout guard Bishop Boswell. A backcourt of Boswell and Wilkinson would certainly be potent in Raleigh.
Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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