Could This Linebacker Be an Option for NC State?
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RALEIGH — NC State's preparations for the 2026 season are well underway with the transfer portal opening up. The Wolfpack already retained star quarterback CJ Bailey for his junior season, but still has numerous holes on the defensive side of the field to fill, as many veterans ran out of eligibility after the win in the Gasparilla Bowl.
The most important and historically successful defensive position under Dave Doeren has been linebacker and now the Wolfpack staff needs to replace some serious talent in those spots. Caden Fordham, the team captain and stalwart middle linebacker, is on the way out, along with players like Kenny Soares Jr. and Cian Slone. However, NC State already has its sights set on Daveon "Bam" Crouch of Boston College as a potential replacement.
The scoop on Crouch
Crouch will visit NC State on Tuesday after entering the transfer portal, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports and Noah Fleischman of the Wolfpacker. Crouch played just four games for the Eagles in 2025 before having his season derailed by injury. However, there is some familiarity with him within the ACC and he was a high-level performer in 2024. He'll have two years of eligibility remaining.
In 2024, Crouch racked up 77 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups. He was a three-star recruit out of high school, but played some of his best football as a junior after waiting for his moment. He'd offer the Wolfpack a plug-and-play type option at linebacker with just one season of eligibility remaining.
Boston College fourth-year linebacker Daveon “Bam” Crouch is entering the NCAA transfer portal, per his agent @kylelogan2221. He plans on getting a medical redshirt for 2025 after a leg injury suffered in the Stanford game limited him to four games. He has one-year left. pic.twitter.com/ZcjhzwgGSK
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 2, 2025
Crouch already proved himself in NC State's league and would likely be a comfortable fit in defensive coordinator DJ Eliot's multiple scheme. The veteran linebacker scheduled a visit to UCF after his stop in Raleigh, so the Wolfpack isn't the only power conference school in the hunt for his services. With Fordham on the way out, Crouch is likely a priority for NC State in the transfer portal.
The appeal of Doeren's program is likely large to any linebacker in the transfer portal and at the high school level. With Payton Wilson, Drake Thomas and Bradley Chubb all getting it done at the NFL level and players like Caden Fordham and Isaiah Moore having dominant collegiate seasons with the Wolfpack, there is a significant precedent for elite linebacker play in Raleigh. It might be difficult for Crouch to pass up an opportunity to join that group.
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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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