First NC State Transfer Portal Domino Falls

RALEIGH — While the 2025-26 season has yet to finish, college basketball's transfer portal season is about to get rolling on April 7, when the portal opens for business for players around the country. However, the ripples of that event are already starting, with many players announcing their intention to enter ahead of time.

The first NC State transfer portal domino fell Friday, as freshman forward Cole Cloer announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on social media after committing in October. Cloer was one of two commits during the ill-fated Will Wade era, which lasted just one season before Justin Gainey was named the new head coach of the Wolfpack earlier in the week.

What Cloer's announcement means for NC State

🫶 pic.twitter.com/BjWH7BhcCo
— Cole Cloer (@colecloerr) April 3, 2026

Cloer chose to join the Wolfpack for the second half of the season, enrolling at NC State early as he recovered from an injury that derailed his senior season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Cloer, originally from nearby Hillsborough, N.C., was billed as a hometown hero type of recruit for the Wolfpack and looked poised for a larger role in his first real season with the program under Wade.

Things changed for all parties when Wade decided to jump ship after a 20-14 season and First Four exit, heading back to LSU, the school that fired him a few years prior. The recruiting ripples weren't massive, as the Wolfpack only secured a commitment from Cloer and fellow four-star recruit Trevon Carter-Givens, who did not join the team.

The Wolfpack quickly hired Justin Gainey to be its next leader, bringing him over from his role as associate head coach under Rick Barnes at Tennessee. Cloer attended Gainey's introductory press conference on Wednesday, which signaled he was open to a return. That remains the case even after he announced his intention to enter the transfer portal.

"NC State will remain in consideration as I evaluate my best options for the next season," Cloer wrote in his social media post.

NEWS: NC State’s Cole Cloer intends to enter the transfer portal, he tells DraftExpress.

The talented 6’8” wing established himself as a consensus 4-star prospect with IMG Academy and CP3 All-Stars.

Early-enrolled at NC State this past semester, and will re-open his recruitment… pic.twitter.com/zFwMGXlv8R
— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) April 3, 2026

Gainey's level of interest in Cloer's return remains to be seen, as his focus is split between building his first staff at NC State while also preparing to build the first roster he coaches with the program. Cloer was one of the primary targets for retention in theory, alongside others like Paul McNeil and Matt Able, but hanging on to any player recruited by Wade was always going to be tricky.