Rob Kinnan/USAToday sports
Lyas Announces Decision to Leave Wolfpack
The NC State football team has lost another player. Only this time, it's not because of an injury.
Reserve defensive end Xavier Lyas announced via his Twitter account that he is entering the NCAA's transfer portal and will continue his career at another school.
A 6-foot-4, 235-pound native of Plant City, Fla., Lyas compiled 10 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles in eight games this season. He did not play in Saturday's 55-10 loss to Clemson at Carter-Finley Stadium.
"He came in and saw me on Sunday," coach Dave Doeren said at his regular weekly press conference Monday. "I wished him luck."
Lyas. who was born at Fort Bragg while his father was stationed there, was a late-blooming prospect who didn't begin playing football until his junior year of high school.
His best game came in Week 2, when he had three tackles, including two for losses, a sack and a forced fumble in a win against Western Carolina.
Lyas' playing time was limited this season by the Wolfpack's switch to a three-man front and an abundance of talent at his position. Despite an epidemic of injuries that have left most other position groups dangerously thin, State has enough options at end in James Smith-Williams, Ibrahim Kante, Savion Jackson, Joseph Boletepeli and Deonte Holden to withstand Lyas' departure.
"It's life," Doeren said. "Some kids don't play as miuch as they want, that's how it goes. As far as our depth, we'll be fine. We've got enough defensive ends. We'll be good."
