NC State Adds Preston Edmead to 2026 Transfer Portal Class
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RALEIGH — After a slow start to the roster-building process after the transfer portal opened, NC State is starting to make waves. First-year head coach Justin Gainey and his staff started a flurry of visits over the weekend with a key backcourt target from a successful mid-major program on Friday.
As it turned out, the Friday visit was all the Wolfpack needed to earn a commitment from former Hofstra guard Preston Edmead, who confirmed he is joining NC State on Instagram. It's a step in the right direction for the Pack as Gainey tries to rebuild the program on the fly after former coach Will Wade's messy exit and return to LSU. Edmead brings solid potential to Raleigh as a rising sophomore.
Get to know Preston Edmead
The Wolfpack opened transfer portal season by adding one piece to its new backcourt puzzle with former Santa Clara guard Christian Hammond, a highly productive All-WCC player who came with strong support from Gainey's mentor and former NC State coach Herb Sendek. Now, Gainey appears to have found a backcourt partner for Hammond to work alongside.
Edmead burst onto the scene as a freshman at Hofstra, earning CAA Rookie of the Year honors and being named Second-Team All-CAA. The 2025-26 season saw Edmead and the Pride reach the NCAA Tournament, where they bowed out to the Alabama Crimson Tide in a competitive first-round matchup. Still, Hofstra wouldn't have been there without the talented guard. Edmead has three years of eligibility left.
The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 16.1 points, 4.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7% from 3-point range. More importantly, Edmead looked better against top-tier competition throughout the season, even scoring 24 points in the NCAA Tournament loss to Alabama. In three CAA Tournament games, the guard averaged 20.3 points en route to winning the event.
With uncertainty about the retention of Paul McNeil, the Wolfpack needed to get some production in the building for the 2026-27 season. Edmead already showed what he can do at the Division I level in just one year with Hofstra, so there should be plenty of talent to work with for Gainey and his staff. It's unclear what kind of role the young guard will play for the Pack, but he seems well-equipped to play as a lead guard if that's what's asked of him.
Edmead and Hammond mark the only two transfer additions for NC State as of Saturday morning, but more could be on the way. Gainey and his staff still have visits scheduled with Charlotte center Anton Bonke and Georgetown guard Malik Mack over the course of the weekend. The Wolfpack's roster is finally starting to come together.
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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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