NC State Bolsters Tight End Room in Transfer Portal
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RALEIGH — NC State head coach Dave Doeren decided to promote former Wolfpack wide receiver and longtime assistant Gavin Locklear to the tight end coach position before the 2025 season. That decision paid off, as that position group proved to be one of the Wolfpack's most productive throughout the year, establishing the program as a destination for tight ends.
Locklear's prowess helped the Pack appeal to high school recruits and now appears to be working in the transfer portal. NC State secured a commitment from Montana State tight end Hunter Provience, per a report from On3. Provience visited the campus earlier in the week, shortly after winning an FCS National Championship with the Bobcats.
More on Provience joining the Wolfpack
NC State picked up a commitment from Montana State transfer TE Hunter Provience.
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) January 10, 2026
The blocking tight end caught 11 passes for 135 yards and a TD this fall for the FCS national champions.
More on @HProvience: https://t.co/SzoH9448lT pic.twitter.com/WwGx4Z0Zb2
Provience won't replace the pass-catching ability of a player like Justin Joly, who will head for the NFL after a stellar two seasons in Raleigh. However, Provience will be a worthy replacement for NC State's elite blocking tight end Cody Hardy, who also made the jump from the FCS level. Hardy came over from Elon after four years with the Phoenix.
In the 2025 campaign with Montana State, Provience caught 11 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. Most of his work came in run blocking situations, as he racked up 225 snaps in those sets according to Pro Football Focus. He graded out with a 65.3 run block score and a 73.7 pass block score.
His 11 receptions were the most of his collegiate career, proving himself as a pass-catching threat after spending most of his first two seasons as a pass and run blocker. He'll arrive in an identical situation to Hardy's, as a one-year transfer looking to provide toughness and edge to an offense in his limited opportunities, while also battling for more chances on the field.
Provience stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, offering Locklear and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper a monster to move around the offensive line when opportunities arise. NC State wasn't afraid to run 13-personnel, or three tight end sets, during the 2025 season with Hardy, Joly and Dante Daniels. Those plays were often geared around Will Wilson, the team's backup quarterback, who became a short-yardage machine for the Wolfpack.
𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡! 🏠
— Montana State Football (@MSUBobcats_FB) September 27, 2025
Hunter Provience takes it 43 yards for the touchdown ❗️
📺 Scripps/ESPN+@HProvience | #BobcatBuilt pic.twitter.com/JFS6836Uiy
The blocking tight end became the seventh member of NC State's 2026 transfer class and the fourth offensive transfer. He'll join East Carolina offensive tackle Jimarion McCrimon, Buffalo wide receiver Victor Snow and Miami wideout Chance Robinson as the latest offensive newcomer.
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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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