NC State Ends January With Big Commitment
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RALEIGH — NC State wrapped a January full of transfer portal work by jumping back into the world of high school recruiting. The Wolfpack added several immediate-impact players out of the transfer portal to bolster the roster for 2026, but the program's emphasis on development through high school recruiting stil remains clear after the latest commitment.
Head coach Dave Doeren and the recruiting staff earned a commitment from three-star edge rusher Damaad Lewis, according to an announcement from On3. The addition of Lewis marked the second impressive flip of a high school commit in the 2026 cycle, joining the earlier flip of UNC commit Lawrence Brown, another edge rusher.
More on the commitment of Lewis
NC State earned a commitment from 3⭐️ EDGE Damaad Lewis, who decommitted from Florida State earlier this month.
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) January 31, 2026
He posted 42 total tackles, including seven for a loss, and four sacks this past fall.
More here: https://t.co/yRdNoFsXv2 pic.twitter.com/2Lyj5E6QJ3
Lewis was originally committed to Florida State despite being a native of Charlotte, but opted to join NC State, a school he listed in his top 5 programs back in August before his final high school season. The three-star edge rusher was a strong performer at Myers Park High School, where he racked up four sacks and 42 tackles. He added seven tackles for loss in his senior campaign as well.
While NC State reloaded its defensive line through the transfer portal, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound rusher figures to be an important part of the future of the Wolfpack's line over his time in Raleigh. The program has shown a commitment to finding players with extreme versatility, with Lewis being a prime candidate for that kind of role once he is brought up to speed in defensive coordinator DJ Eliot's scheme.
According to Rivals, the Wolfpack holds the 12th-best recruiting class in the ACC. Lewis slotted in as the fourth-best recruit in the class, falling in line behind the trio of four-star offensive players who recently received ratings boosts after the high school season and All-Star camps. While the numbers might not be appealing on the surface level, Doeren indicated that recruiting rankings aren't an end-all, be-all deal for the Wolfpack after the fall signing period opened.
In 2020, the Wolfpack was one of the top programs when it came to putting three-star prospects into the NFL through the draft. The program has developed a reputation as a talent developer, rather than one that brings in mercenary transfers in the new portal era, in an effort to compete immediately. The Wolfpack carries the same underdog mentality as its coach, even in the recruiting battles of the ACC.
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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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