NC State Secures Commitment From UNC Running Back
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RALEIGH — After a full week of action, the transfer portal has never been busier, with thousands of players jumping in and out while looking for new homes for the 2026 season. NC State has been at the center of the action, already adding several players, mostly on the offensive side of things, to help support the roster for the coming year.
The Wolfpack made waves Saturday, pulling off a steal from their top rivals on the gridiron. The program secured a commitment from UNC sophomore running back Davion Gause, per an announcement on social media from the running back himself. Gause played high school football with Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey, continuing a trend for the Pack in the portal of getting Bailey’s crew back together
More on adding Gause
Committed!!! @PackFootball pic.twitter.com/c4x7VW6hOw
— Bullet (@daviongause7) January 10, 2026
While the top running back role for NC State still likely belongs to Duke Scott, who thrived during his redshirt freshman season, Gause should come in and offer a very different look than the one Scott will show. In two seasons with the Tar Heels under two very different regimes, Gause was utilized in a variety of ways.
He racked up 585 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on 128 carries in 2024 and 2025. Under Bill Belichick and Freddie Kitchens in 2025, Gause caught 16 passes for 132 yards, scoring twice. In his first season, he offered his services as a punt returner just one, returning the kick 34 yards for a touchdown. Depending on what the Wolfpack decides to do with Victor Snow, Gause could be an option on special teams as well.
NC State could be banking on the chemistry between Bailey and Gause, as the pair were dynamic together at Chaminade Madonna High School in South Florida. In their final season together as high school teammates, Gause ran for 1,047 yards and 14 touchdowns, but didn’t operate as a receiving back for Bailey, catching just five passes in his senior season.
It would mark yet another win for the Wolfpack against their rivals. Dave Doeren and NC State extended their on-field win streak against North Carolina to five with a dominant victory in November. Gause has never been on the winning side of the rivalry, while Bailey has yet to experience defeat at the hands of the Tar Heels in his two attempts.
#UNC 4-Star RB Commit Davion Gause is special: @daviongause7 pic.twitter.com/vIV7CJKAWQ
— Jay (@Jayy_Hardyy252) August 26, 2023
Gause becomes the eighth member of NC State’s 2026 transfer class and the fifth on the offensive side of the field. He’ll join ECU offensive tackle Jimarion McCrimon, Miami and Buffalo wide receivers Chance Robinson and Victor Snow, and Montana State blocking tight end Hunter Provience.
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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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