Which Wolfpack Veterans Could Opt Out of the Gasparilla Bowl?
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RALEIGH — Over the last decade, the nature of bowl season in college football experienced sweeping changes. The addition of the four-team College Football Playoff and then the increase to the 12-team expanded playoff shifted focus away from the plethora of postseason bowl games that dominate the calendar throughout December and January.
An increasingly demanding NFL draft process also hurt the spirit of bowl season, as players with professional aspirations began to opt out of bowl games outside of the Playoff to get a head start in their preparation. Then came the transfer portal, which forced players into a pseudo-free agency system before their seasons were officially over.
Not done yet! The Pack is heading to the @GasparillaBowl.
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 7, 2025
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NC State finished its 2025 season with a 7-5 record, winning three of its final four games to secure bowl eligibility. The Wolfpack earned a bid to the Gasparilla Bowl and made the trip for Friday's game earlier in the week, settling into sunny Tampa, Florida. Head coach Dave Doeren remains an ardent believer in the bowl system, viewing the opportunities as a reward for hard work during the year.
However, each player views things differently and NC State does have some players who could be in line for NFL success. It wouldn't be the first time a Wolfpack star opted out of a bowl, as standout linebacker Payton Wilson chose to begin his NFL prep and forego the Pop-Tarts Bowl in 2023. Any players suggested below are purely speculative and this is in no way a guarantee that any members of the Wolfpack choose to walk away before finishing the season.
Potential opt-outs for NC State
Running back Hollywood Smothers
NC State's star running back finished as one of the top rushers in the ACC and led the conference in yards per game. He accomplished many of his personal goals throughout the 2025 season and did more than enough to garner enough attention to at least consider wading into the NFL draft waters in 2026.
Throughout the season, Smothers emphasized the importance of making a bowl game and winning, which is certainly promising for his prospects of playing. There is also one goal left for the running back to conquer. He finished the season with 939 rushing yards, 61 short of a 1,000-yard season. If he played, he'd have a chance to become the first 1,000-yard Wolfpack running back since Reggie Gallaspy.
Tight end Justin Joly
In terms of NFL future, Joly's potential is the highest on the Wolfpack. He entered the season as a candidate for the Mackey Award, given to the nation's best tight end, and while his receiving numbers dipped slightly, he still led the Wolfpack with seven touchdown receptions, despite missing a game and leaving during his best performance of the year at halftime.
While he hasn't given any confirmation on his status for the game, the Wolfpack showed it can survive without Joly already in one of the biggest games of the season. Veteran tight ends Dante Daniels and Cody Hardy stepped up in his absence and played well in NC State's upset win over Georgia Tech back in November.
Three guaranteed players out
The transfer portal already began to affect NC State before its season even ends in Tampa. The Wolfpack saw three players make the decision to leave the program and make it known they'd be jumping into the portal to find a new home for the 2026 season. None of this is unordinary, but it might leave the Wolfpack stretched a little bit thin at certain positions given the injuries during the year.
Junior offensive lineman Val Erickson became the first member of the Wolfpack to announce his intention to transfer the week after NC State's victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels. Despite the group needing depth several times throughout the year, Erickson never broke into the rotation with any consistency and struggled mightily during his limited reps.
While Erickson was the first, he wasn't the only wolf to leave the Pack. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Joshua Alexander-Felton reportedly revealed he'll enter the portal when it opens as well. The most recent transfer domino to fall was another redshirt freshman defensive lineman, Justin Terrell. Neither player saw the field with any consistency in 2025.
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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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