Wolfpack Secures Portal Commitment From SEC Defensive Back
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RALEIGH — The transfer portal continues to fire away after opening a little less than a week ago. Thousands of players across Division I college football are searching for their new homes, with NC State being a destination for a few players already.
The Wolfpack bolstered its secondary Thursday when it added former four-star cornerback Ondre Evans from Georgia, per a report from Noah Fleischman of On3's The Wolfpacker. Evans joins a group in need of some support with a key member graduating and likely heading to the professional ranks. The cornerback became the fifth member of the Wolfpack's 2026 transfer class.
More on Evans
NC State signed Georgia CB transfer Ondre Evans, a former four-star recruit.
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) January 8, 2026
More on @OndreEvans here: https://t.co/8uxJaKkN91 pic.twitter.com/tOOhYfG8Vx
Evans, a Nashville native, arrives in Raleigh with a full four years of eligibility remaining. He did not appear in a game as a freshman in Athens with the Bulldogs, utilizing his redshirt to secure an additional year of eligibility after suffering an injury. Georgia has been a defensive factory over the last decade, producing numerous stars at the professional level under head coach Kirby Smart.
The Georgia transfer is joining a secondary that found itself decimated by injuries, mostly at the safety position, throughout the 2025 season. The group is expected to lose star cornerback Devon Marshall, who will likely be playing on Sundays next fall after a dominant run through his final season with the Wolfpack.
Over the years, Dave Doeren has done a remarkable job identifying untapped talent from top-level programs and giving those players opportunities to compete for larger roles at NC State. Terrell Anderson, a former NC State receiver now off to Southern California, was a player Doeren beat out Georgia for in the recruiting process who blossomed into a talented wideout in two years.
Evans joined another high-level transfer, Penn State defensive back King Mack, as the second defensive player to announce his commitment to the Wolfpack. Mack will be a key member of the safety group alongside returners Ronnie Royal III, Asaad Brown Jr. and Brody Barnhardt, with more potential help on the way for Charlton Warren's group at those positions.
NC State secured a commitment from former Penn State defensive back King Mack on Thursday, marking a key addition to the secondary for the 2026 season.
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) January 8, 2026
More on Mack @WolfpackOnSI: https://t.co/8UIJBC9C9m
NC State's ability to acquire talent from other Power Conference programs is impressive. During the high school recruitment process, Doeren praised defensive coordinator DJ Eliot's roots in the Northeast and how they are helping the Wolfpack recruit in that area more than they had in previous seasons. Those connections are now clearly helping NC State appeal to transfers as well.
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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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