NC State Transfer Portal Tracker: Additions, Departures & Updated Roster for 2026-27

With the NCAA Tournament wrapping up, it's time to put a bow on the 2025-26 men's college basketball season and begin the first steps for the 2026-27 season. The start of the new year is marked by the opening of the transfer portal, which officially opens for business on April 7, the day after the National Championship game in Indianapolis.

NC State replaced Will Wade, who left for LSU, with Justin Gainey for its head coaching position, ushering in a new era for the program after just one season under Wade. That coaching change set up a lot of uncertainty with the roster heading into the 2026-27 season, but Gainey's background as an elite recruiter creates a sense of optimism for how the offseason will go.

Updated NC State Roster

Transfer portal details

The NCAA men's basketball transfer portal will open on April 7, immediately after the National Championship. Some players have already begun announcing their "intention" to enter the transfer portal ahead of the opening, getting a head start on which schools their agents can approach for potential opportunities in the transfer portal.

The portal remains open for two weeks following the April 7 start date, meaning no players can enter the portal after April 21. Anyone already in the portal by that time will still be able to join new programs as late as the next school year. It is a different situation from the football transfer portal, as there isn't the same time crunch to get players on campus before the start of the winter term.

Departures (Potential and Confirmed)

In or intending to enter the transfer portal: Cole Cloer (F), Matt Able (G), Colt Langdon (F), Jayme Kontuniemi (G), Terrance Arceneaux (G), Alyn Breed (G), Jerry Deng (F), Musa Sagnia (F)

Cole Cloer became the first member of the Wolfpack to announce his intention to transfer just two days after Gainey's introductory press conference, an event he attended. He did leave things open with the Wolfpack moving forward and could just be testing the waters to see if there are different opportunities elsewhere.

Rising sophomore guard Matt Able joined Cloer as the second member of the Wolfpack to announce his intention to transfer on April 6, just one day before the portal officially opened.

Colt Langdon became the third member of the Wolfpack to officially enter the transfer portal, per a report from On3. As a redshirt freshman, Langdon made just six appearances for NC State.

Freshman guard Jayme Kontuniemi, a native of Finland, also joined Langdon in the transfer portal on Tuesday, becoming the fourth member of the program to opt for the portal rather than stay with Gainey at NC State.

Star sophomore guard Paul McNeil reportedly entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, becoming the fifth member of the program to enter. McNeil plans on considering a return, but the sharpshooter was a massive retention target for Gainey and his staff by all accounts. He could be testing the waters, or this could be the end of an era in Raleigh.

Terrance Arceneaux joined McNeil in the portal on Wednesday, becoming the sixth member of the roster to look for a new home.

Alyn Breed entered the transfer portal on April 9, essentially bleed the Wolfpack of all of its potential returning production if McNeil does not return to the program.

Jerry Deng, the 6-foot-9 stretch-four for the Wolfpack, will reportedly enter the transfer portal, becoming the eighth NC State player to leave the program. Deng was planning to explore a redshirt during the season.

NC State's entire core of returning contributors officially hit the transfer portal when Musa Sagnia opted to enter the portal on Thursday. The Wolfpack will need to completely remake its frontcourt for the 2026-27 season.

This section was updated on April 16.

Targets and Strategy

Gainey indicated that his Wolfpack program will be built on toughness. His deeper explanation for what he wants the first roster to look like indicated that size will be essential to NC State's success while he is the head coach. After a rough year rebounding and defending under Wade, the Pack should be targeting very different kinds of players under Gainey.

NC State hosted Christian Hammond of Santa Clara for a visit beginning on April 11, that included taking the guard to Wolfpack baseball's 18-5 victory over Duke on that same day. Hammond averaged 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in his redshirt sophomore season with the Broncos, playing for former NC State coach Herb Sendek, who coached Gainey back in the day.

The visit train moved quickly for the Wolfpack. Not long after Hammond's visit, Gainey and his staff set up another on-campus trip for Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell, whom he coached the last two seasons with the Volunteers.

Boswell ended up committing to Maryland on Wednesday, putting the Wolfpack back at square one as it works to put together a backcourt for the future.

This section will be updated.

Additions and Updated Roster

Transfer additions: Christian Hammond (G, Santa Clara), Preston Edmead (G, Hofstra), Kyle Evans (F, UC Irvine), Eemeli Yalaho (F, Washington State), RJ Keene (G, Boise State), Darius Adams (G, Maryland)

Hammond became the first transfer commitment of the Justin Gainey era at NC State, announcing his intention to join the Wolfpack via Instagram on Monday, April 13. The redshirt sophomore earned First-Team All-WCC honors playing for Herb Sendek at Santa Clara over the last three seasons. He'll now play for Sendek's former pupil, Gainey. Read more about Hammond HERE.

NC State added former Hofstra guard Preston Edmead to the roster on Saturday after he visited the program. He'll arrive fresh off a strong freshman season in which he won CAA Rookie of the Year honors and scored 24 points in an NCAA Tournament loss to Alabama. Read more about Edmead HERE.

Gainey took his first frontcourt transfer from the mid-major level as well, bringing UC Irvine forward Kyle Evans aboard on April 21. Evans led the nation in blocked shots, averaging 3.3 rejections per game during the 2025-26 season. Find out more about NC State's new forward HERE.

NC State continued to build its frontcourt depth when it added former Washington State forward Eemeli Yalaho to the mix. With the Cougars, the 6-foot-8 native of Finland averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 39.8% from 3-point range. Read more about Yalaho HERE.

Former McDonald's All-American and Maryland freshman Darius Adams committed to the Wolfpack on April 29, signing on to be the sixth addition out of the transfer portal. Find out more about the high-potential guard HERE.

The Wolfpack's biggest win of transfer portal season came in the form of a retention, as Paul McNeil is back for a third season with the program. Read more about what the sharpshooter's return means for NC State HERE.

Section updated May 1.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow