The Wolfpack's Duo From Utah State

Graduate transfer edge rusher and linebacker Cian Slone perfectly encapsulated his transition to NC State with one sentence.

"Obviously, Raleigh is a lot different than Logan, Utah," Slone said

Slone spent the last two seasons of his collegiate career with Utah State in Logan before transferring to NC State for a shot with a power conference program. Switching schools has become more common with the evolution of the transfer portal, but it can be daunting for athletes.

Luckily for Slone, he wasn't alone in his transfer process. Offensive tackle Teague Andersen came along with the linebacker to Raleigh from Utah State with similar hopes of being a contributor for a power conference program.

Welcome to the South

The duo joined the NC State program at different times. Andersen, only a redshirt junior, enrolled in January. The tackle worked with the Wolfpack throughout spring camp, learning the intricacies of the program.

Slone was on a different schedule. Before playing for the Aggies at Utah State, Slone started his career in junior college at American River Juco in California. A twist of fate meant the linebacker's career wasn't quite over yet.

"I thought I was done, honestly, after last year, and then the whole Diego Pavia situation came over, where the JUCO guys got the extra year of eligibility," Slone said. "I heard that, freaked out. Super happy. Hopped in the portal and, obviously, I'm here now with my brothers and I couldn't be happier."

In May, Slone was finally able to join the program after he cleared the new junior college transfer process.

The linebacker was spot on in his assessment of the two cities. Logan has a population of just over 52,000 people. Raleigh, while somewhat suburban compared to many American cities, has a population of 499,825 people. Even so, both made the adjustment work quickly because of their football ability.