Defensive Transfer Looking to Make an Impact for the Wolfpack

In college football, the transfer portal has been a huge thing for the sport for the last couple of seasons. Now the transfer portal gives schools and players the ability to transfer and play right away. That is way different than we once new college football to be.

And the Wolfpack went into the transfer portal this offseason and adding key pieces on both sides of the ball.

The North Carolina State football team is getting to hit the field for the upcoming 2025 season. The Wolfpack wants to hit the next season running. That means having a good camp heading into the season.

They want to be better than they were a year ago, and they will have a lot of opportunities to do so. The team is looking to get better in many areas, and the new season brings new things to the team.

One area of the team that needs to improve next season is the team's defense. That is one area that the team did not do a good job in last season. The defense showed what they could be when they were playing as a unit, but it was inconsistent last season. The Wolfpack want to be better next season, and they want to give the offense better chances to score points and make it easier for them.

One piece they added was transfer edge rusher Tra Thomas. That will help the defense this season.

"On Dec. 28, 2024, Thomas entered the transfer portal. A week and half later, Thomas committed to the Wolfpack, and joined the team shortly thereafter and reuniting with Eliot," said Michael Clark of 247Sports.

"With the aforementioned Eliot taking over as State's defensive coordinator, the Pack is expected to be multiple defensively, and the Edge position is a critical part of the system."

"Last season, State finished with 23 sacks, which ranked 14th in the ACC. Suffice to say, generating pressure was a massive issue for the Wolfpack. Given the transition from Tony Gibson to Eliot, the Pack had to lean heavily on the portal to address the Edge position."

"There are questions all over the Pack's defense, but a more consistent pass rush is imperative for it to be successful this fall. Thomas, a veteran with a lot of experience, is familiar with Eliot and his scheme, which should give him a leg up on his teammates."

This is a huge addition for the team and it is going to be fun to watch him this season.