NC State’s transfer portal OL additions have made a positive impression in spring practice

By Noah Fleischman

NC State’s offensive line underwent a drastic change through the transfer portal this past winter. The Wolfpack lost a critical piece of its unit, but it was able to quickly backfill behind his departure to soften the blow to create a well-rounded group.

Out went left tackle Jacarrius Peak, who was the No. 3 overall player in the On3 transfer portal rankings, but the Pack acquired a pair of newcomers in East Carolina tackle Jimarion McCrimon and Texas center Daniel Cruz to bolster the offensive line as a whole. 

And, so far, their additions have been well received by NC State this spring as they joined the existing offensive linemen on the roster, including tackle Teague Andersen, and guards Rico Jackson and Kamen Smith.

“You can see the improvement in the guys that are back,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said. “It’s been a seamless transition.”

But for NC State, the star of the show this spring has been the two new offensive linemen. 

McCrimon, a first-team All-American Conference left tackle this past fall at ECU, has been able to fit in well with the Wolfpack. He projects to stay at left tackle at this point of the spring, a spot that he shined in down the stretch with 6 quarterback pressures allowed across the final eight games in 2025. 

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman has impressed NC State’s coaching staff. His football IQ is off the charts, allowing him to not only correct his mistakes in a hurry, but to learn the Wolfpack’s blocking schemes just as fast during his transition to the Wolfpack program. 

McCrimon isn’t at the same level as Peak, who landed at South Carolina but will not be ready for the start of the season after suffering an injury playing basketball this offseason, but NC State is excited about what he brings to the Wolfpack. Add in the fact he has two years of eligibility to use, and the program is eager to have stability in one of the critical parts of its offensive line. 

Cruz, meanwhile, is taking reps at center this spring with Spike Sowells Jr. recovering from a routine offseason surgery. The Texas transfer has the capability of playing both center and guard, but so does Sowells, so the two are expected to be used in tandem on the interior of the line this coming fall. 

The former No. 291 overall recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle, Cruz has also turned heads in Raleigh. He played just 14 snaps as a reserve offensive lineman in his two seasons with the Longhorns, but the former blue-chip prospect has shown exactly why he was a coveted player out of the Texas high school ranks. 

Cruz, who stands at 6-foot-2, 315 pounds, is a player that NC State has high expectations for. And considering he has three seasons of eligibility to use, the Wolfpack is excited for his ability to play early and develop as he stays within the program for years to come. 

But, as of now, Doeren is happy with the two key transfer portal additions on his offensive line. NC State needed to hit on both, bolstering its depth on the front, and it appears it has done just that to this point.

“They’re just plug-and-play guys,” Doeren said. “They’re really easy to coach. They want to get better. Sometimes you get a guy that thinks he knows everything, and that’s not the case. These guys really want to learn, they want to get better. They’ve been really fun to be around.”