Tennessee-Martin transfer OT Jai'Lun Hampton signs with NC State

NC State isn’t quite done in the transfer portal. The Wolfpack picked up a commitment from Tennessee-Martin transfer offensive tackle Jai’Lun Hampton, who signed Monday afternoon, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. 

Hampton, who is set to take an official visit on March 1, has one season of eligibility remaining after he spent the past two seasons with the Skyhawks. He also spent time at Iowa Western Community College and Charlotte earlier in his collegiate career. 

The 6-foot-9, 335-pound graduate student is coming off his first season as a full-time starter at the Division I level. He anchored Tennessee-Martin’s offensive line this past fall, starting all 12 games at left tackle with just three sacks credited against him in 361 pass-blocking opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Hampton, who was named a Second Team All-OVC-Big South honoree for his services last season, appeared to settle in at the critical part of the offense as the season progressed. He allowed two sacks on seven quarterback pressures through the first two weeks of the year, but allowed just one sack across his final 10 starts. 

The Detroit, Mich., native spent the 2024 campaign as a reserve offensive linemen for the Skyhawks, appearing in 13 games. 

Before his time at Tennessee-Martin, Hampton did not appear in a game during the 2023 season at Charlotte, where he was teammates with Marshall transfer defensive tackle KaTron Evans. He arrived to play for the 49ers after spending the previous two seasons at Iowa Western after he helped the Reivers to a 10-2 mark and a national championship in 2022 in 11 games at offensive tackle without allowing a sack. 

NC State now boasts 20 total transfer portal commitments in the 2026 offseason, making him the third offensive lineman to pick the Wolfpack. Hampton joins East Carolina transfer tackle Jimarion McCrimon and Texas transfer interior lineman Daniel Cruz in bolstering the Pack’s front five along the line of scrimmage.