HERO Sports has been tracking the transfer portal’s impact on FCS programs since the end of the 2023 season.
Per HERO Sports comprehensive reporting, below are lists of players coming into and going out of FCS programs from North Carolina for the 2024 season.
Gardner-Webb, by far, has seen the most player movement of any of the North Carolina’s seven FCS schools. The Bulldogs lost their head coach Tre Lamb to East Tennessee State after winning the Big South/OVC championship in November.
GWU saw 20 players follow Lamb to ETSU, including three-time all-conference linebacker William McRainey of Shallotte (West Brunswick HS) and fellow all-conference teammates JaQuan Adams (OL | Raleigh | Sanderson HS) and Gabe Thompson (OL). Starting quarterback Jaylen King also is headed to East Tennessee.
Six Gardner-Webb standouts committed to FBS programs. Linebacker Ty French, the school’s all-time sacks leader, will play in the Big 12 this season at West Virginia.
On the flip side, new GWU coach Chris Reisert has brought in 14 transfers from FBS programs and seven more from the FCS ranks.
In all, 21 players from North Carolina FCS programs will play for FBS teams this fall. Two all-stars from Western Carolina’s 2023 high-powered offense — running back Desmond Reid and wide receiver Censere Lee — will follow offensive coordinator Kade Bell to Pitt.
Offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins III (Charlotte | Olympic HS) will move from North Carolina Central to the SEC, signing with South Carolina. Tight end Johncarlos Miller II from Greensboro (Dudley HS) is transferring from Elon to Texas Tech.
North Carolina A&T and Houston Christian, in a sense, orchestrated a trade of quarterbacks. Justin Fomby will join A&T’s program from Houston Christian. Meanwhile, Eli Brickhandler will trade his A&T jersey for a Houston Christian uniform.
NC A&T saw three quarterbacks hit the portal this off-season and brought in two signal callers, with Noah Sanders (Delaware) joining Fomby in the battle for the starting job with returnee Kevin White.
- —>READ MORE: HEROSports tracks FCS to FCS transfers
- —> READ MORE: HEROSports tracks FBS to FCS transfers
- —> READ MORE: HEROSports tracks FCS to FBS transfers
FBS to FCS Transfers
| Player (Position) | Old School | New School |
| Wing Green Jr. (OL) | Georgia Tech | Campbell |
| Sammy Malignaggi (RB) | James Madison | Campbell |
| Jalen Brooks (LB) | North Carolina | Campbell |
| Quentin Thomas (WR) | Georgia State | Campbell |
| Nathan Kibambe (DB) | App State | Elon |
| Tyler Devera (TE) | New Mexico State | Elon |
| Brock Wilkins (LS) | Pitt | Elon |
| Jeff Yurk (P) | Pitt | Elon |
| Jack Salopek (QB) | Western Michigan | Elon |
| Trevor Moffitt (LB) | App State | Gardner-Webb |
| Jaden Lindsay (OL) | App State | Gardner-Webb |
| Karl Odrick (DL) | Ball State | Gardner-Webb |
| Jamari Young (LB) | ECU | Gardner-Webb |
| Jackson Marshall (LB) | Marshall | Gardner-Webb |
| Ren Hefley (QB) | Middle TN State | Gardner-Webb |
| Jordan Bly (WR) | ODU | Gardner-Webb |
| Colten Gauthier (QB) | South Carolina | Gardner-Webb |
| Edward Saydee (RB) | Temple | Gardner-Webb |
| Ja’kheo Mitchell (DB) | Utah State | Gardner-Webb |
| Quinton Cannon (LB) | Western Michigan | Gardner-Webb |
| Anthony Enechukwu (DB) | Western Michigan | Gardner-Webb |
| Henry Wilson Jr. (WR) | Western Michigan | Gardner-Webb |
| Josh Sterns (WR) | WKU | Gardner-Webb |
| DeAndre Dingle-Prince (DL) | App State | North Carolina A&T |
| Josh Hardy (DL) | Boston College | North Carolina A&T |
| Mehki Wall (WR) | Duke | North Carolina Central |
| Isaiah Fisher-Smith (DB) | Duke | North Carolina Central |
| Shawn Burton Jr. (OL) | Georgia State | North Carolina Central |
| Isaiah Norris (DB) | South Carolina | North Carolina Central |
| Terrance Howard (DB) | Alabama | North Carolina Central |
| Jordan Daniels (OL) | Akron | Western Carolina |
| Christian Lowery (K) | Cincinnati | Western Carolina |
FCS to FCS Transfers
| Player (Position) | Old School | New School |
| Paul Hutson III (DL) | Austin Peay | Campbell |
| Mark Biggins (RB) | Cal Poly | Campbell |
| Jack O’Connor (OL) | Idaho State | Campbell |
| Jonathan Melvin (LB) | Penn | Campbell |
| Rushawn Baker (RB) | Bucknell | Elon |
| Khalil Baker (DB) | North Carolina Central | Elon |
| Brandon Smiley (DL) | Western Carolina | Elon |
| Miles Richardson (DB) | Austin Peay | Gardner-Webb |
| Camden Overton (TE) | Chattanooga | Gardner-Webb |
| Steven Rose (DB) | Delaware | Gardner-Webb |
| Jeff Bowens (DB) | Illinois State | Gardner-Webb |
| Taylor Shields (WR) | Murray State | Gardner-Webb |
| QuaSean Holmes (RB) | Saint Francis | Gardner-Webb |
| Nick Bigelow (P) | Tennessee Tech | Gardner-Webb |
| Thomas Brown (WR) | Butler | North Carolina A&T |
| Cam Maddox (DB) | Dartmouth | North Carolina A&T |
| Noah Sanders (QB) | Delaware | North Carolina A&T |
| Justin Fomby (QB) | Houston Christian | North Carolina A&T |
| Brett Gray (OL) | Valparaiso | Western Carolina |
FCS to FCS Transfers: Outgoing Players
| Player (Position) | Old School | New School |
| Marquez Casey (DL) | Campbell | Austin Peay |
| Jackson Head (TE) | Gardner-Webb | Austin Peay |
| Trey Alsbrooks (OL) | Elon | Butler |
| Kyle Romenick (P) | Elon | Duquesne |
| T.J. Jones (RB) | Gardner-Webb | Duquesne |
| Khalil Baker (DB) | North Carolina Central | Elon |
| Brandon Smiley (DL) | Western Carolina | Elon |
| Ephraim Floyd (WR) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Jimmy Bowdry (DB) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| AJ Johnson (WR) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Kendall Williams (TE) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Ty Anderson (LB) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Karim Page (WR) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Tyson Moorer (OL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Jaylen King (QB) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Nick Hunter (DL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Justin Franklin (WR) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Ryan Barrett (DB) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Tywan Royal (DB) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Jai Barnes (DL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Jonathan Burns (TE) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Rashad Whitehead (DL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| JaQuan Adams (OL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Willie Harris (DL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Will McCraw (OL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Gabe Thompson (OL) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| William McRainey (LB) | Gardner-Webb | ETSU |
| Alston Hooker (QB) | North Carolina A&T | Florida A&M |
| Taylor Behl (LB) | Campbell | Houston Christian |
| Eli Brickhandler (QB) | North Carolina A&T | Houston Christian |
| Zach Yeager (QB) | North Carolina A&T | Howard |
| Darren Bennett (TE) | North Carolina A&T | Jackson State |
| Gilbert Deglau (OL) | Davidson | Villanova |
| Devin Smith (WR) | North Carolina Central | Villanova |
| Jonathan Hammond (DL) | Davidson | William & Mary |
FCS to FBS Transfers: Outgoing Players
| Player (Position) | Old School | New School |
| *Quincy Jenkins (OL) | Campbell | James Madison |
| NaQuari Rogers (RB) | Campbell | New Mexico |
| *Ezeriah Anderson (WR) | Campbell | UConn |
| *Hajj-Malik Williams (QB) | Campbell | UNLV |
| *Jaidyn Denis (DB) | Elon | Memphis |
| Johncarlos Miller II (TE) | Elon | Texas Tech |
| Jalen Hampton (RB) | Elon | WKU |
| Ja’Kai Young (DB) | Gardner-Webb | James Madison |
| Brice Bass (DL) | Gardner-Webb | Texas State |
| Brendan Jackson (LB) | Gardner-Webb | Troy |
| Jayden Brown (RB) | Gardner-Webb | UConn |
| *Tray Dunson (DB) | Gardner-Webb | UTEP |
| Ty French (LB) | Gardner-Webb | West Virginia |
| Avarion Cole (LB) | North Carolina A&T | App State |
| Da’Quan Thomas (OL) | North Carolina Central | Akron |
| Jason Chambers (DB) | North Carolina Central | App State |
| Torricelli Simpkins III (OL) | North Carolina Central | South Carolina |
| Jayden Flaker (LB) | North Carolina Central | Memphis |
| Desmond Reid (RB) | Western Carolina | Pitt |
| Censere Lee (WR) | Western Carolina | Pitt |
| Andreas Keaton (DB) | Western Carolina | Temple |
