Nick McCloud’s decision to transfer a loss for NC State football
N.C. State didn’t have veteran cornerback Nick McCloud for most of the 2019 college football season.
The Wolfpack won’t have McCloud for the 2020 season at all. He joined the growing list of N.C. State players in the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday.
McCloud is the fourth player, who started at least one game last season, to transfer out of the program after a 4-8 finish in 2019. He will graduate in May and be eligible to play in the 2020 season.
He is the third starter from the defense — and second cornerback — joining linebacker Brock Miller and cornerback De’Von Graves from the defense and quarterback Matt McKay from the offense.
Backup punter Mackenzie Morgan and reserve offensive lineman Kollin Byers have also transferred out of the N.C. State program since the season ended with a home loss to North Carolina on Nov. 30.
N.C. State coach Dave Doeren has remade his defensive staff since the end of the season and fired cornerbacks coach George Barlow and linebackers coach Dave Huxtable, who also served as the primary defensive coordinator.
Of all the early exits, McCloud is potentially the most damaging. He started 20 games over four seasons with his best season coming in 2018. He had two interceptions and 51 tackles as a junior and started 11 games.
He was one of four team captains last season and started the opener, a win over East Carolina, but injured his left knee and missed seven straight games. He was missed as much for his coverage ability as his emotional leadership.
He returned for the home loss to Clemson on Nov. 9 but was limited in that game and then did not play the rest of the season.
Since he only played in two games, and did not redshirt as a freshman, he has a year of eligibility remaining.
New cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell, who previously worked with defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, does have four players with starting experience back from last year’s team.
Cornerback Malik Dunlap, who started five games in 2019, had put his name into the transfer portal in December but has decided to stay with the team.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 7:12 PM.
