1/16/2020 football Edit

NC State defensive end Jeffrey Gunter enters transfer portal

Writer

Defensive end Jeffrey Gunter went back and forth a little under a year ago between NC State and Syracuse.

The Coastal Carolina transfer verbally committed to both, with the Wolfpack winning in the end Feb. 26, 2019. Gunter surprisingly has put his name in the transfer portal Thursday, which The Wolfpacker confirmed. He would have had two years of eligibility remaining at NCSU.

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Former Coastal Carolina and NC State defensive end Jeffrey Gunter is on the move again. He put his name into the transfer portal Thursday. (Ken Martin/The Wolfpacker)

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Gunter was expected to help replace senior defensive lineman Larrell Murchison, James Smith-Williams and Deonte Holden. He also would have been working with his third defensive line coach in two years, with Charley Wiles replacing Kevin Patrick this winter.

Redshirt junior Ibrahim Kante is NC State's top returning defensive end. He had 15 tackles three tackles for loss and half a sack in 12 games, six of which he started. Gunter's departure will hasten the development of sophomore defensive ends Joseph Boletepeli and Savion Jackson, plus redshirt freshman Terrell Dawkins.

Gunter was a bit of a late bloomer coming out of high school, accumulating 55 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks his senior year at Durtham (N.C.) Riverside High. However, he stayed loyal to Coastal Carolina. He had 26 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss his first year as a true freshman, and then improved to earning first-team All-Sun Belt Conference.

Gunter had a team-high 14 tackles for loss, which was fourth best in the league, and added 49 tackles, five sacks, four quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a blocked field goal his sophomore season.

Gunter is one of eight players who have departed the program since Nov. 1:

• Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Kollin Byers

• Sophomore defensive back De’Von Graves (Northern Arizona)

• Redshirt sophomore defensive end Xavier Lyas (Northern Arizona)

• Senior cornerback Nick McCloud

• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Matt McKay (Montana State)

• Redshirt junior outside linebacker Brock Miller

• Redshirt sophomore punter Mackenzie Morgan (Weber State)

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