NC State Adds Hofstra Guard Preston Edmead to 2026 Transfer Portal Class

The rising sophomore guard visited the Wolfpack on Friday and committed on Saturday.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 1:35pm

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NC State has added former Hofstra guard Preston Edmead to its 2026 transfer portal class. Edmead, a rising sophomore, visited the Wolfpack on Friday and committed on Saturday. He was the CAA Rookie of the Year and a Second-Team All-CAA selection last season, helping Hofstra reach the NCAA Tournament.

Why it matters

The addition of Edmead is a key step in the roster-building process for new NC State head coach Justin Gainey, who is trying to rebuild the program after the messy exit of former coach Will Wade. Edmead brings solid potential and production at the Division I level, which the Wolfpack needed to address uncertainty around the retention of guard Paul McNeil.

The details

Edmead, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged 16.1 points, 4.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game for Hofstra last season, shooting 38.7% from 3-point range. He was named the CAA Rookie of the Year and earned Second-Team All-CAA honors, helping the Pride reach the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Alabama in the first round. Edmead showed he could perform well against top competition, scoring 24 points in that NCAA Tournament loss.

  • Edmead visited NC State on Friday, April 18, 2026.
  • Edmead committed to NC State on Saturday, April 19, 2026.

The players

Preston Edmead

A rising sophomore guard who was the CAA Rookie of the Year and a Second-Team All-CAA selection at Hofstra last season.

Justin Gainey

The first-year head coach of the NC State Wolfpack, who is trying to rebuild the program after the messy exit of former coach Will Wade.

Will Wade

The former head coach of the NC State Wolfpack, who left the program in a messy exit to return to LSU.

Christian Hammond

A former Santa Clara guard who was the first transfer addition for NC State this offseason, coming with strong support from Gainey's mentor Herb Sendek.

Herb Sendek

The former NC State head coach who is a mentor to current Wolfpack head coach Justin Gainey.

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What’s next

Gainey and his staff still have visits scheduled with Charlotte center Anton Bonke and Georgetown guard Malik Mack over the course of the weekend as they continue to build out the Wolfpack's roster for the 2026-27 season.

The takeaway

The addition of Edmead is an important early step in the roster-building process for new NC State head coach Justin Gainey, who is trying to quickly rebuild the Wolfpack program after the messy exit of former coach Will Wade. Edmead brings proven production at the Division I level, which the team needed to address uncertainty around the retention of guard Paul McNeil.