North Carolina State’s football program has emerged as a magnet for elite talent from South Florida, boasting a record 14 players from the region on its 2026 roster, the largest concentration from any single geographic area.
A Reunion in Raleigh
The influx includes alumni of Chaminade‑Madonna High School in Hollywood, St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, and the Miami Gardens Ravens youth club, where CJ Bailey, Davion Gause, Joshisa "JoJo" Trader and King Mack first crossed paths as teenagers.
After Bailey entered the transfer portal, he reached out to Gause, Trader and Robinson, inviting them to join him in Raleigh; the move proved seamless for Mack, who called the transition "the easiest ever" thanks to the familiar faces waiting for him.
The group describes their bond as brotherly, noting that they know each other’s strengths, weaknesses and on‑field patterns intimately, which translates into tighter coordination and heightened motivation during practices and games.
Coaches and teammates alike praise the Wolfpack’s family atmosphere, a factor that has helped the South Floridians settle quickly and feel at home far from their original neighborhoods.
As the new cohort prepares for the upcoming season, their intertwined histories promise to add a unique chemistry to the team’s dynamics, echoing the camaraderie of their youth‑football days.