NC State's push for interior offensive line help led to a player whose high school coach is one of coach Dave Doeren's greatest players.
Purdue interior lineman Jalen Grant played in three games this season and has experience play both guard spots and center between his time with the Boilermakers and at Bowling Green. He officially visited NC State on Friday and Saturday and signed with the Wolfpack on Saturday morning.
Grant joins offensive line transfers Teague Andersen of Utah State, a right tackle, and interior offensive lineman Brock Stukes of North Carolina A&T.
Grant was able to play in five games as a freshman in 2020, and then started all 12 games his sophomore year in 2021. He started the first two games at left guard and then the last 10 at center.
Grant started 12 of 13 games in 2022, with 10 starts at left guard and two at center. He then left Bowling Green and transferred to Purdue.
Grant started 12 games at right for the Boilermakers in 2023. He had the fourth-best grade on Purdue’s offensive line with 60.9. He played 802 snaps and allowed just one sack, but 18 quarterback pressures.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound Grant played just 50 snaps this past year, playing both guard spots.
Grant went to famed Chicago (ill.) Mount Carmel, where he was coached by Doeren’s former star quarterback at Northern Illinois — Jordan Lynch. Mount Carmel’s rival, Chicago St. Rita, is where redshirt sophomore guard Valen Erickson attended. Erickson transferred from Missouri to NC State a year ago.
The Rivals.com two-star prospect signed with Bowling Green over offers from Army, Ball State, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Fordham, Illinois State, Minnesota State, Navy, New Mexico State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Tennessee-Martin, Western Illinois and Wyoming.
Purdue went 1-11 overall and 0-9 in the Big Ten, leading to second-year coach Ryan Walters to get fired.
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