Confirmed transfers impacting the 2024 North Carolina high school football season

With transferring in high school football becoming more popular by the year, we are keeping track of the biggest ones affecting North Carolina teams ahead of the 2024 season.

Every player listed below is confirmed to have transferred via multiple sources. Confirmation could include the player sharing as much on his social media, the coach at the new school confirming the switch, or the head coach at the old school confirming the change.

The mere existence of this list is not an endorsement of any transfer or the state of high school football. Our goal with our football offseason coverage is to prepare HSOT Insiders for the upcoming season with as much confirmed information as possible.

Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Bookmark this page, as it will be added to as the offseason rolls on. (Have more information on player movement? Reach out to jbryant@wral.com)

List updated: May. 9 at 6:49 p.m.

• Dontario Austin, c/o 2025 Linebacker, South View HS (Hope Mills) → Trinity Christian (Fayetteville)
  • The center of Trinity Christian's defense picked up a nice addition in Donatio Austin, an HSOT All-State selection in 2023. Austin's 13.9 tackles/game led all of 4A last season. His final 2023 numbers were 153 total tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. South View listed Austin at six feet tall and 225 pounds.
• Nydarion Blackwell, c/o 2025 Quarterback, Clinton HS → Marlboro County HS (SC)
  • According to his social media, Clinton's starting quarterback transferred to Marlboro County High School in South Carolina. That is the school that former head coach Cory Johnson and a number of other Clinton assistants were hired at this offseason. Blackwell completed 83 of 123 passing attempts (67.5%) for 1,812 yards, 25 touchdowns, and one interception in 2023.
• Eddie Conover, c/o 2025 Outside Linebacker, Northwest Cabarrus (Concord) → Hough HS (Cornelius)
  • Conover received an offer from Charlotte after an 82-tackle, 22-tackle for a loss, 13-sack season for Northwest Cabarrus in 2023. He also rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns. He is one of two edge defenders from Northwest Cabarrus to end up at Hough this offseason. The Huskies could use the pass rushing help after the graduation of James Nesta and Eli Anders.
• Jaquez Crawford, c/o 2026 Quarterback, Grimsley HS (Greensboro) → Dudley HS (Greensboro)
  • Grimsley's backup quarterback Jaquez Crawford has transferred across the Gate City to Dudley High, where the Panthers are in need of a starter after HighSchoolOT All-State senior quarterback Andrew Attmore graduates. Crawford completed 10 of 15 passing attempts for 117 yards and one touchdown in limited action on Grimsley's varsity team last season. He also rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown.
• Montgomery Edwards, c/o 2025 Interior Offensive Lineman, Crest HS (Boiling Springs) → Marvin Ridge HS (Waxhaw)
  • A Big South 3A all-conference performer, 6-foot-2, 275-pound guard Montgomery Edwards should give Marvin Ridge's offensive front some stability despite the loss of Georgia Tech-bound tackle standout Kai Greer. Marvin Ridge's offensive line always seems to be solid at minimum, so this is probably a bigger loss for Crest than it is a gain for the Mavericks.
• Tyran Evans, c/o 2026 Wide Receiver, Chambers HS (Charlotte) → Hough HS (Cornelius)
  • Evans, a 6-foot-3 receiver, left Chambers for one of the Cougars' Queen City Conference rivals in Hough, according to his social media. Evans had 13 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore on varsity but holds offers from Charlotte, James Madison, Florida, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Troy, and Temple.
• Eli Falls, c/o 2025 Wide Receiver, Shelby HS → Gaffney HS (SC)
  • Falls is a big loss for Shelby to an out-of-state program. Over his sophomore and junior seasons with the Golden Lions, Falls caught 62 passes for 906 yards and 15 touchdowns. Shelby is also losing standout Izay Bridges to graduation. Bridges caught 87 passes for 1,818 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. Shelby will need to figure out its receiving group for rising junior standout quarterback Lan Farmer. Watch for rising sophomore Majay Thompson in this group.
• Ely Hamrick, c/o 2026 Quarterback, IMG White (FL) → A.C. Reynolds HS (Asheville)
  • Hamrick is a big 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback with offers from Kentucky, App State, and Toledo as of Mar. 19. As a sophomore, he threw for 1,244 yards, 18 touchdowns, and no interceptions on IMG's "white" varsity team, which is the highest varsity team but also not as strong as the IMG "national" team. He also rushed for 88 yards and four touchdowns. If Hamrick is the real deal, pairing him with speedster Max Guest in the backfield and an always strong Rockets defense could create a serious contender in the 3A West.
• Ian Hemilright, c/o 2025 Offensive Lineman, Green Hope HS (Cary) → Rolesville HS
  • Hemilright made the Southwest Wake Athletic Conference's all-conference team as a junior at Green Hope and decided to transfer to Rolesville. The Rams bring back a good group of linemen, so it will be interesting to see where Hemilright ends up playing.
• Brandon Hettwer, c/o 2025 Tight End, Community School of Davidson → Charlotte Christian
  • A 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end, Hettwer played his first three seasons at Community School of Davidson in the NCHSAA and will now be in the NCISAA at Charlotte Christian. He has 57 receptions for 773 yards and seven touchdowns over his career and has received offers from Maryland and the University of Pennsylvania.
• Jaylen Hewitt, c/o 2025 Quarterback, West Carteret HS (Morehead City) → Havelock HS
  • Hewitt, a 6-foot-5 passer, has thrown for 5,493 yards, 58 touchdowns, and 34 interceptions over his career. He’s completed 56.8% of his passes. Havelock had an incredible rushing attack last season but was unable to effectively push the ball down the field through the air. Airing it out is one thing that Hewitt will be able to add to the Rams' dangerous offensive attack. Havelock was going to be in the 3A East conversation regardless.
• Charles Ibe, c/o 2027 Defensive Tackle, Ardrey Kell HS (Charlotte) → Providence Day School (Charlotte)
  • The 6-foot-1, 290 pound defensive tackle played on Ardrey Kell's JV team but has reported interest from Tennessee, NC State, and Wake Forest. Ibe now has a chance to carve out a role on a Providence Day defensive line that could use some size on the interior. He'll play next to other Division I talents like David Sanders, Griff Galloway, and Leo Delaney.
• Gabe Kassnove, c/o 2025 Linebacker, D.H. Conley HS (Greensville) → Tarboro HS
  • Kassnove was set to be Conley's top returning tackler this fall (69 total stops last year) but transferred to Tarboro High School in Janaury. He now figures to work into the middle of the defense of the back-to-back reigning 1A East champs.
• Xavier Lewis, c/o 2025 Defensive End, Leesville Road HS (Raleigh) → Rolesville HS
  • The reigning Cap-6 Defensive Player of the Year changed his social media profiles to show that he now attends Rolesville High instead of Leesville Road. Lewis was credited with 46.5 tackles for a loss, 14.5 sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble over his sophomore and junior seasons at Leesville Road. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound defender holds offers from Elon, Gardner-Webb, Charleston Southern, NC Central, Wofford, and Lafayette.
• Jakarrion Kenan, c/o 2025 Defensive Back/Wide Receiver, Clinton HS → Marlboro County HS (SC)
  • One of Clinton's best players set to return will now play at Marlboro County High in South Carolina, where much of the former Clinton staff now coaches. Kenan led Clinton in receiving yards with 538 and also had eight touchdowns. He is equally impressive as a defensive back, where he recorded 17 stops and four interceptions last season.
• Elan Lipford, c/o 2027 Quarterback, West Caldwell HS (Lenoir) → Independence HS (Charlotte)
  • Lipford started at quarterback for West Caldwell as a freshman in the 2023 season. He threw for 135.7 yards-per-game, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. He is now at Independence High, where he'll back up Justin Little and hope to take over the starting role after Little graduates next spring.
• Donta' Marshmon, c/o 2025 Offensive Tackle, South View HS (Hope Mills) → Trinitiy Christian (Fayetteville)
  • Marshmon is a huge 6-foot-6, 310-pound lineman that mostly played left tackle at South View. He projects as a tackle at the next level with his 6-foot-6 height. At the time of writing, Marshmon holds offers from St. Andrews and Air Force. He joins a Trinity Christian team with a Division I wide receiver in Fonzy Smith and a Division I quarterback in Elijah Oehlke.
• Brilison McCullers, c/o 2026 Running Back, Sanderson HS (Raleigh) → Millbrook HS (Raleigh)
  • A starter at Sanderson since his freshman year, McCullers has already rushed for 2,094 yards and 30 touchdowns before his junior year. McCullers went to Millbrook this offseason, along with his one-year younger cousin and fellow running back Amir Brown, who left Cardinal Gibbons after he rushed for 472 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman for the Crusaders.
• Turner McSwain, c/o 2025 Quarterback, CHASE HS (Forest City) → Crest HS (Boiling Springs)
  • A few players have transferred to Crest High, including CHASE High's starting quarterback Turner McSwain. In six games in 2023, McSwain completed 68 of 109 passing attempts (62.4%) for 849 yards, 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown. Crest has an opening at quarterback with the graduation of excellent dual-threat Tater Huskey, and McSwain is in position to earn the job.
• LeDarrion Menter, c/o 2025 EDGE, Northwest Cabarrus HS (Concord) → Hough HS (Cornelius)
  • The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defender has been offered by Charlotte and Gardner-Webb. As a junior at Northwest Cabarrus, Menter recorded 59 total tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, and 10 sacks. He is one of two edge defenders from Northwest Cabarrus to end up at Hough this offseason. The Huskies could use the pass rushing help after the graduation of James Nesta and Eli Anders.
• Jaylen Moore, c/o 2026 Running Back, Reagan HS (Pfafftown) → East Forsyth HS (Kernersville)
  • According to his X account, Reagan High's standout rising junior running back Jaylen Moore has transferred to East Forsyth High School on the other side of Forsyth County. Moore rushed for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns during his freshman and sophomore seasons on Reagan's varsity team. The 5-foot-9 back holds an offer from UNC-Charlotte.
• Jhari Mosley, c/o 2025 Defensive Back/Wide Receiver, CHASE HS (Forest City) → Crest HS (Boiling Springs)
  • Another player that transferred to Crest is a defensive back in Jhari Mosely who was previously offered by UNC-Charlotte. Mosley had 47 receptions for 793 yards and 11 touchdowns at CHASE last season. He also rushed for 249 yards and seven touchdowns. On defense, he had 53 total tackles, seven tackles for a loss, two sacks, and three interceptions.
• Da'Zion Murray, c/o 2025 Running Back, CHASE (Forest City) HS → West Henderson HS (Hendersonville)
  • At CHASE High last season, Murray rushed for exactly 1,10 yards on just 123 attempts. He found the end zone efficiently at 14 scores, although he lost some red zone opportunities to other talented players. Murray has transferred to West Henderson and could see his numbers explode in place of Carson Dimsdale, who rushed for over 2,100 yards and 33 touchdowns last season.
• Trajen Odom, c/o 2025 Defensive Lineman, Panther Creek HS (Cary) → Weddington HS (Matthews)
  • The defending 4A state champion Weddington Warriors already had a great front seven returning on defense, and it got even better with the move in of former Panther Creek standout Trajen Odom. Odom is considered a 4-star prospect by On3 and ESPN. As a junior last fall, Odom was credited with 54 total tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble. Odom has been credited with nine career sacks. Now, Odom will wreak havoc on a defensive line that already had the highly-recruited Harris twins Drew and Aiden. Of the two, Aiden is also a 4-star prospect according to On3.
• Donavan Pauling-Outlaw, c/o 2025 Athlete, South View HS (Hope Mills) → Marlboro County HS (SC)
  • A multi-use player at South View High, Pauling-Outlaw is one of a number of 910 players that have made it to Marlboro County High School in South Carolina this offseason. Over his sophomore and junior seasons, the athlete accumulated a combined 1,147 yards from scrimmage, 13 total touchdowns, five interceptions, 12 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
• Gus Ritchey, c/o 2025 Tight End, Northwood HS (Pittsboro) → Cary HS
  • Ritchey announced his transfer to Cary High a couple of weeks after the departure of Northwood head coach Mitch Johnson. Ritchey said his family moved ot Cary to get closer to his dad's work. With Ricthey at Cary, the NC State tight end commit will now line up to UNC offensive tackle commit Trey Blue.
• Josiah Robinson, c/o 2025 Running Back, Clinton HS → Marlboro County HS (SC)
  • According to his social media, Clinton's top returning running back transferred to Marlboro County High School in South Carolina. That is the school that former head coach Cory Johnson and a number of other Clinton assistants were hired at this offseason. Robinson rushed for 1,087 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior last fall.
• Jadon Rourk, c/o 2026 Wide Receiver, Westover HS (Fayetteville) → Hough HS (Cornelius)
  • The 5-foot-10, 165-pound receiver transferred from Westover High in Fayetteville to Hough after arguably being the Wolverines' best player as a freshman and sophomore. Rourk had 68 receptions for 842 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman and 618 total yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore on varsity. Hough has rebuilt its receiving corps with Rourk, Ashawd Wynn from Hobbton High, and Tyran Evans from Chambers High.
• Jabian Shabazz, c/o 2026 Offensive Tackle, Oak Grove HS (Winston-Salem) → East Forsyth HS (Kernersville)
  • Shabazz, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive tackle, will be one of UNC quarterback commit Bryce Baker's primary protectors at East Forsyth this fall. Shabazz holds an offer from UNC as well. The Mid-Piedmont 3A All-Conference performer also has been offered by App State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Liberty.
• Aiden Smalls, c/o 2026 Quarterback/Wide Receiver, Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh) → Clayton HS
  • Smalls, at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, has received numerous offers to play wide receiver/athlete. He has offers from the likes of Duke, NC State, Virginia Tech, as well as a few others. Smalls arrived at Cardinal Gibbons as a quarterback, but moved to wide receiver for his sophomore year. As a sophomore, Smalls caught 76 passes for 941 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 19 varsity touchdowns in his career as a gadget quarterback. Sources tell HighSchoolOT that Smalls is at Clayton to play his original position of quarterback. Clayton had a transfer quarterback last year in Johnathan Montague and Montague went on to throw for 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 2,578 yards and 41 touchdowns. For his performance in 2023, Montague was offered by Boston College and signed with the Eagles.
• Kenyon Smith, c/o 2025 Linebacker, North Forsyth HS (Winston-Salem) → East Forsyth (Kernersville)
  • In Forsyth County, there is a school choice/open enrollment program that allows students to attend whichever high school in the county as long as it’s not near capacity. Kenyon Smith won Defensive Player of the Year in the Mid-State 2A Conference (Reidsville's conference) when he was at North Forsyth last fall. Smith is now at East Forsyth, according to his X account. He recorded 125 total tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in 2023. Now, he’ll be a defensive leader for a top 4A program.
• Dominic Testa, c/o 2025 Wide Receiver, Hickory Ridge HS (Harrisburg) → Jay M. Robinson HS (Concord)
  • Testa had Had 68 catches for 904 yards and 10 touchdowns during his junior season with the Ragin’ Bulls. The Bulldogs also added rising senior linebacker Myles Hudson, who had 38 tackles for Hickory Ridge last fall. Robinson had a huge season in 2023, finishing 12-1 overall and winning the South Piedmont 3A Conference in its first year after moving up a classification. Things could still be trending up for coach Jason Seidel and Robinson.
• Jackson Tolbert, c/o 2026 Quarterback, Green Hope HS (Cary) → Sanderson HS (Raleigh)
  • ​​​​​​​Tolbert is a quarterback with a nice arm that was unable to show it off on his father's (head coach Chris Tolbert) Green Hope squad as the Falcons can only run a single wing offense with their weapons. Tolbert enrolled at his neighborhood school of Sanderson, where head coach Jeremy Buck will let him toss the ball all over the field.
• Marion Turner, c/o 2025 Defensive Back, Panther Creek HS (Cary) → Rolesville HS
  • Turner changed his social media profiles to indicate that he now attends Rolesville High School instead of Panther Creek. The wide receiver/defensive back put up good numbers over his sophomore and junior seasons with the Catamounts. Offensively, he had 56 receptions for 915 yards and six touchdowns. On defense, he had 51 tackles to go with seven interceptions, nine pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
• Ashawd Wynn, c/o 2025 Wide Receiver, Hobbton HS → Hough HS (Cornelius)
  • A Third Team HighSchoolOT All-State selection, Wynn grabbed 94 receptions for 1,823 yards (19.4/rec, 165.7/game) and 18 touchdowns for Hobbton in the 1A East last season. Wynn holds an offer from Charlotte. He has really good size at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds and can make contested catches on the regular. It's a huge loss for Hobbton and a potentially big gain for Hough, which was not as good at attacking through the air last season as the Huskies could be with Trey Blakeney or Ethan Royal at quarterback.