NC State’s secondary is bringing serious juice into 2026, and EA Sports College Football 27 says the Wolfpack now has two of the 20 fastest players in the game.
Safety King Mack checks in with a 98 Speed rating, tying him for fourth-fastest nationally. Cornerback Ondre Evans isn’t far off at 96, which puts him tied for 10th. Both arrived in Raleigh through the transfer portal this offseason, and Mack is the fastest ACC player in the game while Evans is tied for second-fastest in the league.
The ratings line up pretty neatly with the track record - literally.
Mack transferred from Penn State after last season, and speed has never really been in question. At Penn State’s media day last fall, he said he had run a 4.31-second 40-yard dash, and he’s also been commonly credited with 4.35 speed. Last season, he was clocked at 20.1 mph on a kickoff return in Week 1.
If you want the deeper proof, it’s in his high school track resume at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida.
During his junior year, Mack posted personal bests of 10.64 in the 100 meters, 21.43 in the 200 and 46.25 in the 400. In 2022, he won the FHSAA Class 3A state title in the 400 and finished fourth in the 100.
That 46.25 in the 400 is the kind of time that jumps off the page. It’s not just football speed.
Mack’s value, though, goes beyond the stopwatch. He played in all 13 games for Penn State last season, started eight, and finished with 58 tackles and three pass breakups.
His 79.0 overall PFF grade ranked third on the Nittany Lions’ defense among players with at least 200 snaps. Now he’s expected to step right into a starting safety role for NC State, and if the production travels with the speed, he could end up as one of the Wolfpack’s most important defenders.
Evans brings a different kind of intrigue.
The Georgia transfer also has the kind of track numbers that make the EA rating look reasonable. At Christ Presbyterian Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, he recorded personal bests of 10.55 in the 100 and 21.66 in the 200.
As a junior, he finished second in the 100 and third in the 200 at the TSSAA Division II-AA state meet. His 100-meter best is actually faster than Mack’s.
Unlike Mack, Evans hasn’t had his college moment yet. The former consensus Top-200 4-star prospect spent his first two seasons at Georgia without seeing the field, so 2026 should be the first real chance to see that athleticism show up on Saturdays.
NC State appears ready to give him that shot. Evans was working with the first-team defense at cornerback during the opening practice of fall camp, and Dave Doeren has identified Evans, Jaren Sensabaugh and Caden Gordon as the players competing for the starting job opposite Brian Nelson II.
There’s still a lot to sort out in the Wolfpack secondary before the season starts. But speed?
That part is already accounted for. NC State brought in the fastest defensive back in the ACC by EA Sports’ numbers, plus another corner who ranks among the 10 fastest players in the entire game.
And with a 4.31 and a 10.55 on the resume, those ratings don’t feel like much of a stretch.
In Other News...
NC State Suddenly Has A KaTron Evans Problem Before The Opener
A federal judge has given NC State a temporary pause in the KaTron Evans situation, allowing the Marshall transfer to take part in team activities as the program moves through the final stretch before the opener. Evans had been trying to secure a hardship waiver, and Dave Doeren even submitted a letter backing his case, pointing to the personal and academic obstacles Evans has worked through.
The issue, though, is far from settled. The NCAA already denied the waiver, which led NC State to remove Evans from the roster, and the court order only opens a short window for him to stay involved with the team while the matter plays out. For a Wolfpack program trying to get its late-summer plans in order, the uncertainty around Evans adds one more complication to sort through before September arrives. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Revives A Fan Favorite And Reignites A Familiar Debate
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The key detail for longtime fans is that this is an addition rather than a replacement, so the classic look still has a place in the mix. NC State is also keeping older versions alive through its College Vault Collection, which means the vintage designs remain available for those who prefer the original feel and the familiar debate over which version wears the better look is not going anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Secondary Just Got More Crowded Before The Season Opener
NC States secondary has picked up another experienced piece just as the season opener draws closer. Cornerback Jamel Johnson is back in the fold, giving the Wolfpack another veteran option in a room that already needed every bit of proven depth it could find. After transferring from Temple, Johnson quickly became one of NC States more reliable defenders last season, helping the Pack in both run support and pass coverage.
His return comes with the kind of ripple effect teams like to have in August, when every rep matters and every spot in the back end is up for grabs. Johnsons presence should make the cornerback competition that much tighter and give NC State another steady hand as it tries to sort out roles before the games count. [Read more 🡒]