Paul McNeil Jr. Announces that He’s Returning to NC State in ’25-26!

NC State Freshman Guard Paul McNeil Jr. announced this morning that he WILL BE BACK with the Wolfpack next season.

#WolfPackNationLetsRidee🐺🐺 pic.twitter.com/WsH5xgTEQI

— P2⚡️ (@PaulMcneilJr) April 5, 2025

This is massive news for NC State. Even though his time was limited this season, it wasn’t difficult for fans watching to realize that McNeil Jr. was a building block for the future of the program.

For much of Year 1, McNeil Jr. hardly saw the court. In the games where he played 10+ minutes (9 games), he averaged 9.3 points in 16.9 minutes, shooting 49.1% from the field and 40% from three. In his first game as a starter (he started only 3 games all year), McNeil Jr. scored 24 points at home against Wake Forest.

McNeil Jr. is one of two players from the current roster who haven’t entered the Transfer Portal, joined by Freshman Trey Parker, who has not yet announced his plans for next season.

As a member of the 2024 recruiting class, McNeil Jr. was a consensus 4-star prospect, with ESPN ranking him as the #49 overall player nationally.

So, where do things currently stand with NC State’s 2025-26 roster?

Paul McNeil Jr. is returning, and McNeese St. Guards Alyn Breed and Quadir Copeland are transferring to NC State. To be honest, that’s all we know for sure.

2025 high school signee Zymicah Wilkins shared a post from SLAM that said he was all-in with Will Wade and NC State, but in this day and age, who knows if that’s solid.

Trey Parker hasn’t made a public announcement like McNeil, and could still enter the Transfer Portal.