NC State Football

Coastal Carolina QB Tad Hudson is Transferring to NC State

Published

4 months ago

February 16, 2026

According to multiple reports, Tad Hudson (6’3″, 227) is transferring to NC State Wolfpack football, adding experience and depth to the quarterback room ahead of the 2026 season.

Hudson originally signed with the North Carolina Tar Heels football in the 2023 recruiting class, where he was viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the state. He was rated a 4-star prospect by both ESPN and 247Sports. ESPN ranked him as the No. 151 overall player nationally, the No. 9 pocket passer in the country, and the No. 2 player in North Carolina. Hudson starred at Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina.

He redshirted during the 2023 season in Chapel Hill before transferring to Coastal Carolina.

Over the past two seasons at Coastal Carolina, Hudson appeared in 12 games, completing 55.7% of his passes for 1,426 yards and 8 touchdowns, with 7 interceptions. This past season, he started 7 of the 11 games he played in. His best performance came against Louisiana Tech, where he threw for 311 yards in the Chanticleers’ 23-14 loss in the Independence Bowl.

With two years of eligibility remaining, Hudson projects as a valuable depth addition behind CJ Bailey, while still possessing upside. The physical tools and recruiting pedigree that once made him a Top-150 national prospect are still there, and a change of scenery could unlock more consistency.

NC State now heads into the 2026 season with four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.