NC State’s defensive depth took a hit not long after the conclusion of the regular season, when defensive tackle Val Martin and defensive back Taiyon Palmer both announced that they were entering the transfer portal. Those decisions are most likely playing-time related.
Going into the Georgia Tech game, Palmer had participated in just 65 defensive snaps in 2020, and none of those came after the Virginia game in mid-October. Palmer didn’t see much time on defense in 2019, either.
Martin saw his playing time decline from 2019, when he made three starts and played almost 250 snaps. He went into Saturday with just 95 scrimmage plays under his belt in 2020, and he recorded his first TFL of the season against the Yellow Jackets. Martin earned his degree this fall.
Neither guy was able to carve out a niche in the two-deep like they wanted to, and I hope they’re able to find more prominent roles at their next stops. All the best to them.