North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Wrestling Signs Upperweights Dailey and Tabor
4/14/2026 11:48:00 AM | Wrestling
RALEIGH – NC State wrestling adds two transfers to its roster for the 2026-27 season, as announced by head coach Pat Popolizio on Tuesday. The Wolfpack has signed 184 lbs Jake Dailey from North Carolina and heavyweight Bennett Tabor from Minnesota.
Looking to fill two holes left in the lineup from 2026 graduating seniors Don Cates and Isaac Trumble, Pat Popolizio and his coaching staff have recruited Jake Dailey and Bennett Tabor out of the transfer portal. Dailey, a familiar face from across town, was the North Carolina Tar Heels starter at 184 lbs this past season, while Tabor, a heavyweight, hails from the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Both incoming members of the Pack have previous experience qualifying for the NCAA Division I Championships.
Dailey is a Kingston, Pa., native who attended the well-known Wyoming Seminary for his prep career. He has been down the road at North Carolina for the start of his collegiate career, collecting a total record of 28-11 and has only dropped one loss in a dual-match. He spent his freshman campaign (2024-25) competing at 184 lbs but using his redshirt. This past season, his redshirt-freshman campaign (2025-26), Dailey had his official debut in a starting lineup and quickly gained eyes at the national level. Finishing at 19-6 overall, he climbed through the rankings by tallying three ranked wins throughout the regular season, reaching the top-15 of his weight class on InterMat. He reached the finals of the ACC Championship as the No. 4 seed, earning an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cleveland as the No. 18 seed. Closing out the season, he also earned NWCA Scholar All-America honors for his work in the classroom.
Tabor is an Inver Grove Heights, Minn., native who comes to Raleigh with one remaining year of eligibility. Staying in his home state, he wrestled for Minnesota for the last five seasons, tallying a 44-21 overall record. He was featured in the starting lineup for the Gophers at heavyweight for the 2023-24 season, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in Kansas City as the No. 31 seed. That season, he reached 20 wins with a 9-4 record in dual action. During the 2024-25 season, he was a finalist at Soldier Salute, pinning his first two opponents and only losing 1-0 to No. 12 Ben Kueter of Iowa. Tabor led his team with the most falls for the 2025-26 season, with seven total. Competing in numerous open tournaments last season, he was a finalist at Patriots Last Chance Open, Kent State Open, Southeast Open, and a champion at the Bison Open.
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