It's no secret that the Texas Longhorns did an excellent job in the transfer portal this year when it comes to player acquisition, but they also lost some good players as well. One of those players, Daniel Cruz, could've been in line for more playing time in 2026, but he decided to make the move to North Carolina State with the hope of finding a starting role.
According to multiple reports, Cruz looked very good in spring practice for the Wolfpack, and he's now officially projected to earn a starting role in 2026. He was strictly a center for Texas over the past two seasons, but it sounds like he's been working primarily at right guard for North Carolina State throughout the spring.
BREAKING: NC State has landed a commitment from Texas transfer OL Daniel Cruz, according to @mzenitz.
— PackPower247 (@PackPower247) January 12, 2026
The 6-foot-3, 312-pound Cruz is the second portal addition at offensive line for the Wolfpack this offseason.
✍️: https://t.co/FtaSuu2wri pic.twitter.com/B4znfM0K6G
One report also said that he'll be cross-training at center as well, which comes as no surprise for the former 4-star recruit from North Richland Hills, TX.
The future in Raleigh, NC is bright for the former Longhorn
Though Cruz hasn't played right guard at the collegiate level and center is technically is "natural" position, he's familiar enough with it to make the switch for NC State OL Coach Garrett Tujague.
It's going to be interesting to see how Cruz does in that offensive system going forward and how he performs as a full-time starter in 2026. Operating in NC State offensive coordinator Kurt Roper's gap-heavy run game could be exactly what Cruz needs to excel from a schematic standpoint.
He's always been a great run blocker, but he's not the best lateral mover, which is why he might've fallen out of favor in Steve Sarkisian's offense at Texas. In order to be successful in zone-heavy schemes, offensive linemen need to be able to get out and run down the line of scrimmage.
Cruz is much better suited for the power run game, where he can explode out of his stance and drive defenders off the ball, or pull and kick out stationary defenders near the line of scrimmage. From an "X's & O's" standpoint, it's not that hard to see why Cruz committed to NC State.
Adding someone like Cruz was very important for the Wolfpack as they really struggled in 2025 when it came to the interior offensive line, and it was a massive question mark for them heading into the offseason.
He currently has three years of eligibility left, and there's a very god chance that he could become a multi-year starter for North Carolina State at any of the three interior offensive line positions.
Stay tuned as we continue to update Longhorn Nation on the current status of all Texas transfer portal departures.
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