The 2026 edition of the Carolina Cup kicks off this Spring with three matchups this weekend. Friday’s matchup is between NC State and South Carolina. The NC State Wolfpack had a historic 2025 season, making it all the way to the College Cup Final before falling just short against Washington.
South Carolina had a difficult 2025 campaign with only one win in the Sun Belt Conference. They will be looking for some Springtime bragging rights against the Carolinian rivals this Friday.
Here are a few things to watch for in this upcoming fixture:
NC State brings in several new faces
With success comes turnover. After their NCAA Tournament run, the Wolfpack have lost several key players who found opportunities at the professional level. This required some roster overhaul with several new pieces coming into the squad. Here is a look at the new players who you could see in action during their Carolina Cup fixtures:
Mikell Barnes – Midfielder – Freshman – Aston Villa
NC State found success last season recruiting from England when they brought in Riley Moloney as a freshman from Derby County. Moloney made an immediate impact as a fullback on the Wolfpack’s backline. Mikell Barnes will be looking to find a role for himself in State’s starting XI in 2026.
Josh Gordon – Defender – Senior – Transfer from Kentucky
Josh Gordon comes in with plenty of Division I experience under his belt, having made 15 starts for Kentucky in 2025, helping the Wildcats secure the Sun Belt Regular Season Title during that campaign. Gordon will now look to elevate his game in a challenging ACC environment.
Matheus Rhormens – Goalkeeper – Junior – Transfer from Queens
NC State brings in Matheus Rhormens, who comes in with two years of Division I experience at Queens, where he was named to the All-ASUN First Team and All-Freshman Team in 2024. Rhormens will look to fill the void left by Logan Erb.
Jackson Smith – Goalkeeper – Freshman – Charlotte FC
The Wolfpack added local kid Jackson Smith, who was recently called up to a USYNT development camp. He has spent time in Charlotte FC and NCFC’s academy systems. Smith will look to come right in and compete for NC State’s open goalkeeper position.
Hayato Takayama – Midfielder – Junior – Transfer from Iowa Western
Hayato Takayam spent the last two seasons with the Iowa Western Reivers, where he showed prolific ability in the final third. He had 26 goal contributions (14g/12a) in 21 starts as a freshman in 2024. He now looks to elevate his game in Division I with the Wolfpack.
South Carolina’s Matthew DeJianne looks to build on a successful freshman campaign
In 2025, Matthew DeJianne was named to the Sun Belt All-Freshman team after he produced four goal contributions (2g/2a) in just 473 minutes of play. The young forward will look to expand his role with more minutes to increase his level of production in 2026.
DeJianne’s most productive performance in 2025 was when he scored a brace against Winthrop. In conference play, his role was a bit more limited, but he did finish the campaign with two starts and will look to build off of that during this spring campaign.
The minutes will be there for the taking since key goal scorers Ethan Ballek and Tyler Trimnal were both seniors in 2025.
Game info: NC State at South Carolina – Friday, 2/20 at 6 PM ET
