I don't know about you, but I miss the days when athletes would rather not play than suit up for their initial team's biggest foes.
We all witnessed Ven-Allen Lubin become a traitor when he bolted to NC State after the 2024-2025 basketball season. Now, another former Tar Heel is following his path on betrayal lane.
Davion Gause commits to NC State
After playing two years for the UNC football program, Davion Gause has committed to the Wolfpack. He was on an official visit on Saturday before making his decision to head to Raleigh.
Committed!!! @PackFootball pic.twitter.com/c4x7VW6hOw
— Bullet (@daviongause7) January 10, 2026
Why NC State?
The presence of CJ Bailey, NC State's starting quarterback, likely played a role in this, given they played together in high school. It's very likely that Bailey played a role in his decision to have the two pair up again, this time at the college ranks.
Gause's time at UNC
Over two seasons, Gause rushed for 585 yards and seven touchdowns. Poised to be a breakout candidate this past season, Gause quickly lost reps in the backfield, slipping down the depth chart in the process.
Some guys just don't care
If you ask Theo Pinson, he'd probably do anything (and I mean anything) to never have to wear NC State clothing. Now, it's all simply free agency, as student-athletes don't care about rivalries or anything like that.
Lubin was the first example, bolting town because he didn't want to compete for minutes in the much-improved front court. Now Gause follows Lubin to Raleigh, another similar instance where he simply lost playing time due to lack of production.
While it's more common in today's college athletics landscape, it still feels like this is something that will never feel right, regardless of which side it occurs on.
It's safe to say Gause won't get a nice ovation from the Kenan Stadium crowd when he returns to Chapel Hill as a member of the Wolfpack this fall.