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Adelaide Jernigan had a developmental true-freshman season as a highly touted local guard for NC State, seeing limited action in a veteran-laden backcourt while adapting to the speed and physicality of the college game and flashing her perimeter shooting ability in spot minutes.

Key 2025-26 Stats (from official team final stats)

• 15 games, 0 starts, averaging 6.3 minutes per game — she earned rotational minutes as a true freshman on a deep roster.
• Scoring: 2.1 PPG (31 total points; 13-40 FG, .325 FG%; 5-27 3FG, .185 3PT%; 0-1 FT, .000). Efficiency was a work-in-progress as she adjusted to ACC competition.
• Rebounding/Other: 0.5 RPG (8 total); 0.1 APG (2 assists); 0.1 SPG (1 steal); 0.0 BPG; 0.1 TO per game.
• Advanced/milestones: Appeared in 15 of 32 games and saw action in the NCAA Tournament second round (4 minutes vs. Michigan). She posted a PER around 5.5–6.0 in very limited action.

Jernigan was part of the 21-11 (13-5 ACC) squad that advanced to the NCAA Second Round.

Accolades

• NCHSAA Female Athlete of the Year (Pat Best Memorial Trophy, 2024-25) — the top honor for a high school athlete in North Carolina.
• McDonald’s All-American nominee; ranked No. 68 nationally (final 2025 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings) and No. 1 recruit in the state of North Carolina; four-star recruit (92 scout grade).

(Note: No college All-ACC, weekly, or academic honors this season, as expected for a true freshman in a limited role.)

Other Objective Highlights & Context

• Local product and recruiting impact: 5-11 guard from Winston-Salem, N.C. (Bishop McGuinness HS); in-state commit who arrived as one of the top prospects in program history from North Carolina. In high school she was a four-year starter who never lost a conference game, averaged 27.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 2.5 SPG as a senior (17 games of 20+, eight of 30+), and helped lead her team to multiple state titles while becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer.
• Standout moments were brief but promising: she hit multiple 3-pointers in limited stretches and showed the scoring instincts that made her a high school star.
• Background: Coach Wes Moore highlighted her ability to “score the ball at all three levels and stretch a defense” upon her signing; she was viewed as more college-ready than the average freshman due to her high school pedigree and work ethic.
• Helped contribute to a young Wolfpack team that posted a 21-11 overall record, reached the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, and advanced to the NCAA Second Round (win vs. Tennessee, loss vs. Michigan).

Bottom line: Jernigan’s freshman year was about development and earning trust in a loaded guard room featuring veterans like Zoe Brooks and Zam Jones. Her limited statistical output reflected the depth ahead of her rather than lack of talent. As a local four-star with elite high school production and the NCHSAA Athlete of the Year honor, she has a high ceiling and is positioned for a significantly expanded role in 2026-27 as the Wolfpack returns key pieces and looks to build around its young core. The main areas for growth were shooting consistency and defensive adjustments, but her pedigree and in-state roots make her a long-term building block for the program.