The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536961
JULY/AUGUST 2025 ■ 25 Bailey entered last season as the backup to Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall. But after the three- time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year suffered two concussions, it was the freshman's time to shine. Bailey did more than just fill the va- cant role, ranking among the top first- year quarterbacks in the country. The Miami native completed 64.9 percent of his attempts for 2,413 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His completion rate was the best ever for an NC State freshman. With numbers like those, Bailey likely would have had a long line of po- tential suitors for his services in the transfer portal. He didn't eve n e n te r ta i n t h a t thought, however. Bai- ley was confident in the Wolfpack program, which was one of the few that had been there every step of the way during his recruitment. "I wanted to come back to State," Bailey said in the spring. "I wanted to be with C o a c h D o e re n a n d C o a c h [Kurt] Roper. This is an amaz- ing coaching staff and team." A Learning Experience When Bailey trotted onto the field for his first career start at Clemson's Death Valley, he wasn't nervous. The three-star Chami- nade-Madonna recruit had played in one of the nation's best high school programs and had received excellent coaching at that level. "He's always been smart," Chami- nade-Madonna offensive coordinator Toro Wallace said. "Seeing him play the game, he's always reading defenses and making good decisions. He doesn't make the same mistake twice. If you trick him once, you're very rarely go- ing to be able to get him again with the same thing." Bailey, who accounted for 17 touch- downs and no turnovers in the red zone as a freshman, surprised Roper, the Wolfpack's quarterbacks coach, with his decisiveness. The college game moves at a different pace than high school, but that didn't seem to rattle Bailey. He never panicked, and his poise paid dividends. Roper, who was promoted to offen- sive coordinator this offseason, be- lieves Bailey's football intelligence can lead to further growth as a sophomore. He isn't slow in making his reads, and Bailey's time spent in the film room identifying defensive schemes this spring and summer will be key in his next step forward. "Experience is the best teacher," Roper said. "He just has such a better understanding of what we're trying to do offensively. He has a better under- standing of what the defenses in our league do, and his overall knowledge of the game continues to grow. He's a guy who likes the process of football. There's a lot more than just game day. There's more than the practice field, too. There's the mental side, the film room, and he enjoys that part of it." Time To Lead Bailey usually has a smile on his face in football settings. He grew up lov- ing the sport and exudes a sense of joy that other players gravitate toward. But now NC State expects more from Bailey off the field. The coaches need him to be one of the team's go-to lead- ers as the incumbent starter. " He b r i n gs e n e rg y," Ro p e r sa i d . "When he hits the practice field, he's got a smile. When he gets in the huddle or at the line of scrimmage, he has to- tal control and is a natural leader in those settings. Where he's growing is in the meeting rooms, in the weight room. He loves the practice field, but he's growing that leadership through- out the whole program." Bailey has focused this offseason on honing his leadership skills, and his ef- forts to improve in that area have been evident. "I started to use my voice more, break out and be that leader," he said. "That's what I learned at the end of last year, and it helped the team. Com- ing into this year, I already started the offseason with the guys. I'm being more commanding, taking control of everything, being a leader. It's better- ing the team right now." It's the same role he had at Chami- nade-Madonna, where he was unafraid to be the one to express his feelings on a team that featured several Division I prospects, including Ohio State's star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. "You just know there's something special about him," Chaminade-Ma- donna head coach Dameon Jones said. "He hates losing. He prepares himself to make sure he's a winner. And when he's out there in the midst of it and things aren't going well, he's that voice you hear to rally everybody." Bailey's leadership skills have im- proved in recent months. It's a work in progress, but he's headed in the right direction and has his sights set on be- ing a team captain this fall. "He's worked really hard on his leadership because he knows he's the leader of the team as the quarterback," Do e re n sa i d . " I t's d i f fe re n t wh e n you're thrust in there at midseason af- ter an injury. Now, there's a platform he needs to be able to use, and he's worked on that." Bailey thrives under that kind of pressure. It comes with the territory, of course, and Bailey has embraced it. He's right where he wanted to be as a youngster growing up in South Florida and is ready to seize the moment. "I come to practice every day know- ing guys are looking for me, looking for CJ Bailey," he said. "I like that. That's why I play quarterback. I like feeling the pressure and everybody leaning on me." ■ " He's worked really hard on his leader- ship because he knows he's the leader of the team as the quarterback. … There's a platform he needs to be able to use, and he's worked on that." Dave Doeren On Bailey