The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538921
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 ■ 25 welcomed with open arms. His skill set fit what the Wolfpack was looking for, and he was able to make an immediate impact. Having packed even more muscle onto his 6-foot-3 frame, the now-251-pound Joly totaled 43 receptions for a team-best 661 yards and 4 touchdowns during the 2024 season. Just as Marinelli had seen at UConn, the more weight he added, the more dangerous Joly became. With his ability to seek the football, Joly developed into one of then-freshman quarterback CJ Bailey's favorite targets. He led all FBS tight ends with an 84.6 con- tested-catch rate last fall (minimum 10 targets), according to Pro Football Focus. That performance didn't come as any surprise to Joly. The secret to making tough catches, he explained, is really no secret at all. "If you want the ball, just catch it," Joly said. "It's as simple as that. When the ball is in the air, and it's just you and one other person or two others, just go catch the ball. You want the ball more? Just catch it." Marinelli described Joly's penchant for making tough catches as simply "God- given ability." "He's not afraid to do anything," the coach said. "Whether it's going up to catch a football or if you put him in a room with five people that speak five different languages, he's going to leave with five new friends." Never Satisfied Spend a few minutes around Joly, and it doesn't take long to see why he has blos- somed into one of the top players at his position. He exudes confidence and pas- sion for the sport every time he speaks. It doesn't matter the setting — a rainy practice session or in front of dozens of media members at ACC Kickoff — Joly is the same person. NC State tight ends coach Gavin Lock- lear has witnessed it firsthand. "The thing I love about Justin the most is his passion," Locklear said. "He's a very passionate player. He loves the game of football. … It's just really [a matter of] getting him to buy into everything he does on a daily basis to outwork everybody else that's in the same position as him." Joly's intense work ethic has allowed him to improve from year-to-year. Al- though he's viewed as one of the best tight ends in all of college football, Joly doesn't care about that. Instead, he still thinks of himself as the under-the-radar recruit that's had to earn everything he has gotten to this point. It's also why he decided to return to NC State for his senior year. There were other options, including several Big Ten and SEC programs that came to him with large NIL offers (no, he didn't enter the transfer portal), but Joly wasn't too con- cerned about that. As long as Bailey was back at quarterback, Joly was going to don the Wolfpack's red and white this fall. "Why go there and restart when I know what I have here?" he recently quipped. Joly has built a tight bond with his quarterback. He's confident in Bailey, who will likely target the athletic tight end even more than he did last fall. Joly's name has been floated as a po- tential early NFL Draft pick next spring, but he still believes there's plenty more to improve on between now and then. He added 12 pounds of muscle this offseason to boost his weight to 263 pounds, which is likely to help his run-blocking ability, the biggest aspect of his game that NFL scouts will be looking for this fall. Joly has also improved his footwork as a blocker, working with Utah State trans- fer tackle Teague Andersen to become a sixth offensive lineman when needed as an in-line tight end. His hand placement on blocks was also a big focal point this past winter and spring, and that, too, has improved. Joly has made strides to become an all-around tight end this fall, and it's what continues to drive him going into a critical senior season. He didn't want to leave any stone unturned when it came to perfecting his position. And despite being listed among the top tight ends in the nation, Joly doesn't think he's even close to that. When will he agree with that praise? He might not ever. "I don't know yet," Joly said in a matter- of-fact tone, "because it's not proven." If Joly hasn't reached his full potential yet, what's coming this fall could be one of the all-time seasons for an NC State tight end. Only time will tell, but the Wolfpack is ready for its do-it-all tight end to put it on full display in front of its raucous fan base. ■ Joly dazzled at the ACC Kickoff in July, showing up at the media event in a custom-made red suit. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS