The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545830
26 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ❱ ❱ ❱ QUARTERBACKS EXPERIENCE MATTERS BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN N C State had become accustomed to cycling through quarterbacks in recent seasons. The Wolfpack, at one point, deployed eight different signal-callers in a four-year span from 2021 to 2024. But with junior CJ Bailey at the helm of the offense, NC State has found some stability under center. Last fall, he became the first Wolf- pack quarterback to start all 13 games in a season since Devin Leary did so in 2021. NC State was able to retain Bai- ley this offseason, and the staff knows exactly what it will get from the most important position on the offense going into the 2026 season. The Miami native threw for 3,105 yards, with 25 touch- downs and 9 interceptions, and he added another 215 yards and 6 scores on 89 rushing attempts as a sophomore. He did so in a new offensive scheme under coordina- tor Kurt Roper, building on a quality freshman year. Bailey's knowledge of the system and his ever- growing confidence have created a recipe for success going forward. "Experience is the best teacher you can have," Roper said. "With CJ going into his third year of starting, the conversations just flow so much easier. He can see everything in his mind's eye, and he's to the point where we're speaking the same language pretty con- sistently." While Bailey is comfortable within the Wolf- pack's pro-style offense, he's surrounded by experience in case a backup is needed. Sophomore Will Wilson returns as the primary backup after rushing for 146 yards and a team-best 10 touchdowns on 43 attempts as the go-to short- yardage rusher last season. In addition, senior Tad Hudson, ar- rived this spring after throwing for 1,253 yards, with 6 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, in seven starts at Coastal Carolina a year ago. Head coach Dave Doeren is excited about where the quar- terbacks stand heading into the 2026 season. "There isn't a good team from Pop Warner to the NFL that has a bad quarterback on the field. It's nice to have guys that have been out there and had to win games as starters," Doeren said. "They're all three good kids, they're competitive, they're good teammates to each other. I love the fact we've got depth and experience in that room." PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTER No. Name Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown 11 CJ Bailey Jr. 6-6 213 Miami, Fla. BACKUP 10 Will Wilson So. 6-1 230 Columbia, S.C. WAITING IN THE WINGS 12 Tad Hudson Sr. 6-3 227 Huntersville, N.C. ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTER ★★★ ½ CJ Bailey was thrown into the fire as a freshman, starting 10 games in place of an injured Grayson McCall. He built on that experience as a sophomore, finding ways to push the ball downfield more often, which led to growth in all areas of his game. If he continues his upward trajectory, Bailey has the potential to be one of the pre- mier quarterbacks in all of college football — not just the ACC. EXPERIENCE ★★★ NC State doesn't have an issue in this department. Bailey started 22 games in his first two seasons of college football, while Will Wilson played in 11 games as the team's go-to short-yardage rusher. In addition, Tad Hudson made seven starts at Coastal Carolina last fall. DEPTH ★★★ By starting every game last year, Bailey gave NC State some much-needed conti- nuity after a few seasons of frequent disruption. The Wolfpack would like to keep that trend going, but if it has to turn to Wilson, the staff is confident he can get the job done. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ NC State was pleased with Bailey's improvement as a sophomore, and the staff believes he can make a similar leap as a junior. The offense may go as far as he can take it, especially in the big games on the schedule, but he's ready to prove that he belongs in the conversation as one of the top passers in the nation. SPOTLIGHT PLAYER JUNIOR CJ BAILEY Bailey enters his third season running NC State's offense. The experience he's gained has not only made him a more confident player, but has put him in posi- tion to take another step in his development under offensive coordinator Kurt Roper. "When a guy is in his third year, you just keep making jumps," Roper said. "You always try to speak the same language with somebody. It takes time to get that, and that's happening more and more with us." Bailey has continued to build a tight-knit relationship with his position coach and play-caller. It's one of the reasons why he and Roper are eager for the 2026 campaign to arrive. "I can see what he's seeing, and he can see what I'm seeing," Bailey said. "That's why practice flows so well — we're both seeing the same thing." BY THE NUMBERS 10 The number of rushing touchdowns Will Wilson accounted for in his freshman campaign. He is tied for the most returning rushing touchdowns among all ACC players entering the fall. 35-0 CJ Bailey's red zone touchdown-to-inter- ception ratio through his first two seasons. 68.9 Bailey's completion percentage during the 2025 season, the second-best single- season mark in program history, trailing only Philip Rivers' 72.1 percent in 2003. CJ BAILEY PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE FOOTBALL