The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546417
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 ■ 27 Mack said. "We've been winners since we were young." This summer, The Wolfpacker caught up with some people who had front- row seats to the early years of Bailey's football upbringing. Here's what they remember about the star quarterback. Who Is That? Mark Fletcher Jr. had to do a double take. The young running back was pre- paring for practice with the 10-year-old team when a newcomer caught his atten- tion as he approached. To Fletcher, the kid looked impossibly tall. He's like 6-foot as a 9-year-old, Fletcher thought to himself. Sure enough, it was Bailey. The lanky youngster became a quarterback within the Ravens' program that year, and his reputation quickly grew as while devel- oping as a passer. Fletcher, who went on to sign with Mi- ami as a four-star recruit and the No. 151 prospect in the 2023 cycle, watched from afar. The two age-group teams practiced at the same time, so he would often see Bailey trying to figure out how to best use his stature while whipping passes around on the humid evenings. Before too long, the two became competitors at the high school level. Fletcher starred at American Heritage in Fort Lauderdale, rushing for 4,443 yards and 49 touchdowns in his career and going 1-1 against Bailey's Chaminade- Madonna Lions. Fletcher, who has been one of Miami's top running backs the past three seasons, remains a fan of Bailey and isn't surprised by the quarterback's growth at NC State. "I never got to play with him," Fletcher said. "That's one thing I regret, that I never got to play with him. I always knew what he was about. I always knew he was going to be great. I just remember seeing him on the Ravens [and saying], 'Who is this big, long quarterback?'" While Bailey and Fletcher never teamed up, the young quarterback was surrounded by future college stars on the Miami Gardens Ravens. Eight of his teammates went on to sign with Divi- sion I programs out of high school: run- ning backs Davion Gause (North Caro- lina), Vincent Shavers Jr. (Nebraska) and Ryan Mack (Miami), and wide receivers Chance Robinson (Miami), Lawayne McCoy (Florida State), Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Joshisa Trader (Miami) and Jose Leon (Appalachian State). Gause, who is now a junior at NC State after leaving Chapel Hill in January, still recalls Bailey's first-ever touchdown pass. The signal-caller threw a dart to Trader — who also is now a junior at NC State — with the game on the line. Afterward, Bailey ran over to his running back, who also doubled as the Ravens' kicker, with tears of joy in his eyes. "I had to kick the game-winning [ex- tra point]," Gause said, "and he came to me crying." It might have been a small moment to those looking on that afternoon, but it was the start of something special be- tween Bailey and Trader. The two were tied to the hip at the youth level before connecting on 123 completions for 2,131 yards and 28 touchdowns in three high school seasons at Chaminade-Madonna. Gause had a front-row seat for all of those throws as the top running back on an electric Chaminade-Madonna of- fense. He's doing the same this season as one of the Wolfpack's go-to tailbacks. It's likely Bailey hasn't cried after a touchdown since. But with the youth duo back together, there's a good chance he may show some emotion if it ends with him guiding NC State to a confer- ence title in December. Good Luck Tackling Him Although King Mack grew up play- ing on the youth team one age group above Bailey, he has vivid memories of watching the quarterback go to work. At times, the coaching staff would pit the younger offense against the older defense in practice to see what they could do against one another. That meant Bailey, Gause and Trader " I always knew what he was about. I always knew he was going to be great. " Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. on fellow South Floridian CJ Bailey Bailey came to NC State after starring on two state championship teams at Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS