Showing posts with label CJ Bailey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CJ Bailey. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2026

NC State Enters 2026 With a Veteran Core and a Clear Mission

1:55 PM

CHARLOTTE – Dave Doeren walked into ACC Kickoff loose, joking about “four score and 14 years ago” when he got hired, but the message underneath was unmistakable. He’s entering Year 14 at NC State, and he’s tired of talking about consistency. He wants a breakthrough.


“We’ve won the second-most number of games in the ACC in the last six years,” Doeren said. “With that being said, I’m sick of being second.”


That line wasn’t for effect. It was the thesis of NC State’s 2026 season, a veteran quarterback, a rising star at running back, a defense that expects to look like NC State again, and a roster that believes it’s capable of more than just another solid year.



A Third-Year Starter in a Transfer Era

In a league where quarterbacks move almost annually, NC State has something rare: stability. “We’re one of two schools in the ACC that can say they have a third-year starter at quarterback,” Doeren said.


CJ Bailey didn’t hide from how far he’s come. He admitted he was “winging it” early in his career, relying on athleticism more than understanding. Now, he says the game has slowed down. “Everything is moving fluent,” Bailey said. “Everybody believes in me.”


Bailey’s decision to stay, when most quarterbacks in his position at least explore the portal, says a lot about the program’s culture. “NC State is a different place,” he said. “It’s home for me.” That continuity gives the Wolfpack a steadying force heading into a schedule that ramps up quickly.


Duke Scott Steps Into the No. 1 Jersey

The No. 1 jersey at NC State isn’t ceremonial. It’s earned, and Doeren didn’t hesitate giving it to running back Duke Scott. “It really wasn’t hard,” Doeren said. “He’s gifted as an athlete, he’s a leader, he treats people with respect.”


Scott’s physical numbers, a 405-pound power clean, 575-pound squat, and 4.35 speed, are the kind of measurables that get attention. But his breakout came last season when he stepped in for Hollywood Smothers and ran for 200 yards against unbeaten Georgia Tech. “It made me understand I can do this against everybody,” Scott said.



Scott’s childhood chemistry with fellow South Florida additions gives NC State’s offense a built-in familiarity that’s rare for a team with 50 new players.


Defense: From Patchwork to Identity

Last season’s defensive issues were obvious. NC State changed schemes, dealt with the emotional strain of Tony Gibson’s family tragedy, and lost nine defensive starters to injury. At one point, four freshmen were playing in the Pitt game. “Last year we went into a lot of games thinking we’re going to have to outscore people,” Doeren said. “That’s not normal for us.”


The offseason focus has been pass-rush – getting quarterbacks off their spot, forcing quicker throws, and creating turnovers. “We’ve added some pieces we’re excited to see,” Doeren said, pointing to Harvey Dyson and a deeper secondary.


Veteran defensive lineman Isaiah Shirley echoed the confidence. “We want to get back to playing our brand of hard, tough, together defense,” Shirley said. “We want to be the backbone of the team.” Shirley, now stepping into a larger role, said he’s ready for the responsibility. “I’ve been around this program long enough to see what’s been good and what’s been bad,” he said. “Now it’s time to step up and lead.”




Schedule breakdown

NC State’s 2026 schedule comes in three distinct phases: an early stretch where the Pack can build confidence, a middle run that will define their ACC position, and a November finish that will decide how good this team really is.


Aug. 29 – Virginia (Away)

Sep. 11 – Richmond (Home)

Sep. 19 – Vanderbilt (Away)

Sep. 26 – App State (Home)


Relocated from a neutral site in Brazil, a road game in Virginia is a legitimate Week Zero test and a chance for NC State to see where its rebuilt defense stands right away.. Richmond is the home opener on a Friday night. Vanderbilt is a tricky SEC road trip. App State is the kind of in-state game NC State can’t afford to take lightly. There’s a path to 3–1 or better here, and the Pack probably need it.


Oct. 3 – Louisville (Home)

Oct. 10 – Wake Forest (Home)

Oct. 23 – Stanford (Away, Friday 10:30 PM)

Oct. 31 – Cal (Home)


Louisville and Wake at home are classic swing games for ACC standing. Louisville is a legitimate ACC contender, and Wake Forest has played NC State tight for years. The late-night trip to Stanford is the schedule’s odd wrinkle, a Friday night game on the West Coast. Late kickoff, long travel, and awkward timing make it a classic trap spot. Cal at home closes a stretch where NC State has to prove it can handle different styles and still look like itself.


Nov. 7 – Duke (Home)

Nov. 14 – Syracuse (Home)

Nov. 21 – Florida State (Away)

Nov. 28 – North Carolina (Away)


Duke and Syracuse at home are games a contender has to win. Then it’s Florida State in Tallahassee and North Carolina in Chapel Hill – two rivalry games, both on the road, both at the end of the year. If NC State is still in the ACC race by mid-November, those two weeks will decide everything.




Photos courtesy of ACC Digital Services


NC State Enters 2026 With a Veteran Core and a Clear Mission - Carolina Gridiron
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Friday, July 25, 2025

“Meat on the Bone”: NC State Eyes Redemption in 2025 Behind Bailey, Joly, and a Rebuilt Defense

12:34 PM
CHARLOTTE – Entering his 13th season as NC State’s head coach, Dave Doeren didn’t shy away from what 2024 was, a disappointment. After a 6-7 season that featured defensive breakdowns, chemistry issues, and a lost year for one of the program’s largest-ever transfer classes, Doeren made one thing clear at the 2025 ACC Kickoff in Charlotte: his Wolfpack are “very humble and hungry” and ready to earn their way back into the ACC conversation.
NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren
Photo Credit: ACC Media Services

“This has probably been the most coachable team I’ve had in a long time,” Doeren said. “They’ve been very focused, a lot of fun to work with… days that they know they’ve needed to push this needle where it needs to go.”

The headlining reason for optimism is sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey, who was thrown into the starting job as a true freshman after Grayson McCall’s early-season injury. Bailey completed nearly 65% of his passes, threw for over 2,400 yards, and led a game-winning drive over rival North Carolina to clinch bowl eligibility. Now, for the first time in three years, Doeren has a returning starter at quarterback. That’s made a massive difference.

“Your offseason as a head coach is tremendously different when you have an offseason with a starting quarterback,” Doeren said. “This year he's leading those guys. He’s taking them out on the field and working on routes. It’s a completely different place that he's in at 200 plus pounds compared to the 170-ish that he was when he got here.”
NC State QB CJ Bailey
Photo Credit: ACC Media Services

Bailey, who has added 20 pounds since arriving on campus, spoke confidently about the transition from wide-eyed freshman to leader of the offense. “Last year I was just sitting back and letting Grayson do his thing… there was a lot of things I wanted to do last year, but I didn’t want to step on Grayson’s toes,” Bailey said. “Coming into this year it’s very different… I was way more than what I was last year, and I think I got the chance to experience being a starter of the team.”

Bailey credited McCall as a mentor and said his biggest personal challenge has been becoming a more vocal leader. “At the end of last year, that’s what I was working towards,” he said. “You’ll see some of those flashes in the spring ball that we just had… I’m an energetic guy, and that’s what I bring to the table.”

The rapport between Bailey and tight end Justin Joly, NC State’s leading receiver in 2024 with 661 yards, has blossomed both on and off the field. When asked about Bailey, Joly lit up. “I remember when CJ first took the helm… I was like, hey, fam, if you need someone to rely on and you need a reliability factor, you can come to me,” Joly said. “Me and him, we were rooming together here at the hotel, and we were just bickering, having fun, going back and forth because that’s what brothers do.”

Joly is a matchup nightmare who averaged 15.4 yards per catch last season, fourth among FBS tight ends, and his return for a second year in Raleigh offers continuity in a position group that’s quietly become a strength. He said the group’s versatility will be a defining trait under new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper. “You never know if I’m in if it’s a run play or if Cody [Hardy] is in if it’s a run play or pass play,” Joly said. “Having all different statures when it comes to tight end helps the offense… we’ve just got to take a guess.”
NC State TE Justin Joly
Photo Credit: ACC Media Services

Doeren echoed that theme, calling Roper “a guy that brings a lot of energy” and “knows how to create cohesion.” After years of instability at quarterback, Doeren believes the combination of Bailey’s poise and Roper’s continuity can be a winning formula. “It’s not just having good players that matters, it’s having good players that play together,” Doeren said.

The defense, long NC State’s backbone, unraveled last fall, especially after linebacker Caden Fordham went down with a season-ending knee injury midseason. Fordham led the team in tackles through six games and returns as a centerpiece in new defensive coordinator DJ Eliot’s scheme. Fordham described the past year as both humbling and transformative. “Anytime you’re taken away from the sport you love so much, it’s difficult,” he said. “It was an eye-opening experience… a big step in my leadership, learning how to talk to guys and show them things one-on-one instead of being out there in front of the team.”

Fordham said he was recently cleared to return fully and believes the new staff and returning veterans are committed to restoring the Pack’s defensive identity. “Anytime we go out on the field as an NC State defense, we expect to dominate. We expect to play physical and tough,” Fordham said. “Last year, you’re right, it wasn’t up to the standard. But this year is a new year and we’re going to come out and prove that we’re back.”
NC State LB Caden Fordham
Photo Credit: ACC Media Services

Doeren, himself a former defensive coordinator, took the defensive drop-off personally. That’s part of why he brought in Eliot, who has coordinated defenses at Kentucky, Colorado, and most recently the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. “As a former defensive coordinator, pressure on the quarterback is a great fix,” Doeren said. “The one thing about DJ Eliot’s defenses over the years, everywhere he’s been, he’s improved their numbers in tackles for loss and sacks.”

Eliot’s arrival coincides with a wave of new faces on the defensive line, including Temple transfer Tra Thomas and Wyoming’s Sabastian Harsh. The goal is to replace seven departed starters and improve NC State’s third-down and red zone performance, two areas that collapsed in 2024.

The season begins with a storyline-rich matchup: a rematch against East Carolina, the team that beat the Wolfpack in last year’s bowl game. Bailey’s approach to the Week 1 showdown is simple. “It’s always exciting to get on that field for that first time, and that game is going to be really fun,” Bailey said. “I can’t wait to step out for the first time with my guys and see what we’re really made of.”

For Doeren, the offseason wasn’t just about personnel. It was a reset, philosophically and strategically. After bringing in 15 transfers last year and grappling with a lack of chemistry, the Pack were more selective in the portal this cycle, focusing on cultural fit and need rather than star power. “It’s not about just bringing in the best players, it’s about bringing in the right players,” he said. “And this group has a big edge to them.”

He pointed to players like linebacker Kenny Soares and cornerback Brian Nelson as quiet additions who are already raising the practice standard. He also highlighted internal promotions, including two former players: Gavin Locklear now coaching tight ends and Isaiah Moore helping with linebackers. “That's when you know you're getting older as a coach,” Doeren quipped. “You get to recruit a young man, coach him, take him to graduation, and now he’s coaching on your staff. Their blood is in the bricks.”

As for Joly, who was named a Walter Camp Preseason All-American, the national recognition doesn’t seem to phase him. “Preseason they can have the top five tight ends. That doesn't worry me,” Joly said. “At the end of the season is when I really want to shine.”

That line could apply to all of NC State. “We have the same aspirations that we’ve had,” Doeren said. “That’s to win every game that we play and to put ourselves in a position to be in the conversation at the end of the year.”

And for a team that felt it left something behind last fall, the mission is clear. “There’s still meat on the bone,” Doeren said. “Ten-plus wins, winning the ACC, being in the playoffs… these are all things I think and know we can do with the right players, right staff, and sometimes you’ve got to have a few breaks.”
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