NC State kept the piece it had to keep.
After the 2025 season, the Wolfpack’s biggest offseason priority was holding onto quarterback CJ Bailey, and they got it done. Bailey is set to steer the offense for a third straight year, a rare run for any college quarterback, and he arrives with the kind of confidence that comes from knowing the program wanted him just as badly as he wanted it.
“I’m back because I love the city of Raleigh .... I love NC State,” Bailey said on ACC Network Wednesday.
“I love how they recruited me (in high school). They poured loyalty into me.
Now, I’m here to pay it back.
“I’ve built personal relationships with coach Doeren and coach Roper. It’s been big.
And I feel like they’re going to take me to the next level. They’re going to take me to the next level -- and I’m with it.”
That connection with offensive coordinator Kurt Roper matters plenty. Roper has coached Bailey at quarterback since he got to campus and is heading into his second year as NC State’s offensive coordinator, giving the Wolfpack a steady line of communication between quarterback and play-caller.
“It’s going to help a lot,” Bailey said. “Me and coach Roper have a great connection.
He always asks me what I want, and I always ask him what he wants. We’re on the same page with stuff.”
Bailey also pointed to his relationship with Dave Doeren as a major reason he stayed put. The veteran coach, Bailey said, has been direct with him and made the decision to return an easy one.
“Coach Doeren is a special guy,” Bailey said on ACC Network. “He’s all about us.
He’s all about the players. When we have a one-on-one conversation, he’s straightforward and doesn’t sugarcoat anything.
He always tries to make me feel comfortable when I’m talking to him.
“He’s just a great person to speak to and a great person to get to know. I loved my time here and loved being with him for three years.
I like being on his side. He’s a good guy.”
Bailey has his eyes on a big junior season, and he’s not hiding the target.
“My goal is pretty simple -- ACC Championship,” Bailey said on ACC Network. “I want to win a lot of games, of course.
My personal goal is to better myself in every way. I’ve taken on a leadership role the past two years and been really good with it, pouring into my team this year.
“For me, I want to improve my mechanics and play faster. But like I said, get better at everything.
I’ve been training hard this offseason. It was a big offseason for me, taking the next step toward becoming the quarterback I can be.
“I’ve got to make a bigger impact on third down ... just keeping the team on the field. That’s the biggest thing.
I’ve also got to do a much better job this year of taking care of the ball. I’ve got to keep a good mindset throughout the game, staying consistent throughout the game, and not changing anything up.”
Even with Bailey back, NC State is going to look different around him. His top five receivers from last season are gone, and the Wolfpack will lean on a new cast of playmakers this fall. Bailey, though, isn’t sounding alarm bells.
“There should be no worries for Wolfpack fans,” Bailey said on ACC Network. “It was a great spring -- a big spring.
We’re bigger in our receiver room. We’ve got two explosive backs.
And up front, the offensive line, they’re amazing. I love what I saw in the spring.
There’s going to be a lot of explosive plays, a lot of points on the board, a lot of touchdowns -- everything like that. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
We’re going to set the tone the first game.”
That first game comes at Virginia, and Bailey says the work has to start long before kickoff. For him, the message to the locker room is about staying connected and building the right habits now, not later.
“I feel like it’s the brotherhood -- we have to stay together through thick and thin. No matter what goes on, we have to stay together. We’re building those habits now -- those player-led habits.
“That’s the biggest thing. Throughout the season, there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, and we’ve got to find a way to stay together.
I’m preaching that to my guys a lot. Throughout the offseason, I told those guys we win and lose games right now.
Don’t wait until fall camp to flip that switch. We’ve got to be on it now.
That’s the biggest thing.”
In Other News...
ESPN Just Set An Early Bar For NC State Under Justin Gainey
ESPNs first crack at the 2026-27 bracket gives Justin Gainey an encouraging early marker in his first season leading NC State. The Wolfpack landed as a No. 10 seed in the projection, a spot that suggests a team good enough to be in the NCAA Tournament conversation while still leaving plenty of room for the year to prove itself on the floor.
More importantly for a program trying to reset under a new coach, NC State was placed among ESPNs Last Four Byes, which means the Wolfpack are viewed as safely inside the field, even if only just. The ACC, meanwhile, is projected to send seven teams to the tournament, with Duke, Louisville and Virginia among the leagues top seeds, so the conference picture already looks crowded before the season has even really taken shape. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Bailey Staying Says Everything About NC State Entering 2026
CJ Baileys decision to stay at N.C. State gives the Wolfpack a familiar face at the most important position on the field as it heads toward 2026. During media availability at the Under Armour All-America Game, Bailey confirmed his commitment to the program and to head coach Dave Doeren, pointing to the relationship he has built with the staff and the comfort he has found in Raleigh as reasons to keep moving forward with the same team.
For a quarterback entering his third season as a starter, that kind of continuity is not something many programs get to count on. Bailey could have explored other options, but his choice to remain with the Wolfpack says plenty about where he sees the program going and how much he values what has been built around him, even as other opportunities were there for the taking. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Has One Huge Pass Rush Question Entering Fall Camp
Fall camp is opening with NC State still sorting out the shape of a defense that has to replace eight starters, and the pass rush is one of the biggest places where the answers are not yet settled. The Wolfpack did add help through the transfer portal and bring back several key pieces, but there is also a clear opportunity for a young player to force his way into a larger role on the defensive line.
Chase Bond is one of the names to watch. The junior end arrived with a strong high school rsum and has flashed enough in limited college action to suggest there is more there, even after playing only a modest snap total last season. Now he enters camp with a chance to turn that promise into a starting job, and how quickly he does it will go a long way toward determining whether NC States front can generate the kind of pressure it needs early in the fall. [Read more 🡒]