Will Wilson has already stopped being a hidden piece for NC State. At this point, he’s the kind of weapon defenses know is coming and still struggle to handle.
The sophomore quarterback has run the ball 71 times across two seasons, and 45 of those carries have produced either a first down or a touchdown. That’s 63 percent. On fourth down, the number gets even more eye-catching: 12 carries, 11 conversions.
And yet Wilson has barely been on the field. He’s played 50 of NC State’s 276 snaps, which works out to 18 percent. In FBS games, that number drops to 10 percent.
What makes the limited usage stand out even more is how productive he’s been with those chances. Wilson already has 15 career rushing touchdowns in 15 games, tying him for fourth all-time among NC State quarterbacks and giving him the most by a Wolfpack QB since Russell Wilson.
As a freshman in 2025, he scored 10 rushing touchdowns on just 53 offensive snaps. That tied for the second-most ever by an NC State quarterback and was the most by any Wolfpack player since 2018. His four rushing touchdowns against UNC last season also set a Carter-Finley Stadium record.
This season, Wilson has added five rushing touchdowns, which ranks third in the ACC and 12th in the FBS. He also threw his first career touchdown pass against Richmond.
The snap counts tell the story of how selectively NC State has used him: 11 at Virginia, 27 against Richmond, eight at Vanderbilt, and four against App State. If you remove the Richmond blowout, he’s played only 23 snaps against FBS opponents.
That’s where the conversation turns from production to opportunity. Louisville is scoring 41 points a game, and NC State likely won’t be able to settle for field goals Saturday, even if the backup quarterback has to be used. Inside the 20, the Wolfpack need touchdowns, not wasted chances.
That part of the field is where Wilson has already been nearly automatic. NC State’s red zone offense has turned 15 of 19 trips into touchdowns, and Wilson’s short-yardage and goal-line packages have been a big reason why.
Still, there’s a different question hanging over all of this: does Wilson become even more dangerous if he’s used less predictably? Every time NC State lines him up, the defense has a pretty good idea what might be coming - and teams still haven’t stopped it.
The challenge is fitting him in around a quarterback who has been excellent and a running back who is just getting rolling. CJ Bailey owns the school records for career completion percentage (.671) and passing efficiency (147.83).
Duke Scott is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and just ran for 148 against App State. NC State also ranks second in the ACC and 11th nationally in third-down conversions at 53.6 percent.
So the issue isn’t whether NC State has enough offensive pieces. It’s whether the staff can find the right spots to use Wilson without disrupting what’s already working.
Mixing Wilson and Bailey on the field together, even as a decoy, is one possibility. So is sliding Wilson in on first down, giving him a throw to the flats, or using him early just to force a defense to adjust.
This isn’t a quarterback battle. Bailey is QB1, and that should stay that way.
But Wilson’s role is a different question entirely. Against the most explosive offense NC State will face all season, the Wolfpack may need every edge they can get. And they already have a player who has turned nearly two-thirds of his carries into either a first down or a touchdown.
In Other News...
NC States QB Commit Is Suddenly Worth Watching Again
A quiet stretch around NC States 2027 quarterback commit may be ending just as quickly as it began. Gunner Rivers, one of the more closely watched high school passers in the class, has been out since Week 1 with a lower-body injury, but his father and coach, Philip Rivers, said the recovery is moving in the right direction and that the young quarterback has started running again.
There is still no firm timeline for when Gunner Rivers will play again, which leaves the situation open-ended for now. Even so, the fact that he is back to running at least gives the Wolfpack another reason to keep tabs on a recruit whose development has been paused for most of the season, with a return for the final games now something both sides are hoping could happen. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Doeren Sends NC State Fans A Clear Louisville Challenge
Dave Doeren spent part of his media session this week talking about the kind of details that tend to matter in November, from tweaks to NC States practice schedule to the importance of staying locked in from one snap to the next. He also pointed to the Wolfpacks steady improvement over the season, a reminder that this group has been trying to stack small gains while preparing for another big home opportunity at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The bigger message, though, was aimed squarely at Saturdays atmosphere. Doeren made clear that Louisville is walking into what he sees as the Cardinals first true road test of the season, and he wants NC State fans to make the environment count with noise and energy from the opening whistle. For a team trying to protect home field and keep building momentum, the crowd could be every bit as important as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Baileys Early Slide Is Fueling A Real NC State Debate
CJ Baileys first month of the 2026 season has brought the kind of early turbulence that can reshape a quarterbacks national standing fast. ESPNs Bill Connelly reflected that in his updated Power Four quarterback rankings, sliding Bailey from No. 16 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC in March to No. 41 overall and No. 10 in the league after four games. The numbers still show a productive arm, with 74 completions on 110 throws for 893 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, but the weekly results have told a less settled story.
Bailey has had the sort of stretch that invites debate because each outing seems to point in a different direction. He opened poorly at Virginia, followed with a strong performance against Richmond, then had a costly late fumble at Vanderbilt before turning in solid but uneven play against Appalachian State. For NC State, the question is no longer whether Bailey has shown promise. It is whether the next stretch of the season will start to look more like his best moments, or keep the conversation focused on the inconsistency that has pulled his stock down. [Read more 🡒]