Football season has officially landed in Raleigh, and NC State wasted no time giving a first look at how things are lining up.
The Wolfpack opened fall camp on Wednesday, and media members were allowed to watch the first hour of practice. That doesn’t make Day 1 a crystal ball by any stretch, but it does offer a snapshot of who was getting the first crack with the top units as preseason work begins.
At quarterback, CJ Bailey was the one running with the first team. He was joined by Duke Scott at running back, with Teague Andersen at left tackle, Kamen Smith at left guard, Spike Sowells Jr. at center, Yousef Mugharbil at right guard and Jimarion McCrimon at right tackle.
At tight end, Hunter Provience was working with the starters, while Oregon transfer tight end Vander Ploog was in a green jersey, which means he isn’t clear for contact.
The receiver group had Keenan Jackson and Davion Dozier/JoJo Trader on the outside, with Victor Snow working as the inside receiver.
Behind that top offensive group, the second-team line featured Rico Jackson at left tackle, Tre Aiken at left guard, Daniel Cruz at center, Trent Mitchell at right guard and Brody Smith at right tackle.
Defensively, the first unit included Ondre Evans and Brian Nelson II at cornerback, AJ Richardson, Popo Aguirre and Da’Kaari Nelson at linebacker, Harvey Dyson at JACK, Isaiah Shirley and Joseph Adedire at defensive end, Josiah Victor at nose guard, Jackson Vick at nickel, and King Mack and Ronnie Royal III at safety.
One of the main things to watch coming into camp is how the defensive line depth shakes out, and Wednesday’s practice gave an early hint at the next wave. The second group appeared to include AJ Prim, Chase Bond and Omarion Abraham, though those rotations figure to keep shifting as camp goes on.
NC State also spent time sorting through return options on special teams. The kickoff return group included Je’rel Bolder, Deandre Desinor, Duke Scott, Davion Gause and King Mack. The punt returners were not listed.
In Other News...
NC State Finally Gets A Look At Its Intriguing New Pass Rusher
Harvey Dyson has already built a rsum that makes NC States staff easy to understand. After three seasons at Texas Tech and a final year at Tulane, the transfer arrives in Raleigh with the kind of pass-rush production the Wolfpack has been looking to add, and he is expected to settle in as the next JACK linebacker when the 2026 season arrives.
Dysons last stop was his loudest one, with a 2025 season that earned Third Team All-AAC honors and put him among the leagues most disruptive defenders. He led the American Athletic Conference in sacks and paired that with steady backfield pressure, giving NC State an intriguing new edge defender to watch as the roster starts to take shape for next year. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Gets A Big Early Shot With Elite In-State Guard
NC State is getting an early look at one of the states most coveted young guards, with four-star shooting guard Chacho Womack set to visit Raleigh on Aug. 20. The West Charlotte standout is already drawing major attention in the 2028 class, and the Wolfpack are making a clear push to stay involved with elite in-state talent as the recruiting cycle begins to take shape.
Womacks visit comes amid a growing offer sheet that includes several high-major programs, a sign of how quickly his profile has risen. For NC State, landing a player viewed as one of North Carolinas top prospects would be a meaningful early win, especially with Virginia and Kansas State also in the mix and more schools likely to stay in pursuit. [Read more 🡒]