NC State will kick off its season Saturday against Virginia with a projected depth chart that gives a clear picture of how the Wolfpack are lining up for Week 0.
The opener brings a chance to start 1-0 in what is being framed as a critical ACC matchup, and NC State’s two-deep shows the mix of veterans and younger pieces it plans to lean on right away.
At quarterback, CJ Bailey is listed first with Will Wilson behind him. The offensive line is anchored by Jimarion McCrimon at left tackle, Yousef Mugharbil at left guard, Spike Sowells Jr. at center, Kamen Smith at right guard and Teague Andersen at right tackle.
NC State’s skill group features Hunter Provience at tight end, with Preston Douglas and Vander Ploog also listed there. At receiver, the Wolfpack’s projected starters include JoJo Trader, Victor Snow and Keenan Jackson, while Davion Dozier, Tyran Warren, Ashton Locklear and Chance Robinson are among the other names in the mix. Duke Scott is listed at running back ahead of Davion Gause.
On the defensive side, Joseph Adedire and Chase Bond are the projected ends, with Josiah Victor at nose guard and Isaiah Shirley and AJ Prim at defensive tackle. Harvey Dyson III is listed at JACK, with KeVon Carter and Sterling Dixon behind him on the depth chart. The linebacker group starts with Popo Aguirre at middle linebacker and AJ Richardson at weakside linebacker, while Jackson Vick is the top name at nickel.
The secondary shows Jaren Sensabaugh at left cornerback, King Mack at strong safety, Ronnie Royal III at free safety and Brian Nelson II at right cornerback. Caden Gordon, Tristan Teasdell, Brody Barnhardt, Asaad Brown Jr., and Michael Tate are also listed in the defensive backfield group.
Special teams are set with Kanoah Vinesett at kicker, Jackson Waller handling punting and holding duties, Nick Konieczynski on kickoff, Aiden Arias at long snapper, Victor Snow as punt returner and King Mack as the kickoff returner.
In Other News...
NC State Just Raised A Bigger Question Than One Bad Loss
The loss to Virginia was ugly on its own, but the larger concern for NC State was how completely the offense stalled. CJ Bailey never found a rhythm, and Virginias defense kept heat on him throughout the afternoon, turning the game into a long stretch of incomplete drives and missed chances. Missouri transfer Beau Pribula, meanwhile, gave Virginia the kind of dual-threat spark the Wolfpack couldnt match, helping the Cavaliers control the game in both phases.
For NC State, the 34-8 final only sharpened the questions that usually follow a rough conference setback: is this a one-game lapse, or a sign that the offense still has too many moving parts? The Wolfpack were pushed around enough that the scoreboard felt secondary to the bigger issue of whether they can protect Bailey better and generate something steadier when the pressure starts coming. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Already Has A Bigger Problem Than Just Opening Week
NC States trip to Charlottesville did more than just leave the Wolfpack with an opening-week loss. Virginia controlled the line of scrimmage from the start, leaned on the run game and dictated the pace at Scott Stadium in a 34-8 result that put NC State in an early hole it has not faced in years. The setback was NC States first season-opening defeat since 2018, while Virginia picked up its first win in the series since 2012.
The more concerning part for the Wolfpack is how little resistance they could muster when the game started to tilt. NC States lone touchdown came from Will Wilson, but by then Virginia had already shown it could sustain drives, win the clock battle and force the Pack to chase the game on the road. For a team that expected the opener to reveal some answers, it instead raised a few uncomfortable questions that will linger well beyond Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Already Has One Alarming Question After Its Opener
The opener did little to calm any nerves around NC State after a rough night against Virginia. The Wolfpack were chasing the game early and never found much rhythm on offense, with quarterback CJ Bailey helping put the team in an early hole and the defense getting pushed around by a Virginia front that controlled the line of scrimmage.
What made the loss feel especially troubling was how little margin NC State created for itself in key moments. Virginia kept extending drives by converting on fourth down, while the Wolfpack could not answer with the kind of clean, steady football a season opener usually demands, leaving one obvious question hanging over the program before the calendar has even turned. [Read more 🡒]