NC State’s hopes for a big 2026 run start where a lot of good seasons are decided: up front.
CJ Bailey is back for his third year as the Wolfpack’s starter, and the quarterback profile is already strong enough to sell the ceiling of this offense. In 2025, he threw for 3,105 yards and 25 touchdowns, numbers that rank ninth and tied for seventh, respectively, in single-season program history. He also completed 69 percent of his passes, and Dave Doeren has described his pocket awareness like that of a point guard who can "see the court without looking."
But Bailey’s season also showed the other side of the equation. He was sacked 23 times last fall, and when the protection broke down, so did the offense.
His toughest game came at Notre Dame, where the Irish sacked him four times and he finished with 186 yards and three interceptions. The difference between Bailey at his best and Bailey under pressure is real, and it starts with the line.
That is why the interior overhaul in front of him is such a big deal in fall camp. Garett Tujague is entering his fourth season as offensive line coach, and he believes this group has more usable depth than he’s had before. By his estimate, there are "five, six or seven guys who could be in the starting rotation."
The pieces are lined up in a way that gives NC State options. Spike Sowells Jr. is back at his natural center spot after earning freshman All-America honors at guard.
Jimarion McCrimon, a first-team All-AAC transfer from ECU, is stepping in at left tackle. And at guard, Kamen Smith, Yousef Mugharbil and Rico Jackson are locked in a competition that should keep everybody sharp.
Still, the most important development might not be technical at all.
When Smith talks about the group, he doesn’t start with scheme or technique. He starts with the way the linemen have been around each other this offseason.
"Really this year we took a huge step forward, like doing things outside here - no coaches being there, just us," Smith said. "We have group chats where we go across with each other, and it's not just our position group...
Me and Rico have a nice townhouse, so we have guys come to our house - like, y'all pull up. We got a bunch of TVs, we can be in separate rooms but we're all there together, we're all going to eat together.
So doing that, we'll go on trips and all be together, all train together. This offseason, we just really built that bond.
It's genuine love between us."
Smith sees that bond as more than chemistry. To him, it is the edge that can turn a good line into a dependable one when the game gets tight.
"I feel like that's just the missing piece to the puzzle," Smith said. "Once you have that, you can just feel the energy is different. That's the extra step to being a great team - not wanting to let your brothers down."
NC State has the quarterback. It has the talent in front of him. Now the question is whether that line can turn depth, competition and that off-field connection into the kind of protection that gives Bailey the extra second he needs.
In Other News...
NC States Push For A Difference-Making Big Just Got More Complicated
NC States search for a difference-making big man is suddenly moving in a more complicated recruiting landscape. A Texas court granted a Temporary Restraining Order that gives 36 athletes immediate eligibility to play, and among that group are three players the Wolfpack have had on their radar. The ruling only adds another layer to a market that has already been shaped by constant movement, eligibility uncertainty and the need for programs to decide quickly where their resources should go.
The Wolfpack have been in ongoing communication with Ven Lubin and Micah Handlogten, two names that fit the kind of frontcourt help they are trying to add. But any pursuit now has to be weighed against the financial terms involved and the ripple effect of these latest eligibility decisions, which can change the board almost overnight. For NC State, the challenge is no longer just identifying the right big. It is figuring out whether it can stay in the race long enough to get one. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Just Got A Huge Ven-Allen Lubin Boost
NC States roster plans got a significant lift with Ven-Allen Lubin when a Texas court stepped in to block immediate enforcement of the NCAAs new age-based five-for-five rule. The Temporary Restraining Order gives Lubin and other athletes protection from being declared ineligible while the issue is being sorted out, and it comes at a key moment as the Wolfpack move toward finalizing his addition for the upcoming season.
For NC State, the practical impact is important because Lubin now has a clearer path to staying on the floor as the team builds out its frontcourt. The broader eligibility fight is still unfolding, including a separate class-action case in Colorado, but the Wolfpack can at least plan with more confidence for now as they work through the last steps of bringing him aboard. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Early Bet On Jamil Robinson Already Looks Smart
NC States June offer to Jamil Robinson looks a lot more foresightful now than it did when it was first extended. The 6-foot-11 power forward in the 2027 class was still unranked and unrated by the major recruiting services at the time, but his stock has climbed since then, with 247Sports and Rivals both moving him up to a 3-star prospect.
Robinson is also set to get a fuller look at the program soon, with an official visit to Raleigh scheduled for September 11 as a committed recruit. For a staff that got in early, the timing only adds to the appeal, because Robinsons rise has already begun to validate the Wolfpacks belief before he even steps on campus for that visit. [Read more 🡒]