NC State Football QB C.J. Bailey Believes Wolfpack Offense Can Make a Leap in 2025. Here’s Why.

After taking his lumps last fall as a freshman, NC State quarterback C.J. Bailey is eager to put what he’s learned over the past year on full display in 2025.

Recruited to be the future for NC State at the quarterback position, Bailey assumed the starting role much earlier than anticipated last fall due to injuries sustained by former starter Grayson McCall. He saw time in 12 games last season with nine starts, joining Phillip Rivers (2000) and M.J. Morris (2022) as the only Wolfpack quarterbacks to start a game their freshman year.

Bailey’s first start didn’t go as hoped, a 59-35 drubbing at the hand of Clemson. Nevertheless, the NC State quarterback showed promise, going 16-of-25 for 204 yards and a touchdown. Bailey finished the season completing 65% of his passes for 2,413 yards and 17 TDs.

Now with a year under his belt, NC State coach Dave Doeren said he can see the difference in his young quarterback.

“(This is) the first time I’ve had a returning starter at quarterback in three years, so your offseason as a head coach is tremendously different when you have an offseason with a starting quarterback,” Doeren said. “A year ago (Bailey is) trying to learn what it’s like to be a college student. He’s trying to learn an offense. He’s trying to learn the names of his coaches, names of his teammates. This year, he’s leading those guys. He’s taking them out on the field and working on routes.

“There’s a different thing for him. It’s a completely different place that he’s in at 200-plus pounds compared to the 170-ish that he was when he got here.”

Bailey bulking up has certainly been a pleasant sight for the NC State coach. However, the Wolfpack’s sophomore signal caller believes another asset puts him and his team in a position to succeed.

“Last year, I was just sitting back and letting (former NC State quarterback Grayson McCall) do his thing; and there was a lot of things I wanted to do last year, but I didn’t want to step on (McCall’s) toes,” he said. “I just observed, and coming into this year it’s very different. In spring, it was very different. I used my voice more, as I said before. I was way more (vocal) than I was last year, and I think what happened — not any knock to (McCall) — but I think I got the chance to experience being a starter of the team.”

Though he’ll be behind a largely retooled offensive line unit, having a bevy of his skill players back in the fold provides Bailey and his coach a wealth of confidence going into a new season. Among those projected to be at his disposal include three of the team’s top targets from last fall in tight end Justin Joly, as well as wideouts Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes. Running back Hollywood Smothers also returns after rushing for 571 yards and six TDs in 2024.

“When you have returning players, they can build on previous experiences, and you can as a coach,” Doeren said. “I can point out to those three players the areas that they did well and the areas they need to focus on to be better, and you can see their focus on those areas and help them get to those points where they’re improving. That’s one of the things we pride ourselves on is being a developmental program, helping guys become better than they were. So when you have a returning player you’re allowed that opportunity.”

After falling to East Carolina in its bowl game last December, Bailey is anticipating the opportunity to potentially turn the tide in NC State’s 2025 debut.

“Yeah, it’s always exciting to get on that field for that first time, and that game 1 is going to be really fun, and the way we prepare for it is going to even be funner,” he said. “I can’t wait to step out for the first time with my guys and see what we’re really made of.”