Critical Wolfpack Player Announces Return to the Program
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RALEIGH — NC State fans can breathe sighs of relief Friday after rising junior quarterback CJ Bailey announced on Instagram that he will return for his third season with the Wolfpack in 2026. He will be the first three-year starter for the Pack since Ryan Finley.
Bailey's return is a massive win for the program, especially given the numerous other teams around the country that are in the market for new quarterbacks in 2026. NC State's youngest team captain in the Dave Doeren era was non-committal about his future with the team before the Pack went and won the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, but those uncertain feelings are in the past now.
The impact of Bailey's return
QB1. 🐺#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/r4KA7f6Yvz
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) January 2, 2026
Retention became one of the most important aspects of college football with the introduction of the transfer portal. With price tags for key positions, particularly quarterback, reportedly surging in this cycle, rumblings about numerous passers around the country at lower-tier programs dominated the news cycle during the season.
Any noise about Bailey stemmed from his Florida roots, as the Miami Hurricanes entered his high school recruitment cycle late and tried to poach him from NC State, but he chose Doeren and the Wolfpack instead. As his play improved in his sophomore season, some analysts speculated that he might be a fit back in his hometown in South Florida, but his ugly two-interception performance quelled those concerns.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal on NC State quarterback and South Florida native CJ Bailey:
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) November 11, 2025
“We know him. Certainly a local product that has developed into a great player.” pic.twitter.com/t4boimWeeO
The biggest development for Bailey between his freshman and sophomore years was his leadership. He stepped up as one of the offensive team captains despite playing less than a full season as a freshman. His reaction to the team's loss and subsequent brawl at the 2024 Military Bowl earned him the respect of his head coach.
"As a player, the one big emphasis that I had this year was to be good at my leadership, which was really great," he said, before the Gasparilla Bowl win. "As for my skill set, I'll say, just being able to take what they give me... We had a lot of shots this year... My biggest thing this year was just finding those layoffs, getting the ball out of my hand, and making good decisions."
Statistically, Bailey improved across the board. With the promotion of his quarterback coach, Kurt Roper, to offensive coordinator, Bailey showed more comfort within the offense and, as he said, learned to take what defenses allowed. He finished with 3,105 passing yards, 25 touchdowns to nine interceptions, a 68.8% completion rate and six rushing touchdowns as a sophomore.
The quarterback's return may aid the staff in retaining other key members of the offense. The team respected Bailey's leadership and talent throughout the season. With a few key offensive players already in the portal, NC State must keep what it still has in the building. There's also Bailey's own potential. If he puts it all together in his junior season, the 6-foot-6 quarterback could be one of the best players in the ACC.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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