CJ Bailey Will Take the Next Steps to be Better
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The North Carolina State Wolfpack football team will have the same man under center next season. That is sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey. The Wolfpack have not had a quarterback who has come back in back-to-back years in some time. It was important for the team not to lose Bailey after last season. Now, in college sports, that is hard to do with all the players moving every season.
The Wolfpack wants to have a better offense as well. Getting Bailey to be there under center and leading the offense is one of the steps in the right direction. Bailey wants to be better next season as well and wants to be a good leader. He has the tools to do that, and last season we saw what he is capable of. It is fun to watch Bailey, especially with the ability to run the ball as well.
He is a threat with his arm and his legs. He can get it done either way, and it makes him more than a regular quarterback. Next season, he will know his teammates better and know what they like and do not like.
He will play a huge role in whether the team, and especially the offense, will be successful or not. It will be interesting to see his game next season. Several signs indicate that he will be a good player next season.
"The biggest area where he can take a leap is really being more comfortable in the pocket," said Cory Smith of CBS Sports. "You know, you look at what Kurt Roper does. Kury Roper has been the guy leading, you know, the quarterbacks for a number of years now at this point. He has been leading the quarterbacks for years now."
"And I think we saw a lot from CJ Bailey in terms of off-platform throws, being able to be mobile in the pocket, and you know having some chemistry with a lot of the receivers that he had on that team ... But for him it is really about being comfortable in the pocket and being able to hitting some of those deep downfield passes on a more consistent basis. Reply to some other guys like Wesley Grimes.
"Who emerges as that number two wide receiver for him going into the season? Because there have to be multiple weapons for him to be able to thrive. And I think taking more of those check downs ... He gives NC State some optimism heading into the season.
Michael Canel is a breaking news beat writer for various team sites across the On SI platform, focusing on both college and professional sports. A graduate of Fresno State University, he has transformed his passion for sports into a career, covering the latest breaking news with years of expertise and the enthusiasm of a devoted fan.