How NC State Rebuilt Its Wide Receiver Group
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RALEIGH — Terrell Anderson, Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes wouldn't be back with NC State in 2026 for one reason or another. The Wolfpack retained quarterback CJ Bailey for his junior season, but the staff needed to find the talented passer some players to throw to quickly.
The overall transfer portal strategy for NC State was heavily predicated on giving Bailey and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper the best possible options for pass protection and passing offense. That meant adding three wide receivers out of the portal to go along with incoming freshmen. Wide receivers coach Joker Phillips gave his group a complete makeover in just a week.
The Returners and Incoming Freshmen
NC State returned two key members of the receiver corps from the 2025 season. Freshman Teddy Hoffmann, a fellow Floridian and good friend of his quarterback, was a valuable contributor in his first year with the Wolfpack. He caught 25 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns, operating in the slot and on the outside. His route-running was fairly advanced for such a young player and the chemistry with Bailey made him a critical piece to return for the coming year.
Keenan Jackson didn't break out as a sophomore, but he continued to show the developing versatility Phillips wanted out of the entire group. He racked up 281 yards and a pair of scores on 28 receptions in 2025. At 6-foot-3, Jackson offered Bailey a nice red zone target and should play the same role in his junior season with the Pack.
Je'rel Bolder didn't see much action as a freshman, playing just three offensive snaps in the Gasparilla Bowl win over Memphis. He came into the 2025 season expected to compete with Anderson and Hoffmann for a starting spot in the slot, but never got an opportunity. Phillips and the recruiting staff supplemented the returners with some raw, but high-upside, high school recruits.
The two incoming freshmen who could see the field in their first seasons in Raleigh are Amiri Acker and Tyreek Copper. Both bring athleticism and speed that NC State lacked at the receiver position in 2025. However, the transfer portal made the path to playing time slightly murkier for the young pass catchers.
Attacking in the Transfer Portal
With so little production returning, NC State needed to add some playmaking ability in the transfer portal to keep Bailey's development on an upward trajectory. The first commit the Wolfpack secured out of the portal was a wide receiver, as All-MAC wideout Victor Snow announced his transfer to the program less than 48 hours after the portal window opened on Jan. 2.
While the competition in the MAC is very different compared to what he will face in the ACC, Snow brings a layer to the Wolfpack offense that disappeared when K.C. Concepcion transferred to Texas A&M following the 2024 season. Roper lacked a true gadget player in 2025. At 5-foot-8, Snow won't beat many defensive backs in a contested catch contest, but his speed and shiftiness in the open field make him a very difficult cover. He'll also be an immediate weapon on special teams.
The Pack lost its two biggest downfield threats in Anderson and Grimes. Given Bailey's improvement as a deep passer and his desire to take shots, NC State needed a burner. While Acker and Copper could fill that role and Hoffmann showed flashes, the Wolfpack looked in the portal for proven speed. Enter Tyran Warren of Alcorn State, one of the fastest receivers at the FCS level.
While with the Braves, Warren didn't catch a lot of passes, primarily because his team's offense wasn't pass-focused. When he did get the ball, he made the most of it, averaging 18.4 yards per reception in the 2025 season. His 4.41 speed combined with a 6-foot-3 frame makes him likely to be a totally different option in the receiving game than Bailey had in his sophomore year.
Phillips and the Wolfpack likely wrapped things up in the portal at receiver with the addition of Chance Robinson from Miami. Bailey and Robinson grew up playing seven-man football together before college, so there was a feeling of familiarity and a hope that he might develop some chemistry with the former Top 30 wide receiver recruit.
Painting the Picture
As it did in 2025, NC State will play wide receiver by committee in 2026. Bailey didn't pick favorites, spreading the wealth fairly evenly to his various targets at both wideout and tight end, although outgoing star tight end Justin Joly was a clear preference for the sophomore in the red zone.
The difference between the group in 2025 and the new bunch of receivers is specialization. With a young, raw group to work with in Bailey's sophomore season, there was an emphasis on moving the receivers around to create different looks, given their broad skill sets. Now, Bailey will have more committed specialists with defined roles. Who slots in where remains to be seen, but the Pack will certainly be taking some more shots with their talented quarterback come next August.
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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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