Projecting NC State's Offensive Depth Chart Before Summer Training

How will the Wolfpack take the field offensively during the 2026 season with CJ Bailey back at the helm?

Sep 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack huddle during the first half of the game against Virginia Cavaliers at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

RALEIGH — There aren't many programs with more unknowns on the offensive side of the football in the ACC than NC State, but head coach Dave Doeren and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper brought back just enough to give the program significant potential on that side of the field. With spring practices wrapped up, there's more clarity as to who will play what role in 2026.

The most important piece to the puzzle is an obvious one, as quarterback CJ Bailey is back for his junior season after a breakout campaign in 2025. The staff worked hard to build the offense around the talented returning signal-caller, adding a plethora of new pass-catchers at both wide receiver and tight end. Now, the team will work through the summer to get physically conditioned for the grind of another year. How would the Pack line up offensively if the season started now?

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Projected Depth Chart

The following is a projected two-deep for the Wolfpack in 2026. It is based on spring camp discussions and observations, as well as how certain players performed during the 2025 campaign.

Position	Name	Class
LT	Jimarion McCrimon	R-Jr.
	Jai'Lun Hampton	Gr.
LG	Kamen Smith	R-Jr.
	Rico Jackson	R-Jr.
C	Spike Sowells	So.
	Ryan Vann	R-Sr.
RG	Daniel Cruz	R-Jr.
	Yousef Mugharbil	R-Sr.
RT	Teague Andersen	R-Sr.
	TK Whitset	R-Fr.
TE - B	Preston Douglas	So.
	Vander Ploog	R-Fr.
TE - Y	Hunter Provience	R-Jr.
X	Keenan Jackson	Jr.
	Chance Robinson	R-So.
Y	Davion Dozer	R-Jr.
	Tyran Warren	Sr.
Z	JoJo Trader	Jr.
OR	Victor Snow	R-Sr.
RB	Duke Scott	R-So.
	Davion Gause	Jr.
QB	CJ Bailey	Jr.
	Will Wilson	So.

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Key storylines for the offense

NC State offensive coordinator Kurt Roper watches the Wolfpack. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

The most important thing for NC State in 2026 will be to ensure Bailey is comfortable in the offense, while also taking another leap as a passer and extension of Roper on the field. The continuity is very helpful for a team coming off an 8-5 finish last year, with a key coach and player totally aligned on how they want to approach the coming season.

To help with that process, Doeren, Roper and wide receivers coach Joker Phillips completely reloaded the wide receiver room with new options, many of them coming with proven production elsewhere. How that group lines up is trickier to predict, especially with Teddy Hoffmann suspended for the 2026 season. The expectation is for JoJo Trader, Bailey's high school teammate and Miami transfer, and Keenan Jackson to be critical pieces of that position group.

NC State WR Joshisa "JoJo" Trader stretches during a practice with the Wolfpack during the spring term. | Photo credit: @joshisathe1 (X)

The Wolfpack returned a pair of starters in the trenches, bringing back Teague Andersen and Spike Sowells to anchor the offensive line in 2026. Sowells should slot back into his preferred position, finally get a shot to play center at the collegiate level, although it is believed that Daniel Cruz is likely cross-training as a center as well. That could be more of a necessity than anything else, as the program is somewhat thin in its depth with that group.

Tight end was such an important position group in 2025, but that entire group is gone, including standout Justin Joly. Rising sophomore Preston Douglas and Oregon transfer Vander Ploog seem poised to compete for Joly's old touches, while Hunter Provience should slot nicely into the blocking role previously occupied by Cody Hardy. There shouldn't be a ton of drop-off in the prowess of that group in 2026.