Reviewing NC State's New Group of Wide Receivers
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RALEIGH — It seemed as though NC State's new additions to the wide receiver room were completed after the team brought in Tyran Warren from Alcorn State, but the Wolfpack decided to keep loading up that position group. A major reason for that decision is the return of quarterback CJ Bailey, as more talent and depth at wideout should help the talented quarterback reach his ceiling.
The Pack ultimately added five new wide receivers out of the transfer portal and could have two freshmen contributing right away. Despite losing major production after the exits of Terrell Anderson, NC State seems poised to have a potent passing attack with the new faces that offer dynamic skill sets for Bailey and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to work with.
The new additions via the portal
- JoJo Trader, Miami (FL)
- Tyran Warren, Alcorn State
- Chance Robinson, Miami (FL)
- Davion Dozier, Appalachian State (Arkansas previously)
- Victor Snow, Buffalo
The five-man transfer class is loaded with talent, both tapped and untapped. Snow was the first addition to the receiver room and comes with the most experience, having just been named a First-Team All-MAC selection for his efforts as a slot receiver and return man with the Buffalo Bulls in 2025. The Wolfpack lacked a traditional slot receiver last season, but now has a dynamic and speedy option in that spot.
In terms of upside, there might not be a more exciting player out of the portal for NC State than Trader. One of two Miami transfers, Trader was a former four-star recruit out of high school. The intrigue behind Trader stems from the fact that he and Bailey were teammates throughout their upbringing, eventually putting together an unbelievable season in 2023 at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory before heading to the ACC.
There was a clear emphasis on downfield potential by the Wolfpack when selecting the new wide receivers for the class. That's where Dozier and Warren come in. While neither player were statisitcally dominant, the tape doesn't lie. Both players possess high speed and were top options when their teams needed to push the ball deep and pick up chunk yardage.
Warren offers NC State an immediate replacement for the lost speed of Wesley Grimes, who graduated after a solid final season with the program. The idea for the receiver room in 2025 was to build on the group's versatility, moving them around to identify matchups that Bailey could target and pick apart. The 2026 strategy for the room appears to be more predicated on specialization.
Specialized talent
NC State should have options at every receiver spot, whether that's on the outside or in the slot. Keenan Jackson and Teddy Hoffmann, the two primary returners for the Wolfpack, could be highly versatile options as members of the previous group. Wide receivers coach Joker Phillips stressed the importance of staying together during the year and was able to bring back Jackson and Hoffmann.
Hoffmann showed tremendous chemistry with Bailey, likely stemming from their shared Miami roots, having grown up very near each other and overlapped briefly as high school players. While the numbers didn't jump off the page in Hoffmann's freshman year (25 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns), the games where the freshman was on his A-game were impressive.
Then, there's some serious wildcard talent coming in the freshman class between Amiri Acker, who recently had his Rivals prospect rating increased to four stars two months after committing to the NC State program, and Tyreek Copper, a dominant in-state recruit who put together a historical season at Kinston High School before choosing to stay in North Carolina with the Wolfpack.
With Hoffmann, head coach Dave Doeren, Phillips and Roper showed their comfort in playing true freshmen receivers and allowing them to go through growing pains, so long as their mistakes weren't critical to the team's success. Acker seems like a prospect for a similar role and could be a dynamic special teams player should the Pack choose to use him that way.
With a year of work under his belt in Roper's offense, Bailey has the weapons to take enormous steps as a passer in his junior season. That is what the Wolfpack is banking on.
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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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