Three Important Returners For NC State's Offense in 2026

RALEIGH — Spring practices are officially underway for most college football programs around the country. NC State started practices on Tuesday, beginning the process of integrating a number of new players into the schemes of offensive coordinator Kurt Roper and defensive coordinator DJ Eliot, ensuring a cohesive group before the start of fall camp all the way in August.

The Wolfpack brought back eight starters from the 2025 roster, including four key returners on the offensive side of the football. However, there are more players back for NC State than just those starters, as a handful of other cogs in the machine are back and could be poised for larger roles in 2026. Who are the most impactful offensive returners for NC State?

Quarterback CJ Bailey

Bailey is back for what will be his junior season with the Wolfpack, ready to take on an even larger role as the face of NC State football for the time being. His presence on the team helped the recruiting staff add a few transfers from the Miami metropolitan area, particularly his high school teammates, Davion Gause (UNC) and JoJo Trader (Miami).

The signal caller is coming off a season in which he posted the second-highest single-season completion rate for an NC State quarterback, finishing the year with a 68.8% mark. He'll try to build on his 2025 campaign, when he threw for 3,105 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also rushing for 215 yards and six scores.

Offensive tackle Teague Andersen

Andersen announced his return fairly soon after the transfer portal process began in December, joining rising sophomore Spike Sowells as the only returners from the 2025 offensive line. The redshirt senior will enter more of a leadership role and could move from right tackle to the left side, as Jacarrius Peak transferred to South Carolina.

The 6-foot-5, 322-pound tackle led his team with 4.5 pancake blocks per game while starting all but one game for the Wolfpack in 2025. He was on the field for 660 snaps throughout the season. His development as a run blocker will be crucial for the Wolfpack in 2026, as the offensive line lost some of its strongest players in that aspect of the offense at both tight end and tackle.

Interior offensive lineman Spike Sowells Jr.

The aforementioned Sowells arrived in Raleigh with some incredibly high expectations, joining the Wolfpack as a preseason true freshman All-American according to On3. While he didn't begin the 2025 season as a starter, it was clear by the way the staff and his teammates talked about him that Sowells was coming. He got his first action a few weeks into the season and never looked back.

Sowells was named to the PFF Freshman All-American team after seeing action in nine of 13 games for the Wolfpack. He earned six starts throughout the year, as the latter part of his freshman year was derailed by an injury. Sowells seems poised to make a move to center, a position he played and excelled in as a high schooler. His communication with Bailey could make or break 2026 for the Pack.

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