Wide Receivers in the Spotlight Following Teddy Hoffmann's Suspension
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RALEIGH — NC State got some unfortunate news Monday, as sophomore wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann received a one-year suspension following a positive test for performance-enhancing substances during spring camp. The young wideout looked poised for a breakout season after performing well in his first year with the program, working alongside star quarterback CJ Bailey.
While the Wolfpack didn't know this was coming, it luckily went out and prioritized improving the passing game during the transfer portal process and brought back another high-potential wideout alongside Hoffmann in rising junior Keenan Jackson. If Bailey wants to take another step and lead the Pack to more success, he'll need even more help from this new group of pass catchers.
Keenan Jackson returns
Most of NC State's 2025 pass-catcher production walked out the door following the team's win over Memphis in the 2025 Gasparilla Bowl due to a combination of eligibility and the transfer portal. Jackson was one of the few who stuck around with Hoffmann, heading into his junior year with the program.
Jackson finished the 2025 season as a solid producer, particularly in the red zone. He caught 28 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 10 yards per reception. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, he's a big target for Bailey, who isn't afraid of physicality. Now, he just needs to show more consistency catching the ball and take steps as a route-runner.
The junior made an impression on many of his teammates during fall camp before the 2025 season. That praise didn't stop after the season. Former Wolfpack tight end Justin Joly was asked during his NFL Scouting Combine availability about the players he thought were next up for the program. Jackson was the first teammate he brought up.
"His hands and he's smart. Smart dude, smart kid," Joly said. "He was my locker-mate. I got to sit next to him. The dude just talked ball all the time. He's a good person. I think he's going to be a leader and a captain of the team."
The Miami connection
In an effort to help Bailey even more than just adding more weapons, NC State coach Dave Doeren and the rest of the staff went even farther. The program added Miami wide receiver Joshisa Trader, along with several other players from the Miami metropolitan area, to be one of the new faces of the passing game. It was a coup for the Wolfpack, not because of the proven production of Trader, but because the chemistry with Bailey is already there.
Trader and Bailey played high school football together at Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in Hollywood, Fla., before each went their separate ways for college football, with Trader sticking in the area with the Hurricanes. In the 2023-24 season at Chaminade-Madonna, the two connected for 47 receptions, 757 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Serious slot talent from Victor Snow
Adding an All-Conference receiver from any league in the country should help a wideout room greatly. The Wolfpack did just that, bringing in Victor Snow from Buffalo for his final collegiate season. While Snow won't be a direct replacement for Hoffmann, his presence in the slot should help make up for some of the lost production after the sophomore's suspension.
Snow caught 62 passes for 815 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2025 season with the Bulls. He was also a dynamic return man for Buffalo, running back one punt for a touchdown. If he can replicate that level of production with Bailey, there should be some similarities.
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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