Will Wolfpack Have ACC’s Most Dangerous QB-TE Duo?

The connection between tight end Justin Joly and quarterback CJ Bailey for the Wolfpack in 2025 is pivotal. Flashes of light were littered throughout the 2024 season, of what the two can do on a game-to-game basis, but now it’s time to pull back the curtain and let the full beam of light uncover their potential.

In his true freshman season, Bailey went through the growing pains of learning to play quarterback for a Power four team in college football. Finding Joly wasn’t one of those pains, and even in his young career, Bailey learned the luxury of having a big tight end to rely on when reading the field.

Ask recently retired Wolfpack legend Phillip Rivers how he feels about new Hall of Famer Antonio Gates.

"Philip Rivers, it was an absolute pleasure to play with you."

Antonio Gates shows love to the QB he caught 89 TDs from 🥹

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— NFL (@NFL) August 2, 2025

Here are two plays from last season where the Bailey and Joly connection shined.

Example No. 1

Both examples are from the Cal game a season ago, but both showcase the two’s strengths well.

In the first clip, the Wolfpack has a 2x2 (two receivers on each side of the formation) look and comprises 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end). Cal responds to this look with a 4-2-5 (four defensive linemen, two linebackers, five defensive backs) with a single-high safety in the middle of the field.

This tells Bailey two things: it’s either a cover three of some variation, whether it be sky, cloud, or buzz, but it can also be cover one man across the board with a middle read zone, and a single deep middle zone.

The ball gets snapped, and Cal is in a cover-one man. NC State runs a simple verticals concept here, and Bailey does a great job with his eyes. He looks left, which makes the player safely lean towards that side of the field, but notices Joly has a step on his defender. Bailey throws a jump ball to Joly down the seam, and Joly uses his incredible ball tracking skills to readjust while backpedalling and high-points the ball, making a tough catch over the defender.

Example No. 2

This second clip is essentially the same thing; it just showcases Joly’s route-running ability slightly more. The Wolfpack are in a 1x3 with trips to the wide side of the field, and Cal responds with a two-high safety look. Bailey can assume it’s a sort of man coverage with how the defensive backs are aligned on the outside, and especially over his slot receivers.

Even with that, it could be a blitz since one of the defensive backs is lined up over his innermost receiver on the trips side, even with a linebacker over him. Defense could also be in a shell cover three, many different outcomes this look can turn into.

The ball is snapped, and it turns out to be a cover one man, same coverage as before, and NC State is essentially running the same play. Not exactly, but it’s still a vertical scheme.

As in the previous play, Bailey looks left again but quickly returns to his tripside and sees Joly waving his hand and looking for the ball. No hesitation in his decision, and he immediately throws the ball up and in a perfect spot for Joly to use his body against the smaller defender to high-point the ball and make the tough catch over the middle.

No stopping him.

Justin Joly has been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List, recognizing college football's most outstanding tight end.

📰: https://t.co/AJf694BPqt pic.twitter.com/5yUyFEeX6L
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) August 8, 2025

2025

Joly and Bailey now have a full off-season to work with each other, knowing they’ll be the starters going into 2025. It gives them each a lot of time to build chemistry and truly feel what each likes on certain plays and routes.

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