Why Analysts Praised NC State Player During Schedule Release
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The 2026 ACC Football Schedule release was one of the headlines in the conference on Monday night, and one North Carolina State player received plenty of praise from the ACC Network's panel of analysts as they went through each team's schedule.
Junior quarterback CJ Bailey has turned in two impressive seasons for the Wolfpack, and people are starting to notice. Last year, he topped 3,000 passing yards and set career highs in completion percentage and touchdown passes. He's now accounted for 53 NC State touchdowns in two seasons, setting up for a potentially fantastic junior campaign.
"Anytime you got CJ Bailey, you got a chance ... It's not unforeseen to see this guy be the first pick in the [NFL] draft."
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 27, 2026
Jimbo Fisher gives @PackFootball's QB1 his flowers 🐺 pic.twitter.com/vZY6Xw5DKM
What They Said About CJ Bailey
As the panel began its discussion of the Wolfpack's 2026 schedule, the attention immediately went to Bailey and his impact on the team as a talented veteran starting quarterback in college football and a reason NC State can compete in the ACC.
"They have their quarterback back," ACC Network analyst Eric MacLain said. "For me, that's always a big-time thing, and they have an opportunity to win a state championship. They play all the other schools in the North Carolina area. I know that's a huge deal. It's just going to be interesting to see where they are. Looking at the schedule, it looks very manageable, and I like the timing and the way some of these big rivalries match up."
It seems like everyone is changing quarterbacks these days, and most of the teams mentioned by the ACC Network during this part of its discussion fit that mold. But while they have to adjust to new signal-callers, continuity should be an asset for the Wolfpack in that area.
NC State fans should feel good about their quarterback, but former ACC coach Jimbo Fisher took things a step further (and possibly even too far if you're the superstitious type).
"Any time you've got CJ Bailey, you've got a chance," Fisher said. "It's not unforeseen for this guy to be the first quarterback taken in the [2027 NFL] Draft. You always hear about quarterbacks sometimes getting too big [heightwise]. He's 6-foot-7, but he moves like he's 6-foot-1. ...
"This guy is just getting better and better. You can't put a price tag on the size and the vision that this guy can have, then you add mobility to that. This guy's an extremely dangerous player, one of the best players in all of America, and one of my favorite players to go watch."
Things are setting up nicely for CJ Bailey in 2026. Conference analysts believe he can be the key to NC State's season, but now, it's up to him to take it to that next level on the field.
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Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.