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The N.C. State roster features 50 newcomers. That’s the norm now. Player retention is rare — even at some of the biggest and best programs — and having a star player stick around is less common.
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CJ Bailey is good at smashing expectations.
The junior quarterback announced his return on Jan. 2, but his mind was made up long before.
“I knew where I wanted to be. I wanted to be with N.C. State,” Bailey said at ACC Kickoff on Wednesday. “I told Coach (Dave) Doeren and I told Coach (Kurt) Roper, ‘I want to be here. Don’t even worry about it.’”
That didn’t stop speculation that he might transfer for more money, especially after Terrell Anderson, Noah Rogers and Hollywood Smothers opted to pursue other opportunities. It felt like a situation of, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
Those fears weren’t completely unfounded. Bailey recently confirmed on a podcast, and again this week, that other teams contacted him after N.C. State’s bowl game. At no point did he enter the transfer portal. Under NCAA rules, coaches and staff members are not allowed to contact players from other programs unless they are in the portal. This has happened for years, but the issue has been pushed to the forefront because of the transfer portal and NIL.
“It’s sad that kind of tampering is happening, but it is. We all know it is,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said. “But sometimes you get to boast about somebody doing it right versus the opposite.”
Bailey’s refusal to seriously entertain efforts to lure him from the Wolfpack speaks to his character and the way he was raised, Doeren said.
The longtime head coach is also proud of the program’s environment, which Bailey said was a key reason he wanted to stay. He values the personal connections he has with Doeren, offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, his teammates and the support staff.
Why would he give that up and have to start over? Why would he want to learn a new offense when this one has been tailored to his strengths? Bailey has also learned that not everyone has his best interests at heart. That’s not the case at N.C. State. Why would he go somewhere that doesn’t value him, his family or his future?
“That’s just not smart of me,” Bailey said. “That’s not right. … We’re going to take over by standing together, believing in each other, keeping the main thing the main thing. Don’t let off-the-field stuff influence us. Always stay inside the building.”
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The Wolfpack has been loyal to him. It’s only right that he stay.
Bailey, 20, originally from South Florida, said Raleigh has become his home away from home. Everywhere he goes, he meets good people — at practice, in the dining hall, in class, in the community and even “getting a freaking facial.”
“Anywhere in Raleigh I go, there’s gonna be a good person there,” Bailey said. “You can’t say that about anywhere else in the country. You can’t guarantee that.”
When Bailey steps onto the field, myriad things could be floating around his head. He could be thinking about a specific play call, which defenders he needs to be mindful of, or reminders from Roper. Lately, though, he’s been thinking a lot about Doeren.
Bailey desperately wants to win the ACC.
Yes, he wants to do it for himself, the team and the community, but there is a deep desire to help Doeren finally earn a championship. He’s won a conference title, and even an FCS national title, at his previous stops. That has eluded him at N.C. State.
The third-year quarterback knows the behind-the-scenes work that fans don’t see, the personal investment Doeren makes in each player and the pressure to win.
“He’s been through a lot. God knows what he has been through, and winning that would take all that off him,” Bailey said. “If we win this ACC Championship, it takes a lot of stress off of him and his family. You know what I’m saying? I often think about that when I’m out there.”
Though the Wolfpack, at least on paper, doesn’t necessarily pop in the recruiting rankings. There are position groups with question marks.
But it has a proven leader and playmaker in the backfield.
This is the second consecutive season with a returning QB since Devin Leary. From 2022-25, N.C. State had four different starting quarterbacks (Leary, 2022; Brennan Armstrong, 2023; Grayson McCall, 2024; and Bailey, 2025).
“Trust the process. We’re here,” Bailey said. “N.C. State football is back, and we’re gonna go all the way.”
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