CJ Bailey’s Killer Instinct Fueled NC State Offense

Even down, there is one Wolfpack player who remained calm and had the eyes of a killer. The eyes of a wolf are ready to strike at its prey. An upperclassman, perhaps? While a good guess, it’s no other than sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey. His eyes and mannerisms spark the resemblance of a killer instinct that resides in a wolf. 

Bailey impressive performance

Bailey portrayed his instincts for the fans in Winston-Salem, and in a matter of hours, he put up 200 yards and three touchdowns. Fans and observers from across the country alike were amazed by his performance to not only keep his poise while his team was down 14-0, but also raise his play in the process. There was one soul in the stadium who, in fact, was not shocked at all by the results. 

• “I’m so proud of CJ [Bailey],” head coach Dave Doeren said. “What you guys don’t see is how he leads the team. How big his voice is now, how accountable he’ll hold people, and back it up with his own work. The thing that’s really awesome, and it was this way last year with him, if he makes a mistake, he’s the first one to say, ‘That’s on me,’ and so it’s easy to follow a guy like him.” 

The team isn't surprised

Follow him. The team certainly does, as they voted Bailey as a team captain, even as a sophomore. The poise he displays in the pocket doesn’t scream second-year quarterback at all. He’s able to scan the field calmly and make strikes down the field. 

On top of that, he knows he can take off with his legs as well to gash defenses in the process. All of it combined creates a pain for defenses when trying to defend him or at least contain him in some capacity. 

Against the Demon Deacons, Bailey had an EPA/Dropback of 0.28, ranking in the 77th percentile. A serious threat, who has serious weapons. 

Elevating teammates

The NC State receiver room was a question mark heading into the 2025 season. Now, with the leadership and poise of Bailey, his favorite targets have emerged. Except no one has emerged as the alpha. It’s a combination of talent throughout that has led to production. 

• “There’s a lot of weapons over there,” Doeren said. Wesley [Grimes], Noah [Rogers], Terrell [Anderson], Keenan [Jackson] are also weapons, and Teddy [Hoffmann] showed he could make plays in game one. When you have a good quarterback, it’s nice to have different pieces that he can look at.”