When 2024 three-star quarterback CJ Bailey stepped onto the North Carolina State Wolfpack campus in the offseason, the freshman appeared to have a clear plan for development.
The Wolfpack acquired experienced Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall to lead the way. McCall threw for more than 10,000 yards with the Chanticleers, and the Wolfpack looked to develop its young quarterback for the future.
However, that plan quickly changed in Week 3 when McCall suffered an undisclosed injury and true freshman Bailey was forced into action late in the first half. At the time, North Carolina State was leading 7-6 and with a major injury to their quarterback, things seemed to be going in the wrong direction.
However, Bailey was able to rally his team after making an early interception, leading with three straight points to lift his team from a 17-6 deficit and ultimately defeating Louisiana Tech 30-20. I won big.
In this game, NC State lost to Clemson 59-35, but defeated Northern Illinois 24-17, so Bailey will start the next two games, and head coach Dave Doeren, a freshman It showed something about the quarterback.
When McCall finally recovered for NC State's game against Wake Forest, the senior quarterback resumed his starting role and Bailey returned to the sideline. However, that didn't last long, as McCall was then seriously injured and carted off to hospital, allowing Bailey to return to action.
The true freshman would end up completing 28-of-42 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, but the Wolfpack fell just short, 34-30, in a tough conference game. .
But since then, Bailey has taken over the starting role and experienced the ups and downs you would expect from a starting quarterback in a top conference as a true freshman.
That led to his best performance at the collegiate level this past weekend, when Bailey threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns, completing 25 of 36 passes in a 24-23 win over Cal. I got it.
Bailey didn't commit any turnovers and despite being sacked six times, he made a number of big plays and closed out the game with a leadoff midway through the fourth quarter. This ended up being the winning goal for North Carolina State University. .
Bailey's performance earned him ACC Freshman of the Week honors as he showed great poise and increased maturity in the pocket, contributing to his team's victory.
Since returning to the starting lineup, Bailey has continued to develop rapidly in recent weeks, taking over the quarterback position amidst an unexpected turnover.
For him, it's mostly about putting the ball in the hands of his playmakers and working his magic from there.
“It's really nice to know that you have good playmakers and good players around you that can help the team.” Bailey said after the game.. “People like Hollywood Smothers and Justin Jolie. [Kevin] Concepcion, I know I can be trusted. I'm happy to have them because they made big plays with their shots and changed the game. ”
For a three-star freshman, this was a hell of a story. He was a starter in his first year, put together a number of quality performances, including one that earned him ACC Freshman of the Week honors, and comes in with expectations for a more developmental role.
Now, moving on to the next part of the schedule, NC State will play Stanford, Duke, UNC, and Georgia Tech to close out the season. Assuming things don't change, Bailey will be an essential piece in these games as he looks to continue to develop while finding ways to win games for his team.
