NC State QB CJ Bailey never thought of entering transfer portal: ‘This is where I want to be’

NC State freshman quarterback CJ Bailey isn’t afraid to share what’s on his mind. After a loss, he’d take the blame as the team’s signal-caller, even though this was supposed to be a developmental year for him behind graduate Grayson McCall. 

He wasn’t shy about his view on Bill Belichick becoming North Carolina’s head coach, either, saying “Shoot, Bill Belichick will get it too. We’re going five [straight] years. No matter who the coach is for UNC, we’re going to kick them.”

But while Bailey, who was set to graduate from Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Maddonna Prep this time last year, is honest, he is a grounded individual. The quarterback was among the top freshman signal-callers in all of college football this past fall, which generated interest from other power conference programs around the country for him to leave through the transfer portal. That didn’t matter to Bailey.

He didn’t have one foot out the door. Actually, he was set on staying at NC State, which was reaffirmed as he signed a new contract with 1Pack NIL and Savage Wolves last week to remain the Pack’s quarterback moving forward. 

“I always had plans of coming back,” Bailey said Wednesday. “I’ve enjoyed my time here and I’ve enjoyed being with these coaches and guys. The fan base is amazing. Why would I leave? There’s no reason for me to leave or go anywhere. I’m not in it for the money. I’m trying to play, win games and go to the next level. That’s my goal and why I’m here.”

That settles that. Bailey never let the transfer portal rumors stir as he is genuinely happy in Raleigh. And that’s a positive for the Wolfpack, who has its starting quarterback returning for the following season for the first time since Devin Leary entered the 2022 campaign. 

For NC State coach Dave Doeren, this is an unusual feeling. He doesn’t have to recruit the transfer portal for a starting quarterback for the first time in two years, using that time for other key positions of need — including offensive line to protect the new face of the program. 

“The offseason’s different when you know going into that next phase who the guy is you’re looking at,” Doeren said on National Signing Day, nixing any talk of a transfer starter coming into the program. “CJ’s ready to run the show.”

Where did Doeren get the confidence in Bailey? In all honesty, it arrived during spring practice and fall camp as he whizzed the ball around, looking more mature than the average freshman quarterback. And when his opportunity came with eight starts as a freshman, Bailey dazzled in nearly every step of the way.

Bailey impressed as a starter with 2,183 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His 64.1% completion rate was the best-ever for a freshman in program history and so was his 140.8 efficiency mark. He also boasted the second-most passing yards by an FBS freshman this fall, despite starting just eight games

But this wasn’t supposed to be his year to be “the guy.” McCall, a three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, held that title. But after two concussions ended his season early, Bailey was thrown into the fire.

His first-career start? That came at Clemson in front of 81,500 raucous fans in Death Valley on Sept. 21 after McCall departed the game prior early with what was later diagnosed as a concussion. Welcome to college football. Bailey was 16-of-25 passing for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception that day, a 59-35 loss.

That start might have been the best thing to happen to Bailey. It opened his eyes on what college football is and what it takes to be successful.

“It was fast-paced and I had to adjust mid-game. Even though I came in with good intentions, I wasn’t ready,” Bailey said. “I wasn’t ready for the game. Those guys came fast. I had to learn this is big time, I gotta step up and change the way I do everything.”

Bailey started against Northern Illinois the following week, his first win at the helm of the Pack for an entire game. And when he made his next start after McCall’s second concussion a couple weeks later, Bailey took his game to a new level.

The Miami, Fla., native logged a 70.8 completion rate for 329 yards and two touchdowns with a pick against Syracuse on Oct. 12 before he followed it up with his second straight 300-yard game at Cal with 306 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns in a comeback win.

Bailey was the only true freshman in college football to record back-to-back efforts with 300 passing yards this season. And even though his streak was snapped against Stanford, he was still magnificent with a 90% completion rate and three touchdowns in a 59-28 win over the Cardinal.

That three-game stretch showed what Bailey was capable of, even though freshman mistakes followed against Duke (a season-low 41% completion rate) and at Georgia Tech (three interceptions, two of which led to touchdowns in a 1-point loss).

Bailey, however, shook the rough patch. He helped lead NC State past North Carolina in the season finale with 242 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on a 70% completion mark. The victory, which included a game-winning drive with less than a minute to play, punched the Wolfpack’s ticket to bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season.

And the quarterback left those wearing red and white in astonishment with what he was able to do, including a 44-yard pass to redshirt freshman wideout Noah Rogers with two defenders on him that set up the game-winning score.

“CJ’s got it all,” redshirt freshman running back Hollywood Smothers said after the win at UNC. “He’s back there calm. He’s a leader in the huddle every time. He’s got all the intangibles back there and we trust him with the ball in his hands. He made a lot of big plays, especially for guys his age. As a freshman quarterback … he’s ahead of his time.”

As Bailey prepares for the Military Bowl, using the month’s worth of practices to develop for 2025, he has a lot of experience to pull from. His first year in college football taught him more than just the Xs and Os. It set a clear foundation for next season as the Pack looks to continue to build off Bailey’s solid freshman campaign.

The biggest thing he took away from 2024? Embracing he’s the heartbeat of the offense.

“I learned that when you’re the starter, and you’re the guy for the team, everybody is depending on you,” Bailey said. “You have to come in with a different mindset. You have to come in every day knowing that you’re the guy.”

Bailey put that mindset together and it paid off for the Wolfpack. It paid off with a successful freshman year that had the signal-caller in the running to be a True Freshman All-American. Now, he’s prepared to take an even bigger step forward next fall.

And he’s going to do it with the Wolfpack, not a different team.

“It’s good that other people have interest in me, but this is where my heart’s at. This is where my head’s at,” Bailey said. “I love Coach Doeren. I love Coach [Kurt] Roper. This is where I want to be.”