NC State QB CJ Bailey ‘ready to play’ ahead of starting debut at Clemson

NC State freshman quarterback CJ Bailey did not find out that he was going to be the starter at Clemson this weekend until Monday, but he appeared to be eager to hit the field for his first collegiate start a day later.

“I was excited,” Bailey said Tuesday. “I’m ready to play. We’ve got a big one coming up, and I’m ready to step out and have fun on that field.”

Bailey played the waning minutes of the second quarter and the entire second half against Louisiana Tech over the weekend, leading the Pack to a 30-20 comeback victory after graduate quarterback Grayson McCall departed with an injury (he is listed day-to-day moving forward).

The Miami, Fla., native was 13-of-20 passing for 156 yards and an interception with another 27 yards and a touchdown on the ground in his first consistent action. And that performance appeared to put Bailey, who will become the Pack’s first true freshman to start a road game since Philip Rivers in 2000, in the right mindset going into a tough environment at Death Valley on Saturday afternoon. 

For Bailey, this is like any other week. Although he is a freshman with just 50 total snaps under his belt at the collegiate level, Bailey has been on the national stage before. The quarterback helped lead Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna to back-to-back state titles, while also playing with and against elite talent on national television. 

While a road trip to Clemson’s Memorial Stadium could be daunting for a green quarterback, Bailey has a unique sense of confidence during his preparation this week. 

“I’m expecting to go into Death Valley and hear the crowd — everybody screaming, trying to get into our heads,” Bailey said following practice inside the Close-King Indoor Facility that featured loud crowd noise. “ We’re practicing for it, so I’ll be prepared and ready when I get there.”

The opportunity to play an entire half of football seemed to be good for Bailey. He helped pace the Wolfpack to a win, which included a 24-3 difference with him at the controls over the final half an hour to pull out the victory. 

The first-year quarterback was hit consistently — something he has not experienced since his final snaps as a high schooler. And in addition to that, Bailey also was able to learn from his performance, both the good and the bad.

“I feel like I did a great job,” Bailey said of the Louisiana Tech performance. “The main thing was to forget about the past and keep moving forward. I love the way I handled myself with the pressure and everything in the second half. I’m looking forward to playing a full four quarters at Clemson the same way.”

Bailey credited NC State’s senior leaders, including McCall, with helping him stay levelheaded. McCall, a former three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, told Bailey to stick to what he does best, while others are telling him to treat the Tigers like any other opponent. 

“It’s great to have those guys. They’re leaders, and they’re going to tell me what I should do and what I should not do,” Bailey said. “How to stay focused and detailed. … I think the best thing for me to do is to keep listening to those guys so everything goes right for the rest of the season. They know what they’re talking about.”

The details are important this week for Bailey, which he has been able to put to the test against NC State’s defense during practice. Even when he was not the Wolfpack’s starter, Bailey was able to gain valuable reps against NC State’s elite unit. 

He impressed junior cornerback Devon Marshall, who had a breakout game with two passes defended against Louisiana Tech. 

“Since spring ball, I’ve seen CJ make crazy plays, crazy throws,” Marshall said. “We’re all coming after him. Obviously, we can’t hit him in practice, but I’ve seen him grow a lot since he first got here and he’s going to keep getting better.”

While Marshall and the defense know Bailey is more than capable of handling himself on the field, they want to make his first start as painless as possible. 

And that means giving Bailey good field position each time he trots out. 

Bailey and the Wolfpack averaged starting on their own 29-yard line during the win over the Bulldogs. Marshall and the defense hope to keep the Pack offense out of harm’s way with a positive starting spot for each drive.

“We’re going to play as hard as we can and try to put them in the best position possible so he can make plays for the offense and won’t feel any pressure,” Marshall said. “We’re just going to try to go out there as a defense and give them good field position.”

The quarterback was able to record his first collegiate touchdown, a 1-yard rushing score, this past weekend. That seemed to boost his self-belief going into the biggest game of his young career. 

“Scoring a touchdown and throwing passes, it took some steam off me,” Bailey said. “I want to do that same thing going into Clemson. I feel like that first completion that I have, it’s going to keep rolling after that. It’s great to have those completions ,and hopefully I’ll score again this week.”