Three questions for NC State football during its spring practice schedule

By Noah Fleischman

After NC State spent the past two months inside the Murphy Center weight room during winter workouts, the Wolfpack is set to open its spring practice slate on Tuesday morning Feb. 25 to begin building for the 2025 campaign. 

The Pack, which went 6-7 with a Military Bowl appearance this past season, is looking to build momentum to reach at least eight wins for the seventh time in nine years under coach Dave Doeren. NC State was able to retain most of its talent while bolstering areas of need through the transfer portal, using the 15-practice slate to establish chemistry across the board. 

As the Wolfpack looks to prepare for the fall, here are three questions that the team will need to answer during the spring practice schedule. 

How does QB CJ Bailey continue to improve after a standout freshman season?

This is a pivotal time for rising sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey, who made nine starts in place of injured signal-caller Grayson McCall in a year that was supposed to be a learning experience. He was able to impress in the process with 2,413 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions after being thrown into the fire. 

Where does he start in spring practice? Two places. Bailey is working on adding weight to his 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame, while the film room after practice is a key area for him to learn. Oh, and Bailey is working to not only continue his momentum from last year, but he will do it in a new system under first-year offensive coordinator Kurt Roper. 

Watching the practice tape each day, dissecting what he learned and using that information in the future, is a key part of the way Roper teaches. He expects Bailey to thrive in that department. 

“I really teach football in three phases,” Roper said. “You’ve got to know the system, one, you have to understand situational football, two, and then you have to really start to grasp what defenses are trying to do. And all of those are never-ending. They’re unending, right? So, he’s working on that part of it in the film room.”

What does NC State’s offensive line look like?

NC State’s front five will have a new look in 2025. Standout left tackle Anthony Belton, center Zeke Correll and right guard Timothy McKay are all out of eligibility and going through the NFL Draft process. That leaves a trio of spots up for grabs during the spring practice slate. 

Redshirt junior tackle Jacarrius Peak is expected to slide into Belton’s spot on the left side, which will create a brand-new right end of the offensive front. Those three positions — center, right guard and right tackle — are filled with competition. 

Purdue transfer Jalen Grant and freshman Isaac “Spike” Sowells Jr. are viewed as the top two options at center, while redshirt junior Val Erickson and redshirt sophomore Kamen Smith seem to be the frontrunners at right guard. Utah State transfer Teague Andersen appears to be the Pack’s starting option at right tackle, but keep an eye on redshirt freshmen Trent Mitchell and Tyler West to push the experienced lineman throughout the practice slate.

Who fills what role in new defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot’s new scheme?

While the Pack’s defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot will keep the same 3-3 stack base look that NC State deployed under Tony Gibson the past four seasons, he will alter pieces of it. NC State will be multiple this fall, allowing for a true edge rusher to have a consistent role within the Wolfpack’s system.

Who will fill that spot? NC State has competition there. Graduate transfer Tra Thomas, who played in Eliot’s scheme during his first season at Temple, is a contender, while redshirt sophomore Kelvon McBride and redshirt freshman Elijah Groves could also play that role. 

In addition to edge rushers, the Pack has to replace several players in the secondary due to transfer portal exits or exhausted eligibility. Temple transfer corner Jamel Johnson seems primed to take one of the starting outside corner spots, while Georgia State transfer JJ Johnson appears to be the leader at free safety. Strong safety is the wild card of the bunch with a trio of young players pushing for the starting spot — redshirt sophomores Daemon Fagan and Zack Myers, and redshirt freshman Ronnie Royal III.