What they're saying about NC State QB CJ Bailey's rise to stardom

NC State quarterback CJ Bailey is rapidly raising his national profile. He's no stranger to the spotlight after playing his high school football for one of the top programs in the country, but the true freshman is establishing himself as one of the best first-year players in the country.

Bailey started each of the Wolfpack's past 3 matchups, throwing for 7 touchdowns and 1 interception during that stretch. He won the ACC rookie of the week award after defeating Cal a few weeks ago and is starting to garner more media attention from all over the country.

Here's what several national and local outlets are saying about Bailey right now as he continues a campaign for freshman All-America honors.

Charles Power, On3— Re-ranking the 5-stars from the 2024 cycle

If the season were to end today, CJ Bailey would be the quarterback on the True Freshman All-American Team. Bailey has taken off since assuming the starting role in Raleigh and has impressed with his improved accuracy and pocket awareness.

David Hale, ESPN

CJ Bailey was near perfect in NC State's 59-28 win over Stanford and made a very strong case for True Freshman of the Week Honors. The 6-foot-6 signal caller completed 18 of 20 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. Bailey also showed his athleticism setting up the Wolfpack's first score with a gain on the ground. The true freshman was cool in the pocket and was unbothered by pressure as he picked apart the Stanford defense. Bailey showed his improvisational skills, as he evaded pressure and found his tight end in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, delivering an impressive throw on the run. He later hit a great throw down the seam to fellow true freshman Keenan Jackson , before linking with Jackson on a fade pass for a score later in the drive. The game has continued to slow down for Bailey as he's received more critical in game reps. The Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna product has now led NC State to consecutive ACC wins and looks to be poised to make a strong run for the True Freshman All-American team.

NC State's offense won't do this every week moving forward, but it dominated an anemic defense. Even against other struggling units like Wake Forest or Louisiana Tech, the Wolfpack's passing game looked dysfunctional and the rushing attack had no momentum. Bailey and a core group of playmakers around him have helped elevate both the floor and the ceiling of that side of the ball.

"Most of all, it means a lot to see a win on our record," Bailey said. "That 59 is huge. I was telling those guys, we were up 31-21, I said, 'How does 60 points sound? Let's go for 60."

Bailey is the centerpiece of a program looking to make the most of a now-abbreviated season. NC State won 2 games in a row for the first time this fall, and the freshman quarterback looks like he's in complete control. He's making reads, improvising out of structure and giving a talented receiver room a chance to make plays consistently.

The signal-caller entered this game as Pro Football Focus's highest-graded true freshman quarterback. Over his past 3 contests, Bailey completed 75 percent of his throws for an average of 289.6 yards per game and 7 total passing touchdowns against 1 interception.

There's no better true first-year quarterback spinning the ball this season. He wasn't supposed to see the field this year and is now playing his way into freshman All-America consideration.

"It's getting to that point where it's just like everything is going smooth, everything is perfect," Bailey said.

Noah Fleischman, The Wolfpacker— Why NC State freshman QB CJ Bailey is ready for the moment at Clemson

He didn't look nervous. Instead, it was almost the complete opposite. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound 18-year old walked in with a smile on his face. He has always towered over most people in his life, reaching 6-foot-1 by the seventh grade, but as he strode towards the podium in front of nearly a dozen media members Tuesday afternoon, CJ Bailey looked at home.

Bailey, a true freshman quarterback, was four days ahead of his first-career start at NC State , but the signal-caller seemed like he was a natural. Each question he took in the press conference that lasted just over six minutes, Bailey was a pro. A thoughtful answer was delivered each time.

The Miami, Fla., native has a South Florida moxie mixed with confidence that he can do the job. He is ahead of schedule of where NC State thought he'd be this fall — learning from graduate quarterback Grayson McCall . But with the veteran on the mend from an undisclosed injury, it's Bailey's team in Raleigh.

Bailey has a mature presence about himself and that is not by sheer luck. The quarterback is used to the spotlight. He's used to the big crowds. And now, that will be put to the test Saturday afternoon inside Clemson's Death Valley in front of a sold-out crowd of 81,500 at Memorial Stadium.

But where did his swagger come from? Bailey's time at Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep seemed to prepare the first-year quarterback for the biggest game of his life.

"We had a couple games like this," Bailey said. "I know how to handle it and stay level headed throughout the game. ... Death Valley is just another one of those games with a big crowd. It's the same as what I used to do in high school."

Colby Trotter, Technician— COLUMN: Confidence and command define CJ Bailey's performance against Stanford

It was at the end of the first quarter against Stanford when it became clear that freshman quarterback CJ Bailey had full control of NC State football's offense. While NC State was changing sides of the field, Bailey was jumping up and down on the walk over with excitement, hyping up his teammates and encouraging them.

Right before the Wolfpack started the second quarter, Payton Wilson came over to NC State's sideline to give it a jolt of energy after just being enshrined into the ring of honor. The boost wasn't necessary, as Bailey already had his team locked in.

While NC State didn't score a touchdown on that drive, it was the third of five consecutive scoring drives that Bailey led in the first half. When Bailey took his first meaningful snaps this season against Louisiana Tech he proved he had the talent to play quarterback in college. In NC State's 59-28 win over Stanford, he showed the moxie and confidence it takes to play the position at a high level.

"He's starting to talk more," said graduate defensive end Davin Vann. "He's starting to demand respect through the way he plays. Being that spark for the offense and not just the offense but the defense and the team as a whole."

Bailey has improved in every start this season and against the Cardinal — he seemed to put everything together. He made decisive throws, stood tall in the pocket, improvised when he needed to and scrambled for positive yards when plays broke down.

Vishwa Veeraswamy, The Chronicle— Scouting the opponent: NC State's mobile quarterback CJ Bailey could pose a challenge for Blue Devils

The Wolfpack had a tough start to the year; they unconvincingly beat Western Carolina before getting crushed in a 51-10 blowout against Tennessee. Following a quarterback injury and poor defense, N.C. State found itself sitting at 3-4, a disappointing record for a team that came into the season ranked with ACC Championship aspirations. Since then, however, the Wolfpack have rattled off wins against California and Stanford, with the latter ending 59-28.

Leading the resurgence has been new quarterback CJ Bailey. The freshman stud has been lights out this season, totaling a 157.0 passer rating through seven games. His arm strength and accuracy are eye popping, and if he has the time to get a strong throw off, the Duke defense should be worried. Bailey's ability to throw the ball deep across the hashes gives N.C. State's offense the ability to spread defenses out and create space for its weapons. Watch here as he drops a dime perfectly into the hands of his receiver 17 yards across the field. (3:13)

Watching that play, it is clear that Bailey can make the defense pay when given time. At the same time, he also excels in buying himself a few extra seconds. The Miami native scrambles very well, and he can also evade pressure to create space for himself to throw — and give his receivers time to get open. The Blue Devils have struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season, best exemplified by Miami's Cam Ward's 400 yards passing and five touchdowns this past weekend. Watch here as Bailey gets out of the pocket and directs his receiver across the end zone to find him for a touchdown pass. (4:49)