{"id":74848,"date":"2024-11-08T08:27:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T14:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/what-theyre-saying-about-nc-state-qb-cj-baileys-rise-to-stardom\/"},"modified":"2024-11-08T08:27:32","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T14:27:32","slug":"what-theyre-saying-about-nc-state-qb-cj-baileys-rise-to-stardom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/what-theyre-saying-about-nc-state-qb-cj-baileys-rise-to-stardom\/","title":{"rendered":"What they\u2019re saying about NC State QB CJ Bailey\u2019s rise to stardom"},"content":{"rendered":"

NC State<\/a> quarterback CJ Bailey<\/a><\/strong> is rapidly raising his national profile. He\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

Bailey started each of the Wolfpack\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what several national and local outlets are saying about Bailey right now as he continues a campaign for freshman All-America honors. <\/p>\n

Charles Power, On3\u2014 Re-ranking the 5-stars from the 2024 cycle<\/a><\/h2>\n

If the season were to end today,\u00a0CJ Bailey<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0would 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.<\/p>\n

David Hale, ESPN<\/a><\/h2>\n
\n\n

Since Week 4, NC State QB CJ Bailey ranks\u2026<\/p>\n

10th in P4 in yards\/att (8.71)
6th in comp% (70.1%)
14th in pass TD (11)
10th in TD:INT rate (3.67)<\/p>\n

\u2014 (@ADavidHaleJoint) November 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n

\n\n

Total QBR, ACC starters
Ward, 91.7
H. King, 84.0
Klubnik, 81.6
Shough, 74.6
Criswell, 70.5
Jennings, 69.7
Bailey, 68.4
McCord, 67.6
Mendoza, 65.1
Drones, 58.0
Bachmeier, 57.7
Holstein, 54.0
Murphy, 53.2
Colandrea, 46.4
Daniels, 45.4
Glenn, 44.2
Castellanos, 44.0<\/p>\n

\u2014 (@ADavidHaleJoint) November 8, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Charles Power, On3\u2014 True Freshman Standouts from Week 10 of College Football<\/a><\/h2>\n

CJ Bailey<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was near perfect in NC State\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u00a0Keenan Jackson<\/a><\/strong>, 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Pro Football Focus <\/a><\/h2>\n
\n\n

Highest Graded Week 10 True Freshman pic.twitter.com\/TdFR1EnrLC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 PFF College (@PFF_College) November 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n

\n\n

Highest Graded True Freshman This Season pic.twitter.com\/SOKdqZcojy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 PFF College (@PFF_College) November 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Ethan McDowell, The Wolfpacker\u2014 Column: NC State\u2019s youthful offense is playing inspired football, enjoy it<\/a><\/h2>\n

NC State\u2019s offense won\u2019t do this every week moving forward, but it dominated an anemic defense.\u00a0Even against other struggling units like Wake Forest or Louisiana Tech, the Wolfpack\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of all, it means a lot to see a win on our record,\u201d Bailey said. \u201cThat 59 is huge. I was telling those guys,\u00a0 we were up 31-21, I said, \u2018How does 60 points sound? Let\u2019s go for 60.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s in complete control. He\u2019s making reads, improvising out of structure and giving a talented receiver room a chance to make plays consistently.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The signal-caller entered this game as Pro Football Focus\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no better true first-year quarterback spinning the ball this season. He wasn\u2019t supposed to see the field this year and is now playing his way into freshman All-America consideration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s getting to that point where it\u2019s just like everything is going smooth, everything is perfect,\u201d Bailey said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Noah Fleischman, The Wolfpacker\u2014 Why NC State freshman QB CJ Bailey is ready for the moment at Clemson<\/a><\/h2>\n

He didn\u2019t 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,\u00a0CJ Bailey<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0looked at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bailey, a true freshman quarterback, was four days ahead of his first-career start at\u00a0NC State<\/a>, 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019d be this fall \u2014 learning from graduate quarterback\u00a0Grayson McCall<\/a><\/strong>. But with the veteran on the mend from an undisclosed injury, it\u2019s Bailey\u2019s team in Raleigh.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bailey has a mature presence about himself and that is not by sheer luck. The quarterback is used to the spotlight. He\u2019s used to the big crowds. And now, that will be put to the test Saturday afternoon inside Clemson\u2019s Death Valley in front of a sold-out crowd of 81,500 at Memorial Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But where did his swagger come from? Bailey\u2019s time at Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep seemed to prepare the first-year quarterback for the biggest game of his life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a couple games like this,\u201d Bailey said. \u201cI know how to handle it and stay level headed throughout the game. \u2026 Death Valley is just another one of those games with a big crowd. It\u2019s the same as what I used to do in high school.\u201d<\/p>\n

CFBNumbers<\/a><\/h2>\n
\n\n

QB play for JUST the games this weekend. First up is the Power 5. Jaxson Dart is your P5 QB of the week after dismantling Arkansas, CJ Bailey hello! #CFB<\/a> #CollegeFootball<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rsXZoMZzfj<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 CFBNumbers (@CFBNumbers) November 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Colby Trotter, Technician\u2014 COLUMN: Confidence and command define CJ Bailey\u2019s performance against Stanford<\/a><\/h2>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Right before the Wolfpack started the second quarter, Payton Wilson came over to NC State\u2019s sideline to give it a jolt of energy after just being enshrined into the ring of honor. The boost wasn\u2019t necessary, as Bailey already had his team locked in.<\/p>\n

While NC State didn\u2019t 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\u2019s 59-28 win over Stanford, he showed the moxie and confidence it takes to play the position at a high level.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s starting to talk more,\u201d said graduate defensive end Davin Vann. \u201cHe\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bailey has improved in every start this season and against the Cardinal \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

Vishwa Veeraswamy, The Chronicle\u2014 Scouting the opponent: NC State\u2019s mobile quarterback CJ Bailey could pose a challenge for Blue Devils<\/a><\/h2>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s ability to throw the ball deep across the hashes gives N.C. State\u2019s 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)<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 and give his receivers time to get open. The Blue Devils have struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season, best exemplified by Miami\u2019s Cam Ward\u2019s 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)<\/p>\n

The post What they\u2019re saying about NC State QB CJ Bailey\u2019s rise to stardom<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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