NC State Wolfpack 2026 Season Preview

CJ Bailey is the centerpiece and one of the more established passers in the ACC. The 6-6 junior threw for 3,105 yards with 25 touchdowns against just nine interceptions on a 68.8 percent completion rate last fall and added six rushing scores, a clear jump from a freshman year in which he completed 65 percent for 2,413 yards. He already ranks among the program's most productive young passers, and with two full seasons in this system he is asked less to learn than to refine. Doeren has called him the team's alpha, and the preseason read has him pushing toward the top tier of league quarterbacks. Behind him, sophomore Will Wilson is a running threat who once tied for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season, and transfer Tad Hudson adds starting experience to a deep room.

The receiving corps was gutted; the top five pass-catchers from 2025 are gone. Junior Keenan Jackson is the lone meaningful returner after a 28-catch, 281-yard, two-touchdown season and gives Bailey a familiar target while the rest of the group sorts itself out. The staff leaned hard on the portal to reload: Appalachian State's Davion Dozier and former Miami wideouts Chance Robinson and Joshisa Trader all arrive with a shot to start, while Buffalo transfer Victor Snow brings a team-high eight touchdown catches from a year ago and could become a primary weapon. At tight end, sophomore Preston Douglas steps into a larger role. Expect a learning curve early as Bailey builds timing with so many new faces, but the talent to approach last year's downfield output is here.

Jayden "Duke" Scott takes over the backfield after serving as the change-of-pace option behind departed lead back Hollywood Smothers, who left via the portal. The redshirt sophomore ran for 581 yards at 5.5 per carry in that complementary role and profiles as a back with a low center of gravity who reaches top speed quickly. He gets help from North Carolina transfer Davion Gause, who brings 585 career rushing yards and welcome depth. If the line holds up, this group can match its 2025 production.

The front is the offense's quiet strength. NC State loses three starters but returns five linemen who drew starts last season and adds a trio of transfers, and Doeren has called it his best line in some time. Left tackle Jimarion McCrimon, a first-team all-conference pick after transferring in from East Carolina, anchors the edge, with versatile senior Teague Andersen, who has started at three spots, on the other side. Center Spike Sowells, a former freshman All-America, headlines the interior alongside Daniel Cruz and Kamen Smith. That continuity should ease the transition even as new skill players find their footing.

The defense returns just two starters overall, and the line was rebuilt from scratch after losing all four 2025 starters. Sophomore nose tackle Josiah Victor is set to anchor the interior, with junior Isaiah Shirley expected to start at tackle once he recovers from offseason surgery that cost him spring practice. Chase Bond factors on the edge, but the headliner is JACK end Harvey Dyson, a Tulane transfer who led the American with eight sacks and posted 11.5 tackles for loss for a College Football Playoff team. His timely pass rush is expected to be pivotal for a group with almost no returning production, and how quickly this new front gels may dictate how the rest of the defense functions.

The linebacker spot underwent a full overhaul. Miami transfer Popo Aguirre steps in at the middle after showing leadership traits in the spring, joined by Da'Karri Nelson, a former Penn State player, on the weak side. The concern is experience: the projected front-seven newcomers carry only a couple of career starts between them, so early development will be critical for a unit replacing its top tacklers. The staff is banking on Doeren's track record of player development, one of his calling cards, to bring the group along in a hurry.

This is where the defense holds its veteran presence. Cornerback Brian Nelson II returns as a starter, with Georgia transfer Ondre Evans the likely choice opposite him and Jackson Vick manning the nickel. The safety room is deep in game reps. Sophomore Asaad Brown Jr., the team's third-leading tackler last season and its top returning tackler, is a fixture, and the staff imported King Mack from Penn State to fortify the back end; a former blue-chip recruit with 58 tackles already on his ledger, he projects to start and could be in for a breakout. Tristan Teasdell, a part-time starter a year ago, and Ronnie Royal III round out the competition. With the front so green, NC State forced barely one turnover per game in 2025, and lifting that number may be imperative.

Special teams should be a plus. Senior kicker Kanoah Vinesett went 5-for-6 on field goals with a long of 51 and a near-perfect 48-for-49 on extra points, hitting 23 of 30 tries over the past two seasons. The punting turns over to Arkansas State transfer Jackson Waller, who averaged 41.3 yards and dropped 19 of his 59 punts inside the 20 last fall, replacing a three-year starter. This is typically one of the program's more reliable phases, with enough here to swing field position.