Ahead of the 2026 college football season, I’ll be dropping my preseason power rankings for the five major teams in the Carolina, including Clemson, Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Checking in at No. 2 is the NC State Wolfpack.
Every few years NC State has a team that appears poised to be a dark horse in the ACC, most recently in 2024. Yet every year that team tends to fall on its face and underwhelm. Can head coach Dave Doeren finally break that cycle this season with hype building around quarterback CJ Bailey and the surrounding core? 2026 may very well be a repeat of the cycle, but this year’s schedule offers a unique opportunity for the Wolfpack to finally break through.
While ideally I’d avoid starting with the schedule for a power ranking, it’s impossible to ignore NC State’s slate of games. The Pack will face just one team ranked in the preseason AP Top 25: No. 24 Louisville at home. Outside of the Cardinals the Wolfpack’s toughest matchups are road games at Virginia and Vanderbilt. That trio of opponents comes in the first half of the season before the home stretch opens up with several lower tier ACC opponents. If NC State can win even one of those games, a 10 win campaign is on the table.
While the offense saw plenty of change, three key pieces remain intact: head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterback. QB CJ Bailey enters his third year in the program with 22 total starts and strong familiarity with offensive coordinator Kurt Roper’s system. I’d expect Bailey to take another step forward this year. Bailey is now a team captain and is evolving into a more vocal leader in addition to his work on the field.
Bailey’s strengths as a quarterback stem from his impressive physical traits. A six-foot-six athletic playmaker, Bailey has the arm strength needed to attack any spot on the field and enough speed to navigate the pocket and scramble for first downs. Additionally, he’s proven he can work efficiently through reads, demonstrated by his 68.8% completion percentage. Where Bailey still struggles is making smart reads under pressure, leading to risky throws. Additionally, Bailey occasionally sails passes over receivers in the intermediate game. Improving one or both of these problems would elevate Bailey from one of the better ACC quarterbacks to a nationally elite QB.
While Bailey remains, his top offensive teammates are gone. Running back Hollywood Smothers, offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak, and receivers Noah Rogers and Terrell Anderson transferred out to bigger programs, while tight end Justin Joly was drafted by the Denver Broncos. Additionally, breakout receiver Teddy Hoffman is suspended for the entire 2026 season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. If the Wolfpack wants to build off of last season, it will need its young players and new transfers to step up.
The Wolfpack will look to Duke Scott to lead the running back room this season. Scott racked up 595 yards on the ground with 5.6 yards per carry. In his two starts against No. 8 Georgia Tech and Memphis, Scott achieved over 100 yards in both games. Against the Yellow Jackets, Scott pounded Georgia Tech’s defense for 196 rushing yards and was instrumental in NC State’s ability to pull off the upset. Scott’s combination of power and speed, shown by his 375 pound power clean and 4.35 40 yard dash, makes him especially dangerous. After receiving the No. 1 jersey, a prestigious honor awarded annually by the coaching staff for leadership, it’s clear that Scott will be the top option for the Pack in the run game.
While Scott will receive much of the workload on first and second downs, UNC transfer Davion Gause and quarterback Will Wilson will see snaps on third downs. In limited action, Gause showed promise as a pass catcher and is a better blocker than Scott. Meanwhile, Wilson proved to be a short yardage specialist for NC State last season despite being a QB. Wilson ran in 10 touchdowns last year and was often called upon to move the chains in short yardage situations.
At receiver, Keenan Jackson is the lone returner that is expected to play a key role. The Waxhaw native is a quality X receiver who can win jump balls with his large frame and will look to build off a 281 yard sophomore campaign. Inside, I expect Buffalo transfer Victor Snow to start in the slot. While Snow is only five-foot-eight, he’s incredibly dangerous after the catch and earned 1st-Team All-MAC honors last season. Snow will also contribute on special teams.
The Wolfpack will need at least one more player to step up as a receiver. NC State will need someone to stretch the field on the outside, which is where App State transfer Davion Dozier and Miami transfer Joshisha Trader fit in. Dozier is the more established player with a whopping 20.4 yards per catch last year and a key piece for the Mountaineers. Trader has more upside as a former top 100 high school prospect with a track background. Notably, Trader played high school football with Bailey at Chaminade-Madonna.
The Wolfpack is replacing most of its production at tight end and will lean on Montana State transfer Hunter Provience and Oregon transfer Vander Ploog. Provience is a proven pass blocker and FCS national champion, while Ploog has untapped potential as a former four star prospect.
On the offensive line, the Wolfpack enjoyed key wins by retaining right tackle Teague Andersen and center Spike Sowells Jr. Bringing back Sowells was particularly important after he surrendered just four pressures and no sacks in 128 pass blocking snaps. At guard there’s a three way competition between Kamen Smith, Yousef Mugharbil, and Texas transfer Daniel Cruz. For now I’d project Mugharbil to start at left guard, Smith at right guard, and Cruz to be a versatile backup. Rounding out the offensive line is left tackle Jimarion McCrimon, an ECU transfer who leans towards being a better pass protector than run blocker.
Defensively, NC State returns defensive coordinator DJ Eliot for year 2. He’ll run a 3-4 scheme with two high safeties. Last year’s defense was wildly inconsistent with the new scheme and a rash of injuries, but with a year to build the defense to fit his scheme better the defense should improve.
The defensive line is likely NC State’s biggest question mark. At nose tackle, Josiah Victor is expected to step in to replace Brandon Cleveland, who was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders. Isaiah Shirley is a safe bet to start on the end, who notably earned a scoop and score vs Wake Forest last season. I’d also watch for Joseph Adedire to rotate in on passing downs and Colby Cronk, a defensive end with impressive physical tools, to factor into the rotation.
Harvey Dyson III, a Tulane transfer, was one of the Pack’s biggest transfer portal additions this year and could lead the Wolfpack in sacks from the “Jack” position. Dyson posted eight sacks last year in a breakout campaign, including sacks in the Green Wave’s biggest games in the AAC championship and first round of the College Football Playoff.
Under Doeren, NC State has produced several exceptional linebackers. The Wolfpack is hoping that Miami transfer Popo Aguirre Jr. can be the next great linebacker in Raleigh. Aguirre appeared in 39 games with the Hurricanes, primarily in a reserve role. However, when he got his opportunity on the field he displayed excellent instincts and the ability to play fast. While Aguirre is undersized, he’s the safest bet to see the field at linebacker for the Pack.
Elsewhere in the linebacker room, I’d watch out for AJ Richardson and Penn State transfer DaKaari Nelson. Richardson was a standout at the Juco level and is now a team captain for the Wolfpack. Expect Richardson to provide run support on early downs. Nelson is likely to play in passing situations and is a converted safety who excels in zone coverage.
The secondary has the highest upside of any area on the defense. Brian Nelson II returns and will start on the outside as a high risk-high reward corner who will try to bait QBs into risky throws. Opposite of Nelson, I project Georgia transfer Ondre Evans to take the other outside corner spot. Evans struggled with injuries with the Bulldogs, but is a former four star prospect that the Wolfpack wanted out of high school. After a brief tour in Athens, Evans arrives in Raleigh with elite speed and will likely be tasked with locking down opposing vertical speed threats.
At nickel, Jackson Vick returns after gaining valuable experience last season. Vick struggled with the role early but improved by the end of the year. Rounding out the secondary are safeties Ronnie Royal and Penn State transfer King Mack. Royal is an undersized, but hyper athletic free safety who was once a blue chip recruit. Like Vick, Royal worked through a learning curve last season, but became much better in the final weeks of the season. Mack is also an undersized safety, but holds up as a steady tackler. Additionally, Mack has impressive speed and is a nice option as a last line of defense.
The Wolfpack will depend on transfers across the board to maximize its window with Bailey. However, with a soft schedule and some hits in transfer evaluation, 2026 has the potential to be one of Doeren’s best seasons. While I believe the Pack ultimately falls short of an elusive ACC championship game appearance, the stars are aligned for NC State to win nine plus games and maintain the steady model of consistently being good that Doeren has established.