A real, specific, decades-long program drought
NC State hasn't won a conference title since 1979 — genuinely the longest active streak without one among Power 4 programs, a real backdrop to every "is this finally the year" storyline.
ACC FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 10 OF 17
NC STATE WOLFPACK
2026 Season Snapshot • Raleigh, North Carolina
7–5 (Gasparilla Bowl vs. Memphis)
ACC
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for NC State.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Dave Doeren — 14th season at NC State
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
118–74 (college, 2 programs); 95–70 at NC State
Won back-to-back MAC titles at Northern Illinois before taking over NC State in 2013, becoming the program's second-winningest coach ever. Four 8- plus-win seasons in the last five years, but has never reached an ACC title game — a real, specific gap in an otherwise consistently successful tenure.
NC STATE ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 7-5 (regular season), capped by a season-ending 42-19 win over rival UNC. NC State has been Doeren's version of consistently good- not-great: competitive nearly every year, but the program hasn't won an ACC title since 1979 — the longest active drought of any Power 4 program in a single conference.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$5.75M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per FOIA'd documents obtained by Pack Insider (through 2029, $125K annual raises); assistant staff also received raises league-wide, led by co-DC Charlton Warren. NC State has not disclosed a team NIL figure; Doeren has publicly called for more NIL donor support at fundraising events.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- A real, specific, decades-long program drought: NC State hasn't won a conference title since 1979 — genuinely the longest active streak without one among Power 4 programs, a real backdrop to every "is this finally the year" storyline.
- Elite, proven QB continuity is the real foundation for 2026 optimism: CJ Bailey turned down the transfer portal to return for a third year after throwing for 3,105 yds, 25 TD, 9 INT (79.4 QBR) in 2025 — a genuine, credentialed reason for real optimism.
- A real, specific defensive weakness to fix: NC State finished 111th in total defense and 132nd against the pass in 2025 — DC D.J. Eliot's ability to fix the secondary specifically is the clearest swing factor for a breakthrough season.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Kurt Roper • 2nd season • Multiple
Enters year two with real continuity around Bailey, one of the more productive quarterbacks in the ACC. Beat writers specifically praise the offensive line's rebuilt depth and cohesion in front of him heading into 2026.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
D.J. Eliot • Charlton Warren — 2nd season (co-DCs) • Multiple
Enter year two tasked with fixing a defense that ranked 111th nationally and 132nd against the pass in 2025 — a real, specific, quantifiable problem after a heavy portal investment in defensive backs this offseason.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
7–5 (Gasparilla Bowl vs. Memphis)
Closed the regular season with a 42-19 win over rival North Carolina, Bailey's second career win in the rivalry. A solid, if unspectacular, season in line with Doeren's recent norm at the program.
HOME FIELD
Carter–Finley Stadium
Tifway 419 Bermuda grass, Raleigh. Home to a program with real, sustained competence under Doeren but a decades-long conference title drought — beat writers frame 2026, with Bailey and both coordinators back, as a real chance to finally break through.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | CJ Bailey | Jr | ★★★★★ | Four-star signee (Chaminade-Madonna Prep, Hollywood, Fla.; No. 29 QB in the 2024 class); led his high school to three straight state titles. 2026 Preseason Maxwell Award Watch List honoree; threw for 3,105 yds, 25 TD, 9 INT (79.4 QBR) in 2025 and turned down transfer-portal interest to return for a third season. |
| WR1 | JoJo Trader | — | ★★★★★ | Miami transfer (former four-star at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, the same high school as Bailey); real, pre-existing chemistry with his new quarterback dating back to their prep days. |
QB1CJ BaileyJr★★★★★
Four-star signee (Chaminade-Madonna Prep, Hollywood, Fla.; No. 29 QB in the 2024 class); led his high school to three straight state titles. 2026 Preseason Maxwell Award Watch List honoree; threw for 3,105 yds, 25 TD, 9 INT (79.4 QBR) in 2025 and turned down transfer-portal interest to return for a third season.
WR1JoJo Trader—★★★★★
Miami transfer (former four-star at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, the same high school as Bailey); real, pre-existing chemistry with his new quarterback dating back to their prep days.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Carter Jr. | OG | — | ★★★★★ | Three-star signee (Butler HS, Matthews, N.C.; No. 25 in-state, No. 53 OG nationally). 2025 team captain and returning starter (26 career starts); beat writers specifically describe the offensive line's rebuilt depth and cohesion as a real strength heading into 2026. |
Anthony Carter Jr.OG—★★★★★
Three-star signee (Butler HS, Matthews, N.C.; No. 25 in-state, No. 53 OG nationally). 2025 team captain and returning starter (26 career starts); beat writers specifically describe the offensive line's rebuilt depth and cohesion as a real strength heading into 2026.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- Real, praised continuity up front protecting an elite, proven quarterback is a genuine positive — among the more stable position groups in the entire conference.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Front seven under Eliot/Warren | DL | Part of a defense that finished 111th nationally in 2025; a heavy portal investment in the secondary this offseason should also help the front generate more pressure situations. |
Front seven under Eliot/WarrenDL
Part of a defense that finished 111th nationally in 2025; a heavy portal investment in the secondary this offseason should also help the front generate more pressure situations.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Sean Brown and Caden Fordham , both 2025 team captains, anchor a linebacker corps with real returning leadership even as the defense as a whole looks to fix its ranking near the bottom of the country.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary rebuilt via portal | DB | ★★★★★ | NC State finished 132nd nationally against the pass in 2025 and specifically targeted the transfer portal to address it; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1. |
Secondary rebuilt via portalDB★★★★★
NC State finished 132nd nationally against the pass in 2025 and specifically targeted the transfer portal to address it; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. With Bailey back, both coordinators returning, and a manageable schedule, Doeren has publicly said he believes a 10-win season — and a real shot at ending the 1979 title drought — is possible in 2026.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
7-6
53.8% cover rate — 34th of 82
2025 Straight up
8-5
Point differential +40
Scoring environment
57.4
Combined points per game — 16th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
5-2 · 1-4
Totals 7-6 O/U (4-3 home, 3-2 road)
Points scored / allowed
30.2 per game scored (33rd) · 27.2 allowed (56th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +3.1 (42nd) · Strength of schedule +2.2
- Home / road: Home 5-2 ATS, road 1-4 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 7-6 O/U — 4-3 at home, 3-2 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 7-6 (53.8% cover rate) across 13 games.
- Trend: Averaged 30.2 points and allowed 27.2, a 57.4 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+4.1
37th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+5.5
25th of 82
Defensive SRS
0
49th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+3.1 · 42nd of 82
Against the spread
7-6 (53.8%) · 34th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
57.4 · 16th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for NC State.
Quarterback
Elite, proven QB continuity is the real foundation for 2026 optimism
CJ Bailey turned down the transfer portal to return for a third year after throwing for 3,105 yds, 25 TD, 9 INT (79.4 QBR) in 2025 — a genuine, credentialed reason for real optimism.
Secondary
A real, specific defensive weakness to fix
NC State finished 111th in total defense and 132nd against the pass in 2025 — DC D.J. Eliot's ability to fix the secondary specifically is the clearest swing factor for a breakthrough season.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.