CJ Bailey Named Top-100 Player by ON3 Ahead of 2026 Season

ON3 released its Way-Too-Early Top 100 Players for the 2026 season this week, and NC State quarterback CJ Bailey earned a spot on the list, checking in at No. 90 overall.

Bailey was ranked as the 14th-best quarterback in the country and the second-highest ranked signal caller in the ACC.

Entering the 2026 season, ON3 also ranks Bailey as the 10th-best overall player in the ACC, trailing only:

1. Miami Wide Receiver Malachi Toney (2)
2. Louisville Running Back Isaac Brown (24)
3. FSU Wide Receiver Duce Robinson (32)
4. Clemson EDGE Will Heldt (67)
5. Louisville Safety Antonio Watts (71)
6. Miami Defensive Tackle Ahmad Moten (72)
7. SMU Offensive Tackle PJ Williams (76)
8. Cal Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (85)
9. Miami Running Back Mark Fletcher (88)
10. NC State Quarterback CJ Bailey (90)

Bailey is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign in which he completed 68.8% of his passes for 3,105 yards and 25 touchdowns, throwing just nine interceptions. His 150.7 passer rating ranked as the third-best single-season mark in NC State history.

Even more impressive, Bailey’s career passer rating of 147.8 is the best in program history.

Through two seasons, Bailey has already thrown for 5,518 yards and 469 completions, both ranking eighth all-time at NC State. His 7.89 yards per attempt ranks second in school history, while his six career 300-yard games rank sixth.

At just a rising junior, Bailey has firmly established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in college football heading into 2026.