“Anytime you got CJ Bailey, you got a chance,” former FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher said on ACC Huddle. “We were talking about Darren Benson being the first pick of the draft. It’s not unforeseen to see this guy be the first pick of the draft. Very rarely, you always worry about quarterbacks sometimes getting too big. He’s 6’7″, but he runs like he’s 6’1″.”

Though CJ Bailey isn’t declaring for drafts this year, Fisher already has future predictions for him. If we think about it, the statement about Bailey possibly becoming the first overall pick hype makes sense. That’s especially because On3 already has him in the No. 90 position on their way-too-early top 100 college players ahead of the 2026 draft. Bailey is ranked the 14th-best QB in the country and the second-highest-ranked signal caller in the ACC.

For now, there’s no NFL first-round buzz around him, but as Fisher highlighted, even his size at 6’6” adds to his physical strength. This makes him an intriguing quarterback choice for any NFL franchise. His resume backs his hype perfectly; he threw for 3,105 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions across 13 games in the 2025 season while completing 68.8% of passes. He also added six rushing touchdowns. Jimbo Fisher is certain that Bailey will flourish as a pro.

“He moves around, the ball comes out, he’s twitchy, he’s fast, he’s not long, and he’s not slow as far as not running, but with the ball getting out too, he’s not too elongated. This guy is just getting better and better and better. You can’t put a price tag on the size and the vision that this guy can have, and then you add mobility to that,” Fisher added.

Back in 2024, during the PFF College Football Show, host Dalton Wasserman also praised CJ Bailey for his exceptional performance and underrated mobility that make him one of the top quarterbacks in college.

“He impressed as a true freshman last year, Bailey did,” Wasserman said. “He’s a long, lanky, tall pocket passer. He can move a little bit, but you’re going to see him more so succeeding from the pocket.”

His production backs the hype. Despite throwing 10 interceptions and NC State’s 6-7 record in the 2024 season, he settled in and threw for 2,413 yards with 17 touchdowns, with a 74.3 passing grade. This was the highest among all true freshman quarterbacks nationwide. That placed Bailey ahead of DJ Lagway and Daylan Raiola, too. That hype caught Mario Cristobal’s attention, and he tried pulling out all the stops to bring him to Miami.

Mario Cristobal’s desperate move for CJ Bailey

Duke QB Darian Mensah abruptly entered the portal after declaring he would return to the team after signing an $8 million deal with the Duke Blue Devils. He tried joining Miami, which ultimately made things worse for Duke. The university proceeded to file a lawsuit against him and obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent him from making a move since he had already signed a contract with them.

Now, both parties await a decision so that they can make a move. When Mensah entered the portal, Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal was certain about bringing the QB to his team. But amid this ongoing legal battle and uncertainty, Cristobal shifted his attention to CJ Bailey. After losing Carson Beck, who starred in their 2025 CFP National Championship Game-reaching season, to the NFL Draft, Miami faces major QB uncertainty. So their level of desperation is pretty high.

They do have players like Emory Williams and Judd Anderson, but they bring limited experience. Now, players like Bailey and Mensah can add immediate impact to the team, bringing production. Miami already paid $4 million to Beck, so going above Bailey’s $1.6 million NIL wasn’t a big deal for them.

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But he didn’t flinch and stayed loyal to NC State. With that, Cristobal’s desire to get him was short-lived. Now, with Mensah’s decision hanging in the balance, it will be interesting to see who they get on the team.