Q&A: Duke Scott on CJ Bailey's Development, The Pack's Schedule, And More
NC State running back Duke Scott met with the media during the breakout portion of the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff and discussed a variety of topics about the Wolfpack.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the breakout session!
CJ said so many great things about you. I just spoke with him. What has it been like working with CJ, and who is he as a person?
He’s an awesome person. He’s our leader. That’s our quarterback, and it’s a blessing to be able to say that, especially in this day and age.
I’ve been with him for three years. We came in together, and we had a relationship outside of college, coming in through high school. Once we realized we were both committed, we were both committed kind of early.
Just being with CJ and being with him for three years, it’s a special thing. I’m excited for him. I’m excited for what he’s going to do for our team. In my opinion, he’s the best quarterback in the country. He’s going to be a first-round pick, and I feel like we’re going to do phenomenal things this year.
What is it like representing NC State here at the ACC Football Kickoff? How special is that, and what does it mean to you?
It’s very special. Just being able to represent my team, represent my coaches, and represent everything we stand for at NC State is such a blessed honor. I’m so appreciative of that honor.
When you look at the schedule, what is the one game that stands out to you?
For me, it’s a little mixed this year because, of course, we always want to beat the team over there across the street from us. However, I would say Louisville is going to be kind of our test, and that’s why I’m excited for that game.
It’s going to be a game where Louisville comes to us, and we can dominate them. I think that’s Week 5 or 6-ish, so that’s going to show us kind of where we’re at and how good we look.
You catch the ball well out of the backfield. Is that something that has always been a strength of yours, or is it something you’ve worked on since you got to NC State?
It’s something I’ve definitely worked on. In high school, I didn’t really get a lot of opportunities to catch the ball out of the backfield, but I knew I could do it. It just never presented itself.
My freshman year, I made sure I got with CJ. I made sure I got 10 catches in. If I dropped the ball, I made sure I got more catches in and made sure I got routes in. I feel like that, along with me kind of calming myself down, helped me get much better in the receiving game.
Twice since I’ve been standing here, you’ve called CJ the best quarterback in the country. It’s not like you’re bragging or hyping him up. It just rolls off your tongue like it’s a core belief. What about his personality and what he’s done since you came in with him makes you believe he’s going to prove that?
I believe he has the "it" factor. It’s hard to really describe it, but when you see it, you know it.
I feel like I see it in everything he does and the way he goes about things—his leadership qualities and his performance on the field. There’s nothing I see that would make me not see him as the No. 1 quarterback. I feel like this year, with the team around him and the game plan we have, he’s going to be able to show that every week.
Could you envision a Heisman Trophy ceremony where he’s standing there with his high school teammate and they’re trying to decide between the two of them?
One hundred percent. I can see them going to New York with a receiver who has 1,500 or 1,600 yards. I can see it.
Last one. You have a transfer from Oregon, Vander Ploog. He’s a unique player and a freak athlete. What have you seen from him so far, and what are you excited about?
I’m excited. Like you said, he’s a freak athlete. I think he stands around 6-foot-7, and he’s huge. For him to be able to move the way he does, jump, and be as shifty as he is at that size is so impressive. I’m excited to see him play.
You mentioned the schedule and Louisville, but Virginia is in Week 0. You’re getting things going quickly. Is there a sense of urgency because you have to be focused right away and get off to a good start?
One hundred percent. We have a Week 0 game against a good—not even a good, but a great—ACC opponent this year. They’re returning a lot of starters, including a lot of guys on their defense, and they have a special player on the defensive side of the ball. We have to be ready to go.
There’s no time to drag your feet or try to work things out. We have to be ready to go ASAP, and I think we are. We’ve been putting in the work during the offseason. We’re going to go into camp, and I think we’re going to be ready to go.
Louisville is Week 5, and Vanderbilt is Week 3 on the road. Do you see that stretch as one where, if you get through it, you can set the table for a special season?
Yes, sir. That's kind of the biggest point. Winning those games is going to propel us to be ready for whatever comes next. Once we get past Vanderbilt and once we get past Louisville, I believe we're going to win. There's no doubt in my mind. Those games are going to propel us to be ready not only for the ACC Championship, but the College Football Playoff.
How much do you know about the lineage of running backs at NC State?
I know a decent bit. I need to brush up on it a little bit, but of course I'm familiar with guys like Nyheim Hines, Ricky Person, Bam, and I'm missing somebody... Reggie, Uncle Reg, who was part of our staff.
So I know there have been a lot of great running backs, and I want to be one of the better ones.
Coach Doeren has had several 1,000-yard rushers, but NC State hasn't had a 1,200-yard rusher since 1992. Are you a goal-oriented guy? How do you look at that?
One hundred percent. That's definitely something I've been looking at. It's something I do want to achieve, and I'm excited to achieve it.
Do you want to be one of those guys where, when it's all said and done, you could put yourself on a Mount Rushmore-type list?
One hundred percent. That's my goal. I want to leave this place better than I found it. Of course, being on the Mount Rushmore, being in the stadium—those are goals I do have for myself.
If you could convey a message to NC State fans, what would you tell them?
We're coming this year to dominate. It's going to be an exciting year for the fans. I'm excited for you guys to watch.
Your schedule is pretty manageable this year. What are you guys planning on accomplishing?
Our goal is nothing less than an ACC Championship. This is the year we're going to do it. This is the year we're excited about, and there's nothing we've set our sights on other than getting to the ACC Championship.
As a running back, do you see it as a next-man-up situation? What are some of your goals, and do you expect to do things by committee?
That's a great question. We want to have depth. We want to have guys who are all ready to go, and however the season presents itself is how we're going to manage that. We're just excited to run the ball. We're going to run the ball a lot, and we're going to run the ball very well.
One thing that's always impressed me is ball security. Do you guys put a big emphasis on protecting the football?
Yes, sir. We do ball security circuits. That's our job as running backs. Ball security is job security. You can't get on the field if you can't hold onto the ball.
I think we're doing a great job. Our running backs coach does a great job of making sure we emphasize that there's nothing more important than the football.
Another aspect is catching the ball out of the backfield. How impressed are you with your group in that area?
We're all doing really well. I don't think we dropped the ball in the spring. That's a great start, and we're going to continue to keep that up through fall camp and throughout the season.
During the offseason, have you hosted any football camps or participated in any?
I've definitely helped out. I personally haven't hosted any, but I'm definitely looking into that, so a camp will be coming soon. I've definitely helped out a lot of my teammates, whether that's being there or even helping them financially a little bit. It's something I'm definitely looking into more.
Can CJ help the running game this year?
One hundred percent. Of course, we all know he can throw the ball, and that's going to help the running game because the more elite the passing game is, the better the running game will be.
But he also has two legs that can move very fast. We call him the "Baby Giraffe," and I'm excited to see him get going a little bit.
What did you all learn from that game?
We learned to take it one game at a time, stay focused and play our style of football. Don't try to play someone else's game.
When teams start playing outside of their style to try to catch up to another team, that's when they don't perform their best. We learned to play our style of football. Our brand of football is going to be good enough.
Did you get to go to any hockey games or watch parties?
I sadly didn't. This is really the first year I've actually kind of looked at hockey. We really didn't have it where I was growing up, so this is my first year really paying attention to it. But I'm definitely looking forward to going to some games next year.
Now that Brazil is off the table, what was the reaction to finding out there wouldn't be an international game, but instead you'd be opening at Virginia?
It's more of a "So what? Now what?" mentality. Some guys wanted to go, and some guys didn't want to go, but either way, so what? Now what?
We've got to get ready to play at Virginia. We know they're going to have a good fan base. We know they're going to be a good team, and we've got to be ready to go.
