NC State football addressed the media Tuesday following its first official spring practice. Head coach Dave Doeren and a pair of key players reflected on the team’s growth and expectations after an underwhelming 6-7 season.

“There’s a different edge about this group,” Doeren said. “Anytime you go through a tough season, the returners have a different mentality. They don’t take things for granted. You understand how hard it is, how demanding you need to be on each other.”

Despite last year’s disappointment, Doeren emphasized that the team’s expectations are unchanged.

“I expect to win every game,” Doeren said. “I’ve never gone into a football game like, ‘We’re going to lose today.’ You don’t work like that. … There isn’t a coach in college football that doesn’t expect to win every game. We’re going to go one day at a time and try to become the best team we can be. Our body of work will equal our record at the end.”

Senior linebacker Sean Brown, who led the 2024 squad in tackles, reiterated those expectations, stressing the insignificance of outside noise to the team’s mentality.

“We all know what we’re capable of,” Brown said. “We know what we’re going to do this season. People can doubt us, but we don’t really care what other people say. All we care about is the people in the facility.”

The most anticipated storyline of the offseason is the development of rising sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey. After stepping up during the 2024 season following a concussion to former Wolfpack quarterback Grayson McCall, Bailey now enters his first offseason as the team’s leader.

“The way I come to practice every day, knowing the guys are looking for me — looking for CJ Bailey — I like that,” Bailey said. “That’s why I play quarterback. I like feeling the pressure and everything, everybody leaning on me.”

Bailey said he’s started to use his voice more since last season, a sentiment Doeren echoed.

“He’s learned how to lead,” Doeren said. “That’s been a big thing in the offseason with him and I, using his voice. He’s always used it on the field, but learning how to use it off the field. Not just with guys you throw the ball to or linemen that block, but using it with the team as the alpha leader, which your quarterback needs to be.”

Another key offseason development is the ever-changing landscape of the NIL era, as Doeren announced that all spring activities, including the annual spring game, will be closed to the public and media. The Wolfpack joins a growing list of college programs dropping their spring games to reduce the number of transfer portal casualties during the spring window.

The 13th-year coach cited his two new coordinator hires for the cancellation, providing privacy while implementing new systems. The spring game, or any open practice, would offer opponents a glimpse of the team’s condition.

“There’s only 365 days in the year, you play 12 games that you’re promised,” Doeren said. “You only get to play football 15 times in the spring, they’re very valuable. Every rep matters for these guys. It’s really good to get out there and just get a measuring stick on day one of where we’re at.”

Offensive coordinator Kurt Roper and defensive coordinator DJ Eliot enter 2025 with uphill battles, leading units that previously ranked 10th and 14th, respectively, in yards among ACC teams. Doeren raved about his colleagues, praising the mentality they bring to Raleigh.

“I like the fact that both my coordinators have chips on their shoulders,” Doeren said. “At one time, they were both guys that were really hot in the business. Sometimes things happen and you’ve got to work your way back up. … I felt like it was the right move at the right time for the team and for what we’re trying to get done.”

Despite a newly promoted title, Roper is a familiar face on the sideline, entering his seventh year on the offensive staff after serving as Bailey’s quarterback coach a year ago.

“When Coach Roper got the job, I was so happy for him and so happy for this offense and our future,” Bailey said. “I’m glad he’s the OC and also my quarterback’s coach because now we’re definitely on the same page with everything … I feel like he’s going to take this team to a height it hasn’t been before.”

Defensively, Eliot brings NFL experience and scheme versatility to the Wolfpack after former defensive coordinator Tony Gibson left to take the head coaching role at Marshall. Brown detailed the adjustments to Eliot’s approach.

“[Eliot] is a very smart man,” Brown said. “He’s coached all positions on the defensive level, and he’s coached in the pros so he knows what it looks like at the linebacker position. He’s coaching us hard, he’s being very critical in everything he tells us.”

When asked what a successful spring looks like, Doeren highlighted the importance of steady improvement as the season closes in.

“I want them to improve on little things,” Doeren said. “Finding something in your game that you can take off the film or add to your film from day one to day two, day two to day three. It’s aggregate improvement. If there are 100 guys out there getting better at the end of 15 practices, that’s a lot of improvement over the course of the spring.”

NC State football kicks off the 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Carter-Finley Stadium against East Carolina.