“Let’s get it done”: Justin Joly leads young Wolfpack squad into 2025 season

Grayson McCall didn’t slide.

Then-freshman quarterback CJ Bailey was thrust into the spotlight against one of NC State’s biggest rivals, Wake Forest. He’d held his own thus far, but with just a three-point lead, the game was far from over. On second and two just outside the red zone, Bailey threw a jump ball to then-junior tight end Justin Joly at the goal line, but he was surrounded by gold helmets with the smallest catch window.

But instead of a costly interception or incompletion, Joly leaped into the air and wrestled the ball from two defenders for a Wolfpack touchdown.

NC State went on to lose the game, but the message was clear: Give Joly the ball and get out of the way.

The now-senior UConn transfer made an instant impact on the 2024 season with 43 catches — the fifth-most receptions in NC State history by a tight end in a single season — for 661 yards and four touchdowns.

With stats like that, Joly could’ve found himself a more lucrative NIL deal with another school or even entered his name into the NFL Draft. But instead, just two weeks after the final game of the regular season, Joly re-signed with Savage Wolves NIL, guaranteeing his final season would be in a red-and-white uniform.

“This is my first season with a returning quarterback in my college career,” Joly said. “Why go somewhere else and leave when I know what I have here? I have my quarterback, I have the coach I want, I have my offensive coordinator and I’ve got the people around me. Why not have a better season than we did last year and just stack it?”

Obviously, Bailey wasn’t the quarterback that was initially planned for the 2024 season. After McCall got a concussion for the first time against Louisiana Tech, Bailey was thrown under the bright lights for his first collegiate appearance, but had the full backing of Joly and the rest of the team.

“Like Coach says, it’s next man mentality,” Joly said. “CJ was a young guy, but I know where he came from. He came from a top-tier high school. It was like ‘I know you’re built for big moments like this, we’ve got your back. You don’t have to worry about anything, just get us the ball and we’ll do the rest.’”

When McCall went down again against Wake Forest, Joly gave a single message to Bailey: “Welcome to the family. Let’s get it done.”

Even with a true freshman at quarterback, Joly thrived, averaging over 50 yards a game. He quickly became the go-to guy for big plays, averaging over 15 yards per catch and marking six games with a catch of 30 yards or more.

Now, with a full offseason of chemistry-building under their belt, Joly and Bailey’s connection is stronger than ever.

“I look forward to a lot; me and him are on the same page about a lot of things on the field,” Joly said. “If CJ sees something, I see it and if I see something, CJ also sees it. We’re like two different people moving at the same time. The comfortability of just being around CJ is something I’m okay with. At the ACC media day, we were roommates and it was fun because we would go back and forth. It’s like a big brother, little brother thing.”

But Bailey isn’t the only one who’s become a little brother to Joly. As a senior, Joly becomes a veteran presence amongst an offense riddled with underclassmen.

“I am a vet,” Joly said. “I’m 21 years old, which is crazy to say but out of all of the guys, I’m one of the oldest, especially when it comes to skill positions. I try to go out there and make plays, lead by example, show people the right way to do it.”

Joly headlines a skill position group with Bailey, redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Noah Rogers, all under new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, who’s the third offensive coordinator in as many years that Joly has played under. But even before the season begins, Joly knows that Roper is the guy for him.

“Coach Roper got energy like a young 20-year-old frat dude,” Joly said. “You would be surprised. He’ll be on the sideline hyped, turnt, happy to be around us. We have an OC that really appreciates all that you do and likes to have fun with it.”

With full faith in his quarterback and offensive coordinator, Joly and company prepare to take on East Carolina after an eventful loss to the Pirates in last year’s Military Bowl that ended with an all-out brawl on the field. It’s a game that’s been hyped up since the season ended, especially since matchups between the Pack and the Pirates always go awry. But once again, Joly is fully prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

“There’s a get-back mentality, but that’s what we have for every game,” Joly said. “It’s not just ECU, it’s every team we have on the schedule because we have something not only to prove to ourselves but to everyone and show them what the team really is. In-house and in the building, we’re good. We know what we’ve got.”

During the college football offseason, Joly has fully thrown himself into the Wolfpack culture, going to multiple women’s basketball games, NC State events and always interacting with fans. The Wolfpack faithful have given Joly a new reason to keep pushing forward.

“Obviously I want to win games, but overall I want to go out and have fun, cater to the fans and make the fans happy,” Joly said. “If I get a touchdown, I want to go interact with them in front of the whole team because we do appreciate them, all the people that show up to the games. We’re here to show you that what you said last season did affect us because we care about y’all and y’all are family as well. We’re here to have fun and get it done.”

Joly has the accolades to back up the talk, being named a preseason second team All-American, first team All-ACC and even a top five tight end in the nation according to some analysts. No matter what, Joly stands to be the heart of this young Wolfpack team and a key cog in their offensive success.