The Future of NC State Football Has a Familiar Last Name
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RALEIGH — As spring practices get underway, NC State football continues to emphasize the recruiting trail to help build for the future. The Wolfpack earned a commitment from a talented legacy recruit on Monday, potentially greatly altering the program's future upside.
Four-star 2027 quarterback Gunner Rivers committed to NC State after a lengthy courtship process, per an announcement from St. Michael High School. Rivers, the son of legendary Wolfpack and NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, will try to continue his family’s legacy at a school that helped his father make a name for himself before he went on to a remarkable professional career.
More on the commitment from Rivers
Congrats to our QB on his commitment to NC State @PackFootball @StateCoachD @CoachKurtRoper @CoachAlexFaulk #NuncCoepi pic.twitter.com/5Q8lnKuSgO
— St. Michael Football (@StMichaelFB) February 23, 2026
Rivers was a four-star recruit according to 247Sports after a strong junior season at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Ala. He finished his 2025 campaign with 3,176 yards, 46 touchdowns and five interceptions, leading St. Michael to a 13-1 record that ended in the playoffs. The legacy quarterback is the top prospect out of Alabama and the No. 42 prospect nationally, per 247Sports.
He played for his father over the last three seasons and quickly became a target for NC State as the father-son duo racked up victories at the high school level in Alabama. The Wolfpack offered Rivers back in 2024 and closely followed his ascension as a passer. The familiarity with his father didn’t hurt.
Throughout February, both 247Sports and Rivals predicted that the young passer would end up with the Wolfpack. Murmurs of Rivers' commitment began to rumble throughout Monday afternoon before the news finally broke. It marks a major recruiting win for NC State and should give the program its quarterback of the future.
Rivers’ former teammate, running back Noah Moss, committed to NC State as a member of the 2026 class and is already getting his career with the Pack started during spring practices. Rivers and his father came to NC State’s win over North Carolina back in November, just a few days before Moss ended up committing to the program.
NC State has received a Crystal Ball to land legacy QB Gunner Rivers in the 2027 class.@MichaelClark247 explains how the Wolfpack staff has made up ground in the last couple of months to put itself in prime position to land the Top-10 QB.
— PackPower247 (@PackPower247) February 19, 2026
🔮: https://t.co/VDaA11BNdt pic.twitter.com/G9FyiOcZmw
Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren revealed that he spent time in Fairhope on the recruiting trail in January. The seeds of the commitment were laid long ago, but NC State was still waiting for the word of the young quarterback to make things official. Rivers held offers from other marquee programs such as Auburn, Miami, South Carolina and Boston College.
Philip Rivers remains the most accomplished quarterback in NC State history. He finished his career with 13,484 passing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and won ACC Player of the Year in 2003. Gunner has big shoes to fill, but seems up to the challenge.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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