What NC State's 2027 Recruiting Class Looks Like So Far

The Wolfpack has commitments from four players already, but official visit season is here, and more could be on the way.

Nov 11, 2023; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; The North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet rests on the bench during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

RALEIGH — Official visit season is here and college football programs around the country began welcoming droves of high school recruits to their campuses to check things out over the weekend. NC State was no exception, hosting several talented recruits for the first time. However, the recruiting process for the class of 2027 has been well underway for a few months.

As of Sunday, the Wolfpack has already earned four commitments over the last year, with more expected to come in the next few weeks as recruits check out the campus. The group already committed to the Pack is important because it's just another selling point for Dave Doeren and the rest of the coaching staff to utilize in convincing other high schoolers on why they should make NC State home.

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The Class of 2027 so far

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren watches from the sideline against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

• Four-star QB Gunner Rivers, St. Michael Catholic (Fairhope, Ala.) -- committed 2/23/26
• Three-star TE Griffin Cockerham, Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) -- committed 9/23/25
• Three-star RB Christian Freeman, Southeast Raleigh (Raleigh, N.C.) -- committed 7/4/25
• Three-star TE CJ Jordan II, Walton (Marietta, Ga.) -- committed 3/7/26

Star ratings courtesy of Rivals

So far, Doeren and his staff, particularly tight end coach Gavin Locklear, have focused heavily on recruiting offensive prospects to the Wolfpack, likely in an effort to build a nice group around legacy quarterback Gunner Rivers, the son of program legend and future NFL Hall of Famer Philip Rivers. As always, there's a focus on keeping in-state talent home as well.

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren reacts during the first half of the game against North Carolina Tar Heels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Cockerham was the only member of the group to visit NC State last weekend, going through the usual process with a photo shoot and exploring the campus. The local tight end knows all about the Wolfpack already, as Cardinal Gibbons High School is in the shadow of Carter-Finley Stadium, just a little bit further down Trinity Road.

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Points of emphasis for the staff

NC State defensive coordinator DJ Eliot coaches during a practice. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

The weekend visits saw more of an emphasis on defense, as five of the seven recruits on campus played on that side of the field. Second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot is more established in Raleigh at this point and now has a blueprint to show the future Wolfpack players when they come to campus. That was particularly effective during transfer portal season, according to Eliot himself and some of the new additions.

The top player on campus last weekend was four-star defensive tackle Kaiden Robinson-Vickers from Florida. While no one committed on Sunday, the hope is that some news starts to trickle out of Raleigh in the coming days, assuming some of the official visits went well.

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