NC State Making Progress with Standout 2027 Lineman

Under head coach Dave Doeren, NC State has been highly active in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle this offseason, as the Wolfpack continues to target and pursue some of the nation’s top prospects.

Heading into the spring, Doeren and his staff have made significant progress with several of their 2027 targets, including a three-star offensive lineman from Ohio who is scheduled to take a spring visit to NC State in the near future.

3-Star 2027 Offensive Lineman Schedules Spring Visit with NC State

In January, NC State extended an offer to Conner Rutherford, a three-star offensive lineman from Chillicothe High School in Chillicothe, Ohio. Since then, the Wolfpack have made steady progress with him and have emerged as a serious contender in his recruitment.

NC State helme — Dec 29, 2017; El Paso, TX, United States; General view of the helmets of the Arizona State Sun Devils and the North Carolina State Wolfpack before the 2017 Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-Imagn Images | Ivan Pierre Aguirre-Imagn Images

Heading into the spring, Rivals’ Greg Smith reported that Rutherford has scheduled unofficial visits to several of his top schools, including a trip to Raleigh to visit the Wolfpack on March 27.

Rutherford’s visit to NC State is one of nine he has scheduled so far. In addition to his trip with the Wolfpack, he’ll visit Ohio State on March 10, Virginia on March 16, Miami (OH) on March 17, Pitt on March 19, UNC on March 28, USF on April 3, Miami on April 4, and Minnesota on April 18.

Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren claps as he walks onto the field against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Getting Rutherford on campus for an unofficial visit will allow Doeren and the Wolfpack staff to strengthen their relationship with the young offensive lineman and improve their standing in his recruitment.

NC State is targeting several offensive linemen in the 2027 cycle, and Rutherford would be a welcome addition to the Wolfpack’s class. Rivals’ industry rankings list him as the No. 888 overall player nationally, the No. 64 offensive tackle, and the No. 31 prospect in the state of Ohio.

Sep 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak (65) lines up against Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Bryson Eason (20) during the first quarter at the Dukes Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Rutherford’s recruitment has recently gained significant traction, and there’s no clear frontrunner for the three-star offensive lineman at this point. Still, with him scheduled to take several unofficial visits over the next month, programs will undoubtedly begin to separate themselves.

With a strong spring visit, Doeren and company will likely be able to cement their status as a contender for Rutherford and potentially put themselves in a position to be an official visit candidate for him down the line.

While the Wolfpack will face competition from several programs for Rutherford, if they can impress him during his March visit and continue to build momentum with him in the coming months, NC State should have a real chance to land one of the top offensive linemen in the 2027 class.

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