No. 6 QB Recruit Gunner Rivers Delivers Bad News To Two Major College Football Programs

Gunner Rivers has dealt bad news to a pair of Power Four programs searching for their 2027 quarterback.

A view of a tv camera and the ESPN college football logo before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The dominoes in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle have begun to fall more rapidly in the opening month of the 2026 offseason.

A significant portion of the coveted prospects in the 2027 recruiting class will not make their decisions until the summer. However, some of the top prospects have decided upon their next destinations 10 months ahead of the early signing period.

Four-star quarterback Gunner Rivers joined the group of committed prospects on Monday, announcing his pledge to NC State. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder from Fairhope, Alabama, ranks as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2027 class, per 247Sports.

🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star QB Gunner Rivers has committed to NC State🐺

Gunner is the son of 8x Pro Bowler Philip Rivers.

Read: https://t.co/GS9zEUbwYL pic.twitter.com/sC6Sxaotgs

— Rivals (@Rivals) February 23, 2026

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins called Rivers a "skilled passer with elite pedigree that has a chance to be a high-end distributor in college and beyond" in a scouting report he released in February.

The pedigree Ivins speaks of comes from Rivers' father, Philip Rivers, who was a part of 18 NFL seasons in stints with the Chargers and Colts. Philip Rivers also played at NC State from 2000 to 2003, making Gunner Rivers a Wolf Pack legacy.

Rivers is the highest-rated commitment in NC State's 2027 recruiting class and one of three offensive skill player commits, joining running back Christian Freeman and tight end Griffin Cockerham. NC State has consistently fielded solid quarterbacks in the last 15 years, although it has not consistently landed the top quarterbacks on the recruiting trail.

Several other programs fought hard to land Rivers' commitment but came up short. In particular, two SEC programs believed they had strong odds to reel in Rivers.

Auburn

Auburn head football coach Alex Golesh visits the field during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Rivers made an unofficial visit to Auburn in April of 2025, a time in which Hugh Freeze was still its head man. The Tigers tried to keep Rivers within state borders, but their efforts were not strong enough.

The Tigers currently have two commitments in the 2027 cycle, the only offensive skill player being three-star tight end Trae Proctor. Auburn has its eyes on a pair of four-star quarterbacks: Israel Abrams from Chicago and Andre Adams from Nashville.

Texas

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts after beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs in overtime at Davis Wade Stadium | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Longhorns know a thing or two about starting quarterbacks with NFL pedigrees. Current Texas starter Arch Manning's uncle, Eli Manning, was the other man involved in the 2004 NFL draft trade between the Chargers and Giants with Philip Rivers.

Texas already holds a commitment from a 2027 quarterback in Ty Knutson, although he ranks considerably lower than Rivers and is the lowest among the Longhorns' six current commitments. The top-rated uncommitted quarterback in Texas is four-star Colton Nussmeier, another quarterback with a strong professional football pedigree.