The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543694
10 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN F or as long as he can remember, Gun- ner Rivers has followed NC State football. There was never any uncer- tainty about what the Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael Catholic quarterback would be watching on TV every Saturday each fall. It was always the Wolfpack. Rivers' father, Philip, starred for the Pack as a four-year starter, earning ACC Player and Rookie of the Year hon- ors along the way before becoming an eight-time NFL Pro Bowler. His mother, Tiffany, attended the university as well. Their affinity for NC State has always been clear, and it's all Rivers has ever known. Fast-forward to this past year. Rivers was among the highest-profile quar- terback prospects in the 2027 cycle. He kept his decision-making process rather quiet, never tipping his hand as to which way he was leaning. But the more he progressed through it, the more NC State kept coming back to the top. A pair of game-day visits to Auburn and NC State last fall, coupled with a persistent recruiting effort by the Wolf- pack coaching staff, had Rivers feeling like he was ready to commit. He announced his choice on Feb. 23 in a social media post issued via the St. Mi- chael football team. In a subsequent in- terview with The Wolfpacker, Rivers said he picked NC State in large part because of how highly the staff had prioritized his recruitment. "[It was] how much they really wanted me and how truthful they were with me with all the things they said and how I'd fit into their offense," he explained. "How much they wanted me compared to the other schools was a big thing for me. Some other places were like, 'Yeah, we want you, but we wouldn't care if another dude came instead of you.' But NC State said, 'We want you to be our guy for the future.'" Unlike a lot of high school prospects, Rivers doesn't have a social media pres- ence. He's not on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram; there is an account on the latter platform that poses as him, but he has nothing to do with it. As he worked his way through the recruiting process, he felt like his lack of public-facing ac- counts worked in his favor. "It was definitely big for me not hav- ing to deal with that at all, especially during the season," Rivers said. "I just focused with my team and to get through all the days. … It was a unique process, I'd say. Not many people really knew where I was at in the recruiting process, but it was definitely cool." Rivers is listed by Rivals' scouts as the No. 27 quarterback in the 2027 class and No. 13 prospect in Alabama. However, he's rated much higher in the Rivals Industry Ranking, which incorporates the grades of all three major recruiting websites. He's the No. 12 signal-caller and No. 117 overall prospect in the In- dustry Ranking. In addition, he's ranked fourth in his home state and has received a four-star grade. Rivals is the only ma- jor recruiting service that lists him as a three-star prospect. Before announcing his decision, Riv- ers was being pursued by some of the top schools in the country. In addition to NC State, his spring visits last year were to Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and Texas. The turning point in his recruitment was a trip to Raleigh last November. He was in attendance at Carter-Finley Stadium when NC State beat North Carolina, 42-19, and he came away im- T R A C K I N G THE THE PACK PACK In Gunner Rivers, NC State Lands In Gunner Rivers, NC State Lands A Coveted Legacy Prospect A Coveted Legacy Prospect Gunner Rivers (left) and his father, former NC State great Philip Rivers (center), were on hand at Carter-Finley Stadium last November for the Pack's victory over North Carolina. They were joined at the game by running back Noah Moss (right), a 2026 NC State signee. PHOTO COURTESY NOAH MOSS