The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545830
10 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN G unner Rivers isn't like many high school athletes in the current era. Rivers, a four-star quarterback from St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Ala., is not glued to his phone scrolling social media. Nor is he posting highlight vid- eos of himself, even though he's thrown for more than 10,000 yards and sur- passed 100 touchdowns to this point in his prep career. Rivers doesn't have social media ac- counts. He's not on X or Instagram. There is an account on the latter plat- form that appears to be his, but it actu- ally belongs to someone unknown to the rising senior signal-caller. "Whoever's running that, good for them, I guess," Rivers said. Instead of spending his time online, Rivers tends to focus on his friends and family, living in the moment. But as one of the most well-known names in NC State's 2027 recruiting class, Rivers has become a key recruit- ing asset for the Wolfpack in a group that continues to grow. And because he's opted out of the social media plat- forms that other recruits typically use to connect with each other, he's done his recruiting the old-fashioned way: via phone calls and text messages. Rivers, who is listed in the Rivals Industry Ranking as the nation's No. 136 overall prospect, uses his iPhone to forge relationships with prospects the Wolfpack wants in the fold, as well as the other committed players. Despite being described as a laid-back person by those who have interacted with him, he has tried to go outside his comfort zone in courting others to join him in Raleigh. "It's kind of weird for me, personally," Rivers said. "You get recruited for about two years, then you commit somewhere and you try to take a role as a coach to try to help other guys commit, too. It's definitely fun and a little challenging. You talk to some people that just shut you down, but it's worth it to get some of these guys coming to NC State." Rivers is the oldest son of NC State legend and longtime NFL starting quar- terback Philip Rivers. He's done his best to get others to follow him to the pro- gram he grew up admiring. The legacy prospect helped elicit a commitment from four-star safety KJ Caldwell of Lil- burn (Ga.) Parkview. Listed as the na- tion's No. 132 overall player in the Rivals Industry Ranking, Caldwell became the Pack's highest-rated commit when he joined the class on May 22. Caldwell and Rivers developed a con- nection over the phone before meeting in person for the first time during their official visit in June. "Gunner is a chill dude," Caldwell said with a laugh. "He doesn't go out much. He's got his head on straight. I T R A C K I N G THE THE PACK PACK Gunner Rivers Works To Help Gunner Rivers Works To Help Build NC State's 2027 Class Build NC State's 2027 Class " It's definitely fun and a little challenging. You talk to some people that just shut you down, but it's worth it to get some of these guys coming to NC State." Rivers on his role as a peer recruiter for the Wolfpack Even though Rivers doesn't use social media, he's been a persuasive voice for the Wolfpack. The four- star quarterback connects with potential teammates via phone calls and text messages. PHOTO COURTESY GUNNER RIVERS