High school football: Gunner Rivers commits to North Carolina State, following in father's footsteps

MaxPreps Junior All-American threw for over 3,000 yards and 46 touchdowns last fall at St. Michael Catholic in Alabama.

By
Feb 23, 2026, 6:45pm
Gunner Rivers of St. Michael Catholic (Fairhope, Ala.), one of the nation's top quarterback prospects in the Class of 2027, committed to North Carolina State on Monday evening according to multiple media outlets.

Rivers will follow in the footsteps of his father and head coach at St. Michael Catholic, Philip Rivers, who played at North Carolina State from 2000-03.

Last fall, Gunner threw for 3,176 yards and 46 touchdowns to help St. Michael Catholic reach the Class 4A semifinals. He earned MaxPreps Junior All-America second team honors.
Gunner Rivers has thrown for over 10,000 yards and 111 touchdowns in three seasons at St. Michael Catholic. (PHOTO: Brad Boland)
Gunner Rivers has thrown for over 10,000 yards and 111 touchdowns in three seasons at St. Michael Catholic. (PHOTO: Brad Boland)
Gunner is regarded as the No. 6 quarterback prospect in the 2027 class according to 247Sports and No. 42 overall.

The elder Rivers is coming off a stint with the Indianapolis, returning to the NFL after a four-year absence at 44 years old. While he went 0-3 as the starter for the Colts, he threw for nearly 64,000 yards and 425 touchdowns in an 18-year career.

At North Carolina State, Philip Rivers threw for 13,484 yards and 95 touchdowns during a decorated four-year career. He led the Wolfpack to an 11-3 record and top 10 national ranking in 2002.

Related Content