Spring football is in the books for college programs across North Carolina. In recruiting, attention turns now to player evaluations, spring and summer prospect camps, campus visits and, when all the pieces fall into place, treasured commitments for our schools.
Here is where North Carolina D1 college programs stand with their 2027 high school recruiting classes heading into this vital time on the calender:
Who Has the Most 2027 Commitments?
Wake Forest leads the way heading into May, while two NC schools are still looking for their first pledge.
8 – Wake Forest (2 from North Carolina)
5 – Duke (1 from North Carolina)
5 – Appalachian State (0 from North Carolina)
4 – NC State (2 from North Carolina)
4 – UNC (0 from North Carolina)
1 – Gardner-Webb (0 from North Carolina)
0 – Charlotte
0 – East Carolina
What it means: It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, of course. But getting early momentum can be vital for programs like Wake Forest and App State looking to compete in a crowded space for prospects that fit their profile.
More 2027 Recruiting Content
👉 2027 North Carolina College Commitment Tracker: Details on players coming to App State, Charlotte, Duke, ECU, NC State, UNC and Wake Forest
👉 2027 North Carolina High School Commitment Tracker: See where NC high school prospects have committed to play college football
👉 Elite Edge Rushers Rashad Streets, Xavier Perkins Make High-Profile Commitments: Millbrook, Durham Jordan stars pick out-of-state destinations
2027 Football National Team Recruiting Rankings
247Sports Rankings
32nd – Wake Forest
42nd – Duke
50th – NC State
52nd – UNC
68th – Appalachian State
Unranked – ECU, Charlotte
Rivals Rankings
46th – NC State
47th – UNC
48th – Duke
53rd – Wake Forest
65th – Appalachian State
Unranked – ECU, Charlotte
Team-By-Team Breakdowns
Appalachian State Mountaineers (5 Commits)
👉 Top Commit
Quarterback Ben Musser (Bogart, GA)
The three-star signal caller and former Virginia Tech commit also held multiple P4 offers from schools like Nebraska, Iowa State, Purdue and Utah. He threw for more than 4,800 yards the past two seasons.
Snapshot
The Mountaineers have a solid early base, including a pair of linebackers, but are still looking to tap into the in-state talent pool as camp season approaches. Pennsylvania LB Levi Porter just committed this week.
Current Commit List
- LB Levi Porter – Saltsburg, PA (The Kiski School)
- WR Jok Harris – Palmetto, FL (Palmetto HS)
- DL Cameron Horne – Covington, GA (Newton HS)
- QB Ben Musser – Bogart, GA (Prince Avenue Christian)
- LB Tre’ Stone – Opelika, AL (Opelika HS)
I’m Committed to Appalachian State!!! Thank you to my coaches and family who helped me get me to this point! @CoachDjSmith @Dowell_Loggains @kiskiprepfb @CoachSmetanka @TerronColson @braydenboggs @RobPort39746293 @KTP8306 pic.twitter.com/t33orleKbQ — Levi Porter LB 2027 (@LeviPor56486950) April 26, 2026
Charlotte 49ers (0 Commits)
👉 Top Commit
– None yet –
Snapshot
The 49ers had multiple commits by this point of the calendar a year ago under new coach Tim Albin, but none so far. But that has been the norm across the American Conference this spring. Look for the 49ers to start piling up commits in the May/June visit and camp window.
Duke Blue Devils (5 Commits)
👉 Top Commit
EDGE King Kalama (Pfafftown, NC)
Kalama’s 13-game junior season with Reagan High included 29.5 tackles-for-loss, nine sacks and 88 total tackles – a definite disruptor.
Snapshot
The reigning ACC champs have five solid commits in the fold, including dual-threat quarterback Aidan McPherson, who threw for 3,096 yards, rushed for 964 and accounted for 46 total touchdowns in 2025. The Blue Devils have a unique recruiting profile but have adapted as well as anyone in North Carolina to the new NIL/portal college landscape.
Current Commit List
- RB Mikel Stephen – Madison, MS (Madison Central HS)
- QB Aidan McPherson – Rome, GA (Rome HS)
- EDGE King Kalama – Pfafftown, NC (Reagan HS)
- LB Tripp Keller – Tampa, FL (Jesuit HS)
- LB Jack Baker – Toms River, NJ (Toms River North HS)
East Carolina Pirates (0 Commits)
👉 Top Commit
– None yet –
Snapshot
No need to panic. East Carolina got off to a slow start a year ago and ended up with a solid 18-player high school class. Coach Blake Harrell establishing himself as an up-and-coming head coach (14-5 record, two bowl wins so far with the Pirates) should get the attention of talented high school prospects across North Carolina and the region.
NC State Wolfpack (4 Commits)
👉 Top Commit
QB Gunner Rivers (Fairhope, AL)
The son of former NC State great Philip Rivers isn’t just a legacy recruit. He’s the real deal as a quarterback, ranked by 247Sports as a 4-star prospect and the No. 40 overall player nationally. Rivers threw for 3,176 yards and 46 TDs (5 INTs) last season for a 4A Alabama semifinalist. Pack fans can’t wait for his Raleigh arrival.
Snapshot
Coach Dave Doeren received commits from two players in the Wolfpack’s backyard – RB Christian Freeman (Southeast Raleigh) and TE Griffin Cockerham (Cardinal Gibbons) early in the process last year. NCSU is still looking for its first defensive commit.
Current Commit List
- QB Gunner Rivers – Fairhope, AL (St. Michael Catholic)
- TE CJ Jordan – Marietta, GA (Walton HS)
- RB Christian Freeman – Raleigh, NC (Southeast Raleigh HS)
- TE Griffin Cockerham – Raleigh, NC (Cardinal Gibbons)
UNC Tar Heels (4 Commits)
👉 Top Commit
SAF Charles Roberts (Bradenton, FL)
The highly regarded DB chose the Heels and coach Bill Belichick in December over offers from Florida, Tennessee, Washington, Missouri and Miami among others.
Snapshot
The Tar Heels lost their only in-state commit when Rolesville RB Amir Brown decommitted last fall (later choosing Nebraska). It will be interesting to see how UNC’s emphasis on recruiting with a more national scope will impact the in-roads that former coach Mack Brown built with North Carolina high schools.
Current Commit List
- SAF Charles Roberts – Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
- Tasheem Butler – Glassboro, NJ (Glassboro HS)
- Isaiah Stephens – Sheridan, AR (Sheridan HS)
- Skylar Robinson – West Hills, CA (Chaminade HS)
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8 Commits)
👉 Top Commit
ATH Logan Steele (Coal Township, PA)
The multi-faceted standout – quarterback, defensive back, punt returner – accounted for more than 2,000 yards of offense and returned four interceptions for touchdowns last season, per 247Sports. He projects as a defensive back with the Demon Deacs.
Snapshot
After a surprising nine-win season in his debut, head coach Jake Dickert is off and running with his 2027 high school recruiting class. He has pledges from two in-state commits already, including a three-star offensive lineman from nearby Oak Grove High and a wide receiver from private-schools power Providence Day. Two QBs have already pledged, both considered three-star prospects.
Current Commit List
- ATH Logan Steele – Coal Township, PA (Shamokin Area HS)
- QB Gary Chatman Jr. – Snellville, GA (Brookwood HS)
- OT Charlie Reece – Winston-Salem, NC (Oak Grove)
- IOL Aiden Hartnett – Plantation, FL (American Heritage HS)
- CB Rilee Drew – Loganville, GA (Grayson HS)
- QB Emmett Queen – Fort Mitchell, KY (Beechwood HS)
- WR Steele Fletcher – Charlotte, NC (Providence Day)
- EDGE Elijah Wright – Fulshear, TX (Katy Jordan HS)
FCS Football Recruiting
So far, we’ve only heard of one public commitment from 2027 to a North Carolina FCS school.
Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (1 Commit)
👉 Top Commit
QB Levi McAbee (Farmersville, TX)
First-team all-district player threw for 1,771 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior and has a career stat line of more than 4,000 passing yards in two years as a starter.
Snapshot
It will be intriguing to watch new head coach Kris McCullough tap into his Texas roots, while also having a solid local high school talent pool around him in the Shelby/Cleveland County area.
Current Commit List
- QB Levi McAbee – Farmersville, TX (Farmersville HS)
