The top-ranked placekicker in the nation committed to NC State over Memorial Day weekend. Moses Barker, a rising senior at Willow Spring High, announced his pledge to the Wolfpack just a few weeks after receiving an official offer.
“I’ve always wanted to stay home and be close to my family,” Barker told Cory Smith from PackPower247. “That was one of my top schools to get (an offer from) and now I have the official visit June 12. It will be cool to learn more about the program and spend time with the coaches.”
Barker is ranked No. 1 in the 2027 recruiting class by Kohl’s Kicking. He had offers from Iowa, Cincinnati, Army, Air Force, Navy and Wofford. Miami, Clemson and Florida also showed interest, according to 247Sports.
Barker hit eight field goals in 14 attempts for Willow Spring in 2025, according to MaxPreps stats. His longest field goal came from 50 yards. He was 24-of-27 on PATs. He averaged 37.7 yards on punts and had 34 of 47 kickoffs end in touchbacks (72 percent).
Barker earned second-team all-state honors from HighSchoolOT for the 2025 season.
For the city 🐺🐺@CoachGoebbel @CoachZRoper @StateCoachD @PackFootball @DanOrnerKicking @CoachJWilkes @WS_Storm_FB @PackAthletics @PJWilliamsIPS @InsidePackSport @PackAthletics @PackPower247 pic.twitter.com/33eL2J9i1D — Moses Barker (@MosesBarker281) May 25, 2026
Barker’s recruiting accelerated after a strong camp performance earlier this year. He was “dominant” during the 2026 Kohl’s National Underclassman Challenge and “put himself on the map as a top college football prospect,” the Kohl’s website wrote on Barker’s profile page.
Barker made the most field goals at the camp and showed “tremendous command” and confidence. He also competed in the punting events and is considered the No. 84 punter in the nation by Kohl’s.
“He has the leg speed to be a nice combo K/P at the next level,” Kohl’s wrote.
👉 Watch Moses Barker kicking highlights from Kohl’s Kicking.
NC State has enjoyed several notable kickers in the Dave Doeren era and before. Christopher Dunn won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker in 2022 and graduated as the NCAA’s all-time leader in career field goals.
Kanoah Vinesett from Rock Hill, S.C. currently holds the starting job and has one more year of eligibility remaining. The graduate student has hit 23 field goals the past two seasons, including a 52-yarder in 2024 and a 51-yarder in 2025. He’s made 83 total PATs.
Todd Goebbel is NC State’s special teams coordinator. He has played a big role in Barker’s recruitment.
NC State is picking up steam on the 2027 recruiting trail overall. Barker’s commitment gives the Pack 11 verbal pledges as of May 26 – the most of any FBS school in North Carolina.
NCSU has received seven commits since May 10, including four-star safety K.J. Caldwell (Lilburn, GA) and three-star offensive lineman Conner Rutherford (Chillicothe, OH) late last week.
Barker is the third in-state pledge for NC State’s Class of 2027, joining Cardinal Gibbons tight end Griffin Cockerham and Southeast Raleigh running back Christian Freeman.
NC State’s 2027 haul is currently ranked No. 24 in the nation by 247Sports and sixth in the ACC.
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NC Football News is tracking recruiting from both sides of the state’s football pipeline:
- North Carolina high school commitments: See where in-state high school players have committed.
- North Carolina college commitment tracker: See which players are joining North Carolina’s FBS and FCS programs.
