Fike High School quarterback Samuel Finch is staying in-state for college football.
Finch, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound rising senior quarterback from Wilson, announced his commitment to Elon University, giving the Phoenix an early pledge from one of North Carolina’s notable 2027 quarterback prospects.
Finch posted a productive junior season at Fike, completing 187 of 309 passes for 2,434 yards and 30 touchdowns while adding 340 rushing yards and nine more scores. He finished with 2,774 total yards and 39 total touchdowns, earning team MVP and offensive player of the year honors.
His recruitment included Division I offers from Elon, Campbell and Troy, along with reported offers from Chowan and Livingstone. Elon was his second Division I offer back in January, and offensive coordinator Doug Martin has been strongly involved in the recruitment.
That connection is notable. Martin, a former FBS head coach, helped mentor former Elon quarterback Landen Clark into the CAA co-Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025 before Clark transferred to LSU in the offseason.
Finch also won the Leadership Award at the Carolinas Coaches Combines Clayton session in April.
For Elon, Finch represents the first known in-state commitment from the Class of 2027 and the beginnings of the Phoenix’s next high school recruiting class. For Finch, it gives him a chance to continue developing close to home while representing Wilson and Fike at the FCS level.
Follow North Carolina football recruiting
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
