General
It’s been a busy week for St. Michael quarterback Gunner Rivers.
The sophomore received a scholarship offer from Auburn and also was visited by Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan among other college coaches.
“It’s been a little crazy this week,” Gunner’s dad and coach, Philip Rivers, said Friday morning.
Gunner Rivers led St. Michael to the Class 4A state semifinals in his second season as the team’s starter. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,947 yards and 36 touchdowns. He is currently the No. 2 prospect in the state for the Class of 2027 behind only Jackson running back Ezavier “EJ” Crowell, according to the 247 composite rankings.
Philip Rivers said his son was “fired up” after Auburn’s offer. The irony of the Tigers’ offer wasn’t lost on the elder Rivers, who was also offered by Auburn 25 years ago when he was the quarterback for his dad, Steve, at Athens High.
He ultimately signed with N.C. State and went on to play nearly two decades at quarterback in the NFL.
“Auburn recruited me hard, but Jason Campbell was a part of that same class,” Rivers told AL.com shortly after he was hired at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Ala. “They had an undefeated season when he was there, and he had a good career in the NFL. I wasn’t so much scared of the competition as they mentioned the words ‘tight end’ to me. That made me a little nervous.”
Philip Rivers said he told that story to current Auburn QB coach Kent Austin this week. He also mentioned the irony that Noel Mazzone, who was on the Auburn staff when Rivers was being recruited by the Tigers, later joined the N.C. State staff when he was a senior.
“I laughed,” he said. “I told him, ‘Woah, now don’t try to put me in a No. 80 jersey.‘”
In two years as a starting quarterback, Gunner already has thrown for 7,024 yards and 65 touchdowns. He is one of three Class 4A Back of the Year finalists along with Crowell and Jackson QB Landon Duckworth.
“He’s pretty much who he is going to be,” Philip Rivers said of his oldest son. “Gunner is a pocket passer that runs well enough. He will end up being 6-3 or 6-4 and about 220 pounds. He’s real humble about it all. He doesn’t love all the attention. It (recruiting) is a different world then what I went through 25 years ago. Golly.”
Philip said Gunner didn’t go to any college camps last summer and the only campus he has visited so far is N.C. State and that was only because he went with his father to an event there.
“He wanted to wait one more year,” Philip said. “He hasn’t been too antsy. I told him we were going to have to make some trips this year. As recruiting picks up even more in the spring, we will pick some places and go.
“I don’t know if he has any favorites at this point. He’s been an all-NFL guy over the years. He never really had any college favorites. It will be interesting to see what happens.”
Philip Rivers said his son still obviously has room to improve.
“We will keep putting more on his plate with him being able to change things at the line of scrimmage,” he said. “He won’t have to look over at me all the time. We will give him some more tools to add to his toolbox at the line of scrimmage.
“Obviously, he will continue to work on his pocket presence and footwork. You can never do it enough. He’s naturally accurate and anticipates well, but you keep working on those things. All that said, I want to let him be a high school quarterback and go play and enjoy being a good teammate, and I know he will.”
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