Philip Rivers is back where this latest football chapter always seemed headed: at St. Michael Catholic, coaching his son through a senior season that already has a national spotlight on it.
For most families in Fairhope, Alabama, a morning at the kitchen table is just that. For the Rivers household, it comes with a little more quarterback instruction.
Philip Rivers spent part of last season back in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, starting three games after coming out of retirement late in the 2025 season. The Colts were 8-5 and still in the AFC playoff hunt when he made his first start, and they came close to knocking off Seattle before their playoff hopes faded.
Now he’s back home, and the focus is squarely on St. Michael Catholic and Gunner Rivers’ final high school season.
That arrangement comes with obvious benefits. Most teenagers are told to eat breakfast and get moving.
Gunner might be hearing the kind of pre-snap chatter only a former NFL quarterback can deliver: "Omaha! Pancakes right, bacon on two - and if the eggs stack the box, check to French toast."
Even with that kind of built-in tutoring, Gunner has earned his own status. He enters 2026 as a four-star prospect and one of the top quarterback recruits in the Class of 2027. 247Sports has him at No. 43 nationally and No. 4 among quarterbacks in the class.
The production backs up the ranking. As a junior, he completed 237 of 343 passes for 3,176 yards, 46 touchdowns and only five interceptions, helping St.
Michael finish 13-1 and reach the Alabama Class 4A semifinals. Across his first three seasons, he has piled up 10,200 passing yards and 111 touchdowns.
That kind of resume would have put him on the map no matter what his last name was.
Instead, the name only adds another layer. In February, Gunner committed to NC State, the same school where Philip Rivers became one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in program history. He chose the Wolfpack over reported offers from Auburn, Georgia, Miami and Boston College.
Philip Rivers had been coaching at St. Michael since 2021 before the Colts came calling late last season after injuries thinned their quarterback room. Five years after his previous NFL snap, the 44-year-old returned to Indianapolis for those three starts, then headed back to Alabama.
Asked by Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show after the season what was next, he made the answer sound pretty simple.
"I got a son who will be a senior, and that St. Michael football team ready to go,"
St. Michael has plenty to play for, too. The program has reached the Class 4A semifinals in each of the past two seasons, and both times it lost to eventual state champion Jackson.
The season opens Aug. 22, and it won’t ease in quietly. St.
Michael will face Battle Ground Academy (Tennessee) in a nationally televised ESPN2 opener. On the other sideline will be another familiar name: Bo Bryan, the son of country star Luke Bryan.
Battle Ground Academy went 13-1 last season and won a Tennessee state title.
So Gunner Rivers’ final high school season begins under the lights, on national television, with a future NC State quarterback, another recognizable family name across the field and a St. Michael team still chasing the title that has slipped away the last two years. Philip Rivers, meanwhile, is right where he said he needed to be: back on the sideline, coaching one more season with his son.
In Other News...
Alabama Fans Know Coleman Coliseum Still Has One Homecourt Problem
Alabama is making visible strides inside Coleman Coliseum, with athletic director Greg Byrne announcing upgrades to the video board and sound system as part of a broader push to improve the basketball programs facilities. The planned new arena is still on hold after rising costs shifted attention toward the new practice facility that opened recently, leaving the Tide to keep sharpening the building they already have instead of starting over from scratch.
Even with those improvements, the biggest question around Coleman is less about hardware than atmosphere. The building can be upgraded, but the homecourt feel still depends on how Alabama shapes the student section and the rest of the crowd experience, and that is where some of the most interesting ideas are starting to surface. For now, the facility plans are moving forward, but the larger challenge of making Coleman feel like a tougher place for visiting teams remains very much in play. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Metz Is Forcing Alabama Fans To Rethink This Linebacker Battle
Alabama brought in Caleb Woodson from Virginia Tech to stabilize a linebacker group that needed reinforcements after losing key contributors, but the bigger internal question in fall camp has quickly become who lines up next to him. Sophomore Luke Metz and junior Reese are both in the mix for that starting spot, and Metz has been one of the more noticeable risers as camp has unfolded, showing the kind of physicality that can change a competition in a hurry.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has liked what he has seen from Metzs development, and Alabama appears to have more than one workable answer at the position heading toward the 2026 season. Even if the Tide dont need to settle the battle immediately, the way Metz has pushed himself into the conversation gives this one a different feel than the usual depth-chart placeholder, especially with Woodson already expected to anchor that group. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Running Back Battle Just Got More Crowded Behind EJ Crowell
The race behind Alabamas top back has started to take shape, and it already looks crowded. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb pointed to EJ Crowell as a freshman with promising physical traits and upside, while also noting that Daniel Hill is expected to lead the group. Behind them, Kevin Riley, AK Dear and Trae'shawn Brown are all in the mix, giving the Crimson Tide a room full of options as the staff sorts out roles.
What stands out for Alabama is how much of this battle is still about the details, not just raw talent. Grubb has been pleased with the progress and maturity of Dear and Brown, especially as the group works through the finer points of the position, including learning the offense and handling blocking responsibilities consistently. With so many backs competing for snaps, the next step may come down to who can make the biggest strides in the parts of the game that keep trust in the huddle. [Read more 🡒]