NC State is still in the hunt for the top player in the 2027 class, and the Wolfpack now has a real chance to make its case in person.
Five-star power forward CJ Rosser, a 6-foot-10, 200-pound prospect, named NC State to his Top 7 yesterday. The group also includes USC, Arkansas, North Carolina, Miami, Kentucky and Louisville.
Rosser’s visit schedule is already moving fast. He begins a run of official visits this weekend with North Carolina, then heads to Raleigh next weekend for an official visit with NC State. He is also lined up to visit Miami, Arkansas, Kentucky, USC and Louisville.
Rosser is ranked as the No. 1 player in the country in the 2027 recruiting class. He played his junior season last year at Southeastern Prep in Orlando, Florida, after transferring from Northern Nash in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. At Southeastern Prep, he averaged 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
That North Carolina connection is part of what keeps this recruitment so interesting for the Wolfpack. NC State’s pursuit of Rosser has stretched across three coaching staffs.
Kevin Keatts and his staff started recruiting him before the change in Raleigh. After taking over the program, Will Wade offered Rosser a scholarship last June.
Now Justin Gainey is leading the charge, and Rosser was already on campus for an unofficial visit in May.
The competition is steep, and NC State knows it. The other programs in Rosser’s Top 7 all bring serious NIL firepower, which makes this a tough pull. But the Wolfpack has kept showing up: steady contact, an unofficial visit earlier this year and now a full official visit weekend to sell its vision.
North Carolina gets the first crack this weekend. NC State gets the next one. For a player who grew up playing high school basketball in North Carolina, the Wolfpack will have a chance next weekend to explain why a return to Raleigh could be the move.
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For a team that has been looking for a back who can change the tone of a game in a hurry, Scotts performance felt like more than a blowout footnote. He already had attention heading into the season after landing on the 2026 Paul Hornung Award Watch List, and his size, power and style have drawn comparisons to former NC State back T.A. McLendon. The bigger question now is whether this was simply a dominant afternoon against an overmatched opponent, or the first real sign that the Wolfpack has a featured runner ready to carry that momentum into tougher days ahead. [Read more 🡒]