Top-ranked K Moses Barker commits to NC State

NC State’s red-hot recruiting momentum continues. This time, it’s the nation’s top-ranked kicker joining the Wolfpack.

Fuquay-Varina (N.C.) Willow Spring kicker Moses Barker, who picked up an offer 10 days ago, picked Dave Doeren’s program Monday evening. Barker committed to NC State over the likes of Cincinnati and Iowa. among others.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect started at kicker, punter and kickoff specialist as a junior last fall. He was 8-for-14 on field goal tries with a long of 50 yards, while he nailed 24 of his 27 extra-point attempts.

Additionally, Barker had 34 touchbacks on 47 kickoffs to average 59.0 yards per boot with 14 punting attempts with an average of 37.7 yards in 12 games as a junior.

Although Barker is set to officially visit the Pack on June 12, he didn’t appear to feel the need to wait until that trip to make his decision. The coveted specialist is an NC State legacy after his father graduated from the university, while his family holds season tickets to the Wolfpack inside Carter-Finley Stadium.

Barker rose up the national landscape after impressing in front of Kohl’s Kicking, the top specialist rankings product in the country. He hit 23 field goals at the 2026 Kohl’s National Underclassman Challenge, the most of anyone at the event, to prove he is the best kicking prospect in the 2027 class, according to the scouting service.

“He has tremendous command of his ball/foot contact and he’s confident with his ball striking,” Kohl’s wrote about Barker. “He has a good frame to build on and has quickly developed into one of the top kicking prospects in the country

Barker is NC State’s 11th commitment of the 2027 cycle. He joins offensive pledges Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael Catholic four-star quarterback Gunner Rivers, Raleigh (N.C.) Cardinal Gibbons three-star tight end Griffin Cockerham, Southeast Raleigh (N.C.) three-star running back Christian Freeman, Chillicothe (Ohio) three-star offensive tackle Conner Rutherford, Columbus (Ga.) Carver three-star offensive lineman Tre Warren III and Marietta (Ga.) Walton tight end CJ Jordan II. 

Defensively, NC State holds commitments from Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview four-star safety KJ Caldwell, South Fort Myers (Fla.) three-star EDGE Jadell Carter, Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett three-star linebacker Jake Godfree and Jacksonville (Fla.) University Christian three-star defensive lineman Julius LaRosa.