3-star ATH Stephen Brown commits to NC State

College football’s fall national signing day is less than two weeks away, but NC State isn’t done on the recruiting trail. Instead, the Wolfpack is still adding to its 2026 class.

Chicago (Ill.) Marist three-star athlete Stephen Brown pledged his commitment to NC State via a social media post Thursday morning. He picked the Wolfpack over Texas Tech, the two programs he took official visits to over the past month after both offered him at the end of October.

The 6-foot-7, 205-pound prospect, who projects to play tight end at NC State, is an athletic recruit with a basketball background. Before he opted to go all in on football at the collegiate level, Brown held basketball offers from Arizona State, Illinois and Miami, among others. 

Brown, the No. 62 overall player in Illinois’ 2026 cycle, witnessed the Wolfpack’s 48-36 upset win over then-No. 8 Georgia Tech on Nov. 1 during his official visit in Raleigh. The program’s second top-10 win of the Dave Doeren era featured seemed to help move NC State up in Brown’s recruitment. 

“It was a great atmosphere and the fans were awesome,” Brown told TheWolfpacker.com after his official visit. “It was a great game and saw it happen. Raleigh is a great area with a lot of stuff to do. It’s a great place to live.”

Brown, who was courted by tight ends coach Gavin Locklear throughout the process, is the first at his position to commit to the Wolfpack in the 2026 recruiting class. NC State is set to lose its top three tight ends — seniors Cody Hardy, Dante Daniels and Justin Joly — due to graduation at the end of this season, opening the door for Brown and the rest of the Pack’s young tight ends to move up the depth chart next fall.

Overall, Brown is the 20th commit of the Pack’s recruiting class. He joins Kinston (N.C.) wide receiver Tyreek Copper, Buford (Ga.) three-star running back Dylan McCoy, Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth three-star wide receiver Jaire Richburg, Richmond (Va.) Trinity Episcopal three-star tackle Brady Sakowitz, Maryville (Tenn.) three-star offensive lineman Brody Smith and Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan three-star quarterback Jacob Smith as the program’s recruits on the offensive side of the ball.

The Pack’s defensive pledges, meanwhile, include Locust Grove (Ga.) Lulella three-star safety safety Markel Aguirre, Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge safety Tristen Hill, Winter Park (Fla.) three-star cornerback Jordan Jackson, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy three-star defensive lineman Carmelo McKenzie, Paramus (N.J.) Catholic three-star linebacker Jordan Moreta, Pittsburgh (Pa.) Woodland Hills linebacker Zykir Moore, Baltimore (Md.) Milford Mill Academy three-star safety Koby Sarkodie and Shelby (N.C.) Crest three-star safety D’Various Surratt.

Cameron (N.C.) Union Pines long snapper Taylon Tranel is the Wolfpack’s only special teams commit.