NC State earns commitment from local TE Griffin Cockerham

After calling NC State a “dream offer” in late June, Raleigh (N.C.) Cardinal Gibbons tight end Griffin Cockerham committed to the Wolfpack, he announced via social media Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m excited to announce that I am committing to NC State to play football and to pursue a college degree!” wrote Cockerham, who held other offers from Charlotte and Liberty. “Thank you to Coach Doeren and Coach Locklear for believing in me. I believe in you and the culture you’ve built, and I look forward to being a part of it.”

Cockerham, who also plays on the defensive line at Cardinal Gibbons, has caught two passes for 18 yards this season while he has added 27 total tackles, including five sacks through the first five games of his junior season.

The 6-foot-3.5, 220-pound tight end was meant to play in Raleigh after growing up surrounded by NC State football. His paternal grandfather Vance Cockerham was a Wolfpack center in the 1960s, while his uncle Terry Harvey was a two-sport athlete as a pitcher and quarterback in the 1990s and his cousin, Andrew Harvey, was a quarterback in 2020 and 2021. 

Cockerham was in awe to even earn an offer from the Wolfpack over the summer.

“I didn’t really have any words. Growing up my entire life as an NC State fan, it was definitely a dream come true,”  Cockerham told TheWolfpacker.com in June. “It’s just a surreal feeling being able to have the opportunity to go and play football there.”

Now, he’ll be able to play in front of the very crowd he was a part of inside Carter-Finley Stadium for the years to come.

Cockerham is the program’s second commitment of the 2027 cycle, joining Southeast Raleigh (N.C.) running back Christian Freeman.