Three-star Arizona wide receiver RJ Gory commits to Northern Arizona

Northern Arizona landed more than a commitment when Queen Creek Casteel wide receiver RJ Gory picked the Lumberjacks. The 2027 three-star prospect gives Brian Wright’s staff a home-state receiver with measurable upside, and his decision adds another data point to NAU’s push to keep Arizona talent from drifting to bigger programs.

Gory’s profile is the kind that stands out on a recruiting board: 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and a 36-inch vertical. 247Sports lists him as the No. 1,380 overall player in the 2027 class, the No. 173 wide receiver nationally and the No. 44 player in Arizona, while his offer sheet included Arizona, UTEP, New Mexico State and Northern Arizona. For NAU, winning that fight matters in a state where every in-state target is watched closely and the best local athletes are often pulled toward larger brands before they ever get to campus.

The relationship piece was just as important as the rankings. NAU offered Gory on June 20, 2025 after he attended camp and met with wide receivers coach Jerry DiMinno and assistant defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator Stephaun Peters. Gory’s commitment pointed to a staff that stayed present throughout the process and kept selling the same message: Flagstaff was a place where he was wanted early, not just after the market for his recruitment heated up.

That matters for a Northern Arizona program trying to build on real momentum. The Lumberjacks went 8-5 overall and 6-2 in Big Sky play in Wright’s first season, earned their first FCS Playoff berth since 2017 and were picked fourth in the 2025 Big Sky coaches poll and fifth in the media poll. Add Gory to that picture and the pitch becomes easier to see: NAU is not only trying to win in conference, it is trying to turn those results into a stronger home-state recruiting footprint.

Gory also fits the kind of developmental bet that can pay off in the Big Sky. He is still two recruiting cycles away from arriving on campus, but Northern Arizona is banking that early trust, local ties and a clear path to playing time can keep more Arizona prospects in Flagstaff. In a recruiting battle often decided by brand names and geography, this one says the Lumberjacks are starting to sell both.