4-star guard Adelaide Jernigan commits to Wes Moore's NC State Wolfpack

Wes Moore's NC State Wolfpack have gained the commitment of four-star prospect Adelaide Jernigan from Bishop McGuinness. She chose NC State, a team from her home state, instead of Michigan and Kentucky, the other teams in her top 3.

According to North Carolina State Rivals, Jernigan called assistant coach Ashley Williams to confirm her decision but asked her to keep the news under wraps to surprise Moore. He only found out when she made her decision public on Sunday.

Jernigan posted a video on X of herself surprising Moore.

She admitted that the decision was not easy as the other schools also made good offers. However, she added that NC State was already the favorite and that after visiting her top 3 schools, her "mind just kept going back to NC State."

“When I went on my official visit [to NC State], it just felt so right,” Jernigan was quoted as saying by North Carolina State Rivals. “I had always preached I wanted a family atmosphere and family environment, and when I was with the girls, when I was with the coaching staff, it just like, clarified it even more for me.

Adelaide Jernigan is the No. 64 overall prospect in ESPN/HoopGurlz’s 2025 recruiting rankings after she led the Bishop McGuinness Villains to the fourth round of the 1A playoffs last season. She was named in North Carolina's All-State first team after averaging 19.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

During her freshman year, she helped the Villains win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1A championship. The team also won the title the next year, with Jernigan being named to the All-State second team. She is also part of Team USA's developmental program.

Kentucky tried to land Adelaide Jernigan

While Jernigan chose to stay in her home state, she did visit the other schools trying to recruit her, including Kentucky. Wildcats coach Kenny Brooks and associate head coach Lindsey Hicks both met with her multiple times.

Over a week after Adelaide Jernigan visited Kentucky from Sept. 6-8, Brooks and Hicks traveled to the four-star guard's home to get her commitment. However, this did not convince her to become a Wildcat.

In August, Jernigan praised coach Kenny Brooks when speaking to On3’s Talia Goodman:

"I just have always really liked Kenny [Brooks]. They put your relationship first. Player development is really big for him, and I like that a lot. They care a ton with recruiting."

However, she said her decision to stick with a school from her home state was due to Wolfpack coach Wes Moore and his ability to win.