Maliki Wright plans NC State official visit after recent offer
Maliki Wright briefly committed to USF in the fall. He is the No. 37 safety in the country, holds a handful of early offers and he quickly committed to the Bulls in November.
The 6-0 junior, who picked up an offer from NC State Jan. 17, decommitted from South Florida 2 days after initially joining the class. Wright felt he rushed into the decision and, now that his recruitment is open once again, the Wolfpack stands out as a top contender.
NC State began reaching out to the three-star safety late last year, and safeties coach Joe DeForest stopped by Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips High and offered Wright a scholarship this week.
“Coach DeFo at NC State, he has been showing a lot of love, even before he offered me,” Wright said.
Wright said the timing of DeForest’s offer surprised him, but he knew the Power Four interest would start to ramp up this year after a junior season that included 74 total tackles and 2 interceptions.
He was hanging out in his high school coach’s office this week when the Wolfpack assistant surprised him with a visit. Over their initial conversations, they built a solid connection early in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
“I really like his personality,” Wright said. “I like how he keeps it real with me. He’ll tell me the truth. He doesn’t want to tell me nothing I want to hear. He’s going to keep it real.”
While the three-star defensive back does not have any junior day trips set yet, he is already eyeing a summer official visit to Raleigh. He told TheWolfpacker.com that he has already locked that in with DeForest.
Iowa State, Appalachian State and USF are a few of the other programs to watch in his recruitment. When he visits each school, Wright wants to learn more about the university’s academics because “at the end of the day football doesn’t last forever.”
Even before the Wolfpack offered, the safety already thought highly of the program thanks to his previous conversations with former All-ACC defensive back Tanner Ingle, who attended the same high school as the priority junior before developing into a star in Raleigh.
“He said they take great care of you at NC State, so they’re definitely going to be one of my top schools I’m looking at,” Wright said.
The next step for the emerging 2025 prospect is to see the Pack’s campus for himself and, until then, continue building a connection with the program.
“I want to meet the whole coaching staff,” Wright said. “I want to talk to some of the players and get their perspective, some of the fans. I just want to see everybody’s perspective about NC State. I want to go up there with my mom and my dad and look and see if it’s home for real.”
Wright does not have a timeline for his commitment, but he definitely plans on signing early so he can join his collegiate family in January. To prepare for that moment, the defensive back says his weight is already around 190 pounds, and now he is working on his speed in preparation for his transition to Division-I football.
On3 considers Wright a three-star prospect with an 88 rating. He is the No. 60 recruit in Florida’s 2025 class.
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