No. 4 JUCO linebacker Wyatt Wright signs with NC State
NC State graduate linebacker Payton Wilson will not be back next season since he is off to the professional ranks, which left a hole within the Pack’s linebackers room. It did not take long for the red and white to find a player that could be a plug-and-play linebacker in Wyatt Wright.
The junior college player’s recruitment went fast, and he signed with the Wolfpack on Wednesday after he received his initial offer on Dec. 9.
Position: Linebacker
School: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Height/Weight: 6-2, 225
Other offers: Arizona State, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Houston, Jackson State, Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Miss, Texas State, UCF, USF, Western Kentucky
This season’s stats: 82 total tackles. He had four games with 10 or more stops, including an 18-tackle performance against East Mississippi Community College.
Accolades: No. 4 junior college linebacker, according to On3.
How Wright ended up at NC State
NC State’s coaching staff reached out to Wright near the beginning of December, and the interest ramped up quickly. He had an offer on Dec. 9 and he was on campus by Dec. 15. Wright then committed to the Pack just one day after the conclusion of his trip to Raleigh.
Wright was intrigued by defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s ability to develop linebackers, and that bond only strengthened through his recruitment. The linebacker also looked at the Pack’s football program as a whole, what Raleigh was like, the mentality of the players, the defensive scheme and what the living situation was like on campus.
Why Wright picked NC State
“Just really the resume they have,” Wright said. “They have a certain standard of sending guys places where they want to go, developing guys into good players.”
What Wright brings to NC State
“I see myself being a speed guy, running through holes, really being out and free, taking guy’s heads off,” Wright said.
