4-Star Safety KJ Caldwell Commits to NC State

NC State just landed one of the biggest defensive commitments of the Dave Doeren era.

4-star 2027 safety KJ Caldwell (6’0”, 185 pounds) verbally committed to NC State today, choosing the Wolfpack over a Final Four that included Georgia, Mississippi State and Kansas State.

Top-100 S KJ Caldwell committed to NC State live with @Rivals and @josh_newberg. What’s he bringing to Raleigh?

“A dog. Somebody that’s coming in to work every day — somebody that’s coming to win an ACC championship.”@KJCaldwell12 breaks down why: https://t.co/f3c0VICDnu pic.twitter.com/638RLBjr4G

— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) May 22, 2026

This is a MASSIVE recruiting win for the Pack.

One of NC State’s Highest-Rated Commitments Ever

Caldwell is a consensus 4-star prospect and one of the highest-rated recruits to ever commit to NC State.

National Rankings

ESPN
No. 78 overall player nationally
No. 7 safety nationally
No. 9 player in Georgia

247Sports
No. 82 overall player nationally
No. 5 safety nationally
No. 7 player in Georgia

Rivals
No. 258 overall player nationally
No. 26 safety nationally
No. 24 player in Georgia

Ranked No. 78 overall by ESPN, Caldwell becomes one of the Top-20 highest-rated prospects to ever commit to NC State.

Recruitment Timeline

NC State offered Caldwell back on May 12th of last year and steadily built momentum in his recruitment.

One notable moment came this spring when Caldwell made it to Raleigh for a Wolfpack spring practice.

Landing a player of this caliber over a program like Georgia is a major statement for the staff.

Junior Season Production

This past fall at Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, Caldwell posted:

38 tackles
4 tackles for loss
1 interception
2 forced fumbles
1 fumble recovery

Junior Highlights