Please help me figure out what i'm doing wrong printing to the LCD

Your wiring "looks" correct.

Your LCD seems to have very "long" pin header strip.
Are the pins fully inserted into the breadboard?
Likewise your male-male Dupont cables.

I would connect the LCD signals all on the large breadboard.
GND, +5V and pot can all fit. With two jumpers from ESP32 VIN, GND.

Wiring breadboards requires meticulous care. Dupont jumpers are fairly reliable. Chinese "thin" male-male jumpers are liable to break.

David.