4-Star PG Jaylen Cross is starting to think official visits

On3 imageby:Jamie Shaw11/17/23

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Jaylen Cross is the No. 49 player in the 2025 On3 150. The 6-foot-3 point guard at Greensboro (NC) Caldwell Academy averaged 14.8 points on 47.4 percent shooting with the Team CP3 program on Nike’s EYBL E16 Circuit. 

“I’m a versatile player,” Cross told On3. “I can do a lot on the court. I’m not just a designated scorer, attacker, or shooter. And the biggest thing with me, I like to defend. So just stopping the opposing team’s best player is a big thing for me and something that I take seriously. So, just being versatile and being a good defender on the other end.” 

On3 caught up with Jaylen Cross after a recent live viewing to talk about his recruitment. 

I have taken unofficial visits to Tennessee, South Carolina, and Wake Forest, so far,” Cross said. “I haven’t planned any official visits yet.”

Cross Talks Schools

Tennessee: “They’re a defensive team, and they take that side of the ball seriously. They’re also really big on details. They break it all the way down to the principle of what they’re doing. The fans down there really stood out to me. It’s just a big family, you know, they’re all trying to support whatever’s going on; football, basketball, baseball, it doesn’t matter. That theme song they had too, they all sang that.”

South Carolina: “With them, I would probably have to say just being with the coaches was the best part. Just developing a relationship with them because they didn’t have a football game going on the weekend I went down, so just developing a relationship with the coaches was a really big thing. They want to take the defensive side of the ball seriously. But once they get on offense moving with a purpose. They don’t really want to be stagnant on that side, they want a lot of movement and shots.”

Wake Forest: “My visit with them went really well. I went to watch their exhibition game. So just seeing them pull it out versus Alabama. They were down a few guys, so that was big. And they like for their guards to be two-way guys. They want to defend, but once it gets on the offensive end, they want to play with motion and pace.”

“Of the schools who have not offered, yet, I’m hearing some from Virginia, Virginia Tech, and NC State, too,” Cross said.

Cross Talks Official Visits

“I don’t have any official visits set yet, but I’ll probably set up a few during basketball season,” Cross said. “Go back to those three schools. Probably go to LSU and Mississippi State. I’ll probably wait until toward the end of the season.”

LSU: “They’ve been on me since they offered. I want to go down there to see what all they have. Since I’m not really close to LSU, so just going down there and just seeing how their culture is and just how their relationships are with the players.

Mississippi State: “I know Shakeel Moore down there. They have a lot of energy, and they’re fun to watch. So just like seeing their energy and how they play, stands out to me, and I want to see what that looks like. An be around their coaches.”

In His Words

“I’m going to look at the fit, for sure,” Cross said. “The camaraderie around the program, the culture they have. Is it a family-type atmosphere? I don’t want to go somewhere that is individual or isolated. I want to go somewhere that feels like home. I don’t want to go anywhere I won’t be comfortable.

“I want to go somewhere I have the most impact on. That lays into the fit for me. So I’m going to look at what their plan is for me and if I fit well with how they play. That will definitely impact my decision.”