On3 3-star IOL Aidan Banfield commits to North Carolina
Alpharetta (Ga.) Mill Creek three-star interior offensive lineman Aidan Banfield announced his commitment to North Carolina on Tuesday. He chose the Tar Heels over Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest among others.
Banfield is not ranked in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. However, On3 rates him higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison.
Even though he is not included in the 2024 On300, Banfield is the No. 41 interior offensive lineman in the country. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound recruit is also the No. 75 player in Georgia.
“I want to start off by thanking God for always being in my corner,” Banfield wrote in a statement published to Twitter. “I want to thank my parents for always pushing me, and being there for me. I’ve been playing football since I was five years old, and I couldn’t have done it without them. Also, I want to thank my coaches for everything y’all have taught me, and pushing for me to be a better football player, better teammate and a better man.
“Lastly, I want to thank my teammates for all the competition and encouragement that helped me get to where I am today. With that being said, I’m proud to say I’ll be spending the next four years at UNC-Chapel Hill.”
North Carolina is hoping to notch top-25 class in 2024
Banfield is North Carolina’s third commit since March 30. The others are Brentwood (Tenn.) Franklin Road Academy three-star offensive tackle Luke Masterson and Germantown (Tenn.) EDGE Daniel Anderson.
The Georgia native is now the eighth member of North Carolina’s 2024 recruiting class. The others are Anderson, Masterson, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep four-star running back Davion Gause, Ball Ground (Ga.) Creekview three-star offensive tackle Andrew Rosinski, Arden (N.C.) Christ School three-star athlete Khalil Conley, Eatonton (Ga.) Gatewood School three-star linebacker Evan Bennett and Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth three-star interior offensive lineman Desmond Jackson.
The Tar Heels’ group is currently No. 21 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 3 in the ACC. Brown and Co. are still after multiple blue-chip targets, including Burlington (N.C.) Hugh M. Cummings four-star wide receiver Jonathan Paylor, Marietta (Ga.) Walton On3 four-star linebacker Ashton Woods and Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley four-star wide receiver Terrell Anderson.
Despite ranking inside the top 25 at multiple points last cycle, North Carolina’s 2023 recruiting class finished No. 31 in the 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the ACC. Landing some of the aforementioned players will help the Tar Heels work towards that goal.