2024 safety Jaiden Patterson commits to North Carolina Tar Heels
Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek safety Jaiden Patterson announced his commitment to North Carolina on Saturday. He chose the Tar Heels over Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest among others.
Patterson is not ranked in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking or the 2024 On300. He is 6-foot-2 and weighs 173 pounds.
North Carolina has now landed two pledges in less than a week in Patterson and Rutherford (N.J.) three-star tight end Ryan Ward. Other recruits to choose the Tar Heels this month include Ramseur (N.C.) Eastern Randolph three-star offensive tackle Jani Norwood, Alpharetta (Ga.) Mill Creek three-star interior offensive lineman Aidan Banfield and Brentwood (Tenn.) Franklin Road Academy three-star offensive tackle Luke Masterson.
Patterson is now the 11th member of North Carolina’s 2024 recruiting class. It also includes 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, Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth three-star interior offensive lineman Desmond Jackson and Germantown (Tenn.) EDGE Daniel Anderson.
The Tar Heels’ group is currently No. 27 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the ACC. Head coach Mack Brown and his staff are still after multiple blue-chip targets, including Burlington (N.C.) Hugh M. Cummings four-star wide receiver Jonathan Paylor and Marietta (Ga.) Walton On3 four-star linebacker Ashton Woods.
“”I love UNC,” Woods told On3’s Jeremy Johnson on Feb. 15 “The relationship just keeps building. It’s built with coach (Tommy) Thigpin, Lonnie (Galloway), the recruiting coordinator and the receivers coach, but he’s always reaching out and checking on us. I’ve started talking to coach (Gene) Chizik and even Mack Brown.”
North Carolina notched a top-35 class in 2023
Last cycle, North Carolina’s recruiting class finished No. 31 in the 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the ACC. It included 20 players and was composed of 5 four-stars, as well as 15 three-stars.
Five of those recruits were among the top 20 players in North Carolina: Maiden (N.C.) four-star wide receiver Chris Culliver, Durham (N.C.) Southern four-star EDGE Jaybron Harvey, Cary (N.C.) Panther Creek four-star EDGE Tyler Thompson, Harrisburg (N.C.) Hickory Ridge four-star wide receiver Christian Hamilton and Cornelius (N.C.) William Amos Hough three-star quarterback Tad Hudson.
All of the aforementioned players outside of Hudson chose the Tar Heels between June 29 and July 4. North Carolina also signed Richmond (Va.) Benedictine four-star defensive lineman Joel Starlings, the No. 310 overall prospect and No. 41 defensive lineman in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.