4-star RB Jaylen McGill commits to North Carolina Tar Heels

Spartanburg (S.C.) Mountain View Prep four-star running back Jaylen McGill has committed to North Carolina.

McGill was previously pledged to Rutgers, committing to the Scarlet Knights in January before backing off that pledge less than a month later.

“I feel like the lord has called me some place else. I’ve prayed about this decision and reflected on my decision. With that being said I’m choosing to reopen my recruiting back up, and I’m decommitting from the University of Rutgers,” McGill wrote on X when he announced his decommitment.

He visited the Tar Heels, as well as Tennessee and South Carolina this spring but is ultimately off the board for a second time.

I’M A TARHEEL! 🐑🩵@UNCFootball @coachmeans_20 pic.twitter.com/froC4wj7Al

— Jaylen “JMAC” McGill “2” (@mcgilljaylen2) April 12, 2025

He now joins new UNC coach Bill Belichick’s first full recruiting class in Chapel Hill, a group that now features 13 pledges. Along with four-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin, he is one of two blue-chip recruits in the group that also includes high three-star receiver O’Mari Johnson, a trio of cornerbacks and interior maulers Anthony Hall and Zion Smith.

UNC’s class now sits just inside the top-25 of the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings at No. 24 nationally.

McGill is the No. 280 overall prospect and No. 19 RB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 6 player in South Carolina.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder was a weapon for Mountain View Prep as a junior in 2024, running for over 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for nearly 400 yards and an additional seven scores.