UNC Football Adds Elite West Coast Athlete to Recruiting Class

First-year UNC football head coach Bill Belichick and his crew tallied the program's fourth early 2026 recruiting prize this week when De La Salle High School (Calif.) junior athlete Jaden Jefferson announced his commitment to the Tar Heels.

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Jefferson, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound three-star, stacks up at No. 432 overall and No. 44 in California on the 247Sports 2026 Composite.

COMMITTED!! #AG2G @UNCFootball @Ballhawk__8 @Belichick_B @mlombardiuncgm @dlsfootball17 pic.twitter.com/d61syuNZKR
— Jaden Jefferson (@JadenJefferson_) January 22, 2025

"Jefferson is one of the most explosive players out West on both sides of the ball," 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins wrote earlier this month. "He brings a ton of positional versatility to the table and could play corner, nickel, slot receiver as well as return punts and kicks. He’s a bit undersized...but is a tough kid and plays bigger than his frame.

"His speed is definitely his best attribute...He’s elusive in the open field and a threat to score every time he touches the football."

Another one back to the crib!!

10.40 100m speed💨@BrandonHuffman @KTPrepElite @dlsfootball17 @CoachDev_KTPrep @TomLoy247 @adamgorney pic.twitter.com/KNfIOI1luj
— Jaden Jefferson (@JadenJefferson_) October 20, 2024

The 2026 UNC football recruiting haul currently checks in at No. 21 in the country, per 247Sports, and No. 5 in the ACC (No. 1 among the conference's collections containing less than five commits).

All four UNC pledges are top-tier three-star prospects, including Junipero Serra High School (Calif.) cornerback Marcellous Ryan, Rancho Cucamonga High School (Calif.) cornerback Justin Lewis, and Providence Day School (N.C.) quarterback Zaid Lott.

ALSO READ: UNC Continues Recruiting Hot Streak With QB Pledge

Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC football recruiting news.